Meeting Abstract

34.5  Sunday, Jan. 5 09:15  Avian anthrophobia? Stress response of house finches across an urban gradient in the presence of humans. WEAVER, MJ*; MCGRAW, KJ; MOUSEL, MM; Arizona State University melinda@pawspartners.com

Urban environments present animals with many novel experiences, not the least of which is the physical presence or threat of humans. Cities are typically thought to harbor fewer predatory threats to wildlife because many native predators are not found in human-impacted areas. However, most studies on urban predation do not take human presence into account. In this study, we examined behavioral and physiological responses to human presence in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), a species that is abundant in both desert and urban areas, captured at six sites across an urban gradient during two different seasons: molt and non-molt winter. We captured birds in live traps and recorded breath rate (an indicator of stress). House finches were then allowed to acclimate to a cage at the field site where captured and then approached by a person. We recorded various behavioral responses (activity, stress behaviors, time eating) to human presence and found that urban birds showed lower activity levels and fewer stress-related behaviors than rural birds. However, rural birds showed a lower breath rate than urban birds. These results suggest that physiological stress responses to humans do not mirror behavioral ones in this cosmopolitan species and birds cope with human and/or confinement stress in unique ways.