Bird population changes in urban green spaces explained by regional population trends

Abstract

Urban bird species represent a subset of the regional species pool, consisting of species that have been able to survive in, or colonise, urban areas. Urban birds are typically resident non-forest species with a broad diet and nesting high in trees or in cavities, and some studies have also claimed that they are large-brained. However, little is known about how urban bird communities change over time. Does the urban environment impose specific selective pressures favouring particular species or ecological groups, or do birds in urban areas simply have population changes reflecting population trends at larger scales? We assessed population changes of 45 breeding land bird species in Oslo, the capital of Norway, based on surveys conducted ca. 15 years apart. Population changes within Oslo most closely matched changes occurring at the regional level (national population trends from Norway and Sweden). Thus, species increasing in Oslo were those that also increased at the regional level. We found no evidence that relative brain size, diet or habitat preferences influenced population trends. However, controlling for regional population trends, there were additional residual effects of nest site and migration: species nesting on the ground or low in bushes had more positive changes than species nesting high in trees or in cavities, and resident species did better than long- or short-distance migrants. These results indicate that urban environments are not isolated islands only influenced by own selection pressures, but are connected with regional population dynamics, most likely through immigration.