As suggested by a study published in the journal Oecologia , in which researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) participate, birds that coexist with human beings (for example, in cities) then have more possibilities to prosper by being released new habitats .
"Ecosystems are constantly changing and animals must adjust their areas of distribution," says Mario Díaz, a researcher at the MNCN. “In this work we have verified how the ability to get ahead with the human being can be decisive in this process.
Regardless of whether the new environment is urban or not, the ability to deal with human presence increases the success of populations to establish themselves when they are released elsewhere , ”continues Díaz.
To reach this conclusion, the experts have analyzed the characteristics of 38 species of birds , comparing the density of populations of each one of them in cities and contiguous rural areas. Then they have crossed these data with the success they have had after being released on oceanic islands.
"What we do not yet know is whether urbanization increases tolerance to humans and invasiveness or whether both processes, the ability to invade cities and other places on the planet and tolerance to people, are the consequence of other reasons, such as brains great or vital strategies that decrease the risk of complete reproductive failure ”, concludes Díaz.
