Abstract

SEAS, Carolina; QUESADA ACUNA, Sergio Gabriel  and  BARRIENTOS, Zaidett. EFECTO DE LA INFRAESTRUCTURA Y USUARIOS DE PARQUES URBANOS EN LAS POBLACIONES DE LA PALOMA COLUMBA LIVIA (COLUMBIFORMES: COLUMBIDAE) EN COSTA RICA (2014-2020). Hornero [online]. 2022, vol.37, n.2, pp.21-21. ISSN 0073-3407.

The Rock pigeon (Columba livia) is a common species in urban parks of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica, where control campaigns have failed and little is known about the bird’s populations. Our goals were to compare population size in 2020 with our own estimates from 2014, and to evaluate several hypothe-ses about possible effects of infrastructure and anthropic use on the pigeons. We visited seven urban parks in 2014-2015 and 2019-2020, counting birds with the Panoramic Photographs Method. We analyzed an infrastructure variable (vegetation cover) and three anthropic variables (visitors, feeding and pigeon feed vendors). Over time, there was a pigeon population increase in Alajuela Central Park, a decrease in Plaza de la Cultura, and no change in the other five parks. We found positive correlations between the pigeon population, feeding events and presence of feed vendors. Changes in the population size of C. livia reflect the availability of food directly and indirectly provided by humans.

Keywords : artificial feeding; pests; pollution; urban birds; urban species.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )