FEED OR FLIGHT: EXPLORING BIRD BOLDNESS AND OBJECT NEOPHOBIA ON AN URBAN COLLEGE CAMPUS

Christian J Pasos; California State University Dominguez Hills; cpasos1@toromail.csudh.edu; Karina A. Sanchez

As urbanization reshapes natural habitats, wildlife that can adjust to new sights, sounds, and disturbances are often favored. Behavioral traits like boldness and neophobia, the tendency to avoid or investigate unfamiliar objects/situations, play a key role in determining which species succeed in urban settings. This study investigates how common urban bird species around the California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) campus respond to environmental pressures; exploring how factors like noise pollution, habitat composition, and the introduction of novel objects shape behavioral responses. Feeding stations equipped with video cameras were set up across multiple campus sites representing a gradient of habitat type, ambient noise, and activity levels. During field trials, behavioral metrics were tested in the presence and absence of a novel object, including latency to approach/feed, visit duration, and flight initiation distance(FID). Together, these measures help reveal how avian species are impacted by urban stressors and how they navigate risk and opportunity within human-dominated landscapes. Understanding the patterns that promote persistence in cities can inform wildlife management practices and contribute to knowledge regarding animal behavior and adaptation in urban ecology.

Poster Session    Student Paper