title: European birds adjust their flight initiation distance to road speed limits.
abstract: Behavioural responses can help species persist in habitats modified by humans. Roads and traffic greatly affect animals' mortality not only through habitat structure modifications but also through direct mortality owing to collisions. Although species are known to differ in their sensitivity to the risk of collision, whether individuals can change their behaviour in response to this is still unknown. Here, we tested whether common European birds changed their flight initiation distances (FIDs) in response to vehicles according to road speed limit (a known factor affecting killing rates on roads) and vehicle speed. We found that FID increased with speed limit, although vehicle speed had no effect. This suggests that birds adjust their flight distance to speed limit, which may reduce collision risks and decrease mortality maximizing the time allocated to foraging behaviours. Mobility and territory size are likely to affect an individuals' ability to respond adaptively to local speed limits.
authors: Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Biodiversité Nordique and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. legagneux@gmail.com
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Legagneux
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Ducatez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D005060:Europe; D005426:Flight, Animal; D018986:Motor Vehicles
keywords: flight initiation distance; phylogenetic mixed model; road kill
references: Proc Biol Sci. 2005 Dec 22;272(1581):2627-34
references: 16321785
references: Conserv Biol. 2007 Jun;21(3):741-51
references: 17531052
references: PLoS One. 2011;6(7):e22352
references: 21789252
references: Biol Lett. 2007 Aug 22;3(4):368-70
references: 17456449
references: Biol Lett. 2010 Apr 23;6(2):167-70
references: 19864278
references: Am Nat. 1999 Jun;153(6):649-659
references: 29585647
references: Dongwuxue Yanjiu. 2011 Apr;32(2):115-27
references: 21509957