title: Urban and rural habitats differ in number and type of bird feeders and in bird species consuming supplementary food.
abstract: Bird feeding is one of the most widespread direct interactions between man and nature, and this has important social and environmental consequences. However, this activity can differ between rural and urban habitats, due to inter alia habitat structure, human behaviour and the composition of wintering bird communities. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km(2) each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 towns and cities across Poland (in each urban area, we surveyed 3 squares and also 3 squares in nearby rural areas). At each count, we noted the number of bird feeders, the number of bird feeders with food, the type of feeders, additional food supplies potentially available for birds (bread offered by people, bins) and finally the birds themselves. In winter, urban and rural areas differ in the availability of food offered intentionally and unintentionally to birds by humans. Both types of food availability are higher in urban areas. Our findings suggest that different types of bird feeder support only those species specialized for that particular food type and this relationship is similar in urban and rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland. piotr.tryjanowski@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tryjanowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skórka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Tim H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.affiliation: High School of Civil Sciences, Zamojska 47, 20-1012, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Biaduń
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environment Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brauze
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Pomeranian University, Arciszewskiego 22b, 76-200, Słupsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hetmański
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martyka
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Landscaping, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Ks. A. Kordeckiego 20, 85-225, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Indykiewicz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Myczko
authors.affiliation: Przemysl Ornithological Society, Węgierska 6, 37-700, Przemyśl, Poland.
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kunysz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kawa
authors.affiliation: Upper Silesian Ornithological Society, pl. Jana III Sobieskiego 2, 41-902, Bytom, Poland.
authors.forename: Stanisław
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Czyż
authors.affiliation: Institute for Administration and Tourism, State Higher Vocational School in Sulechów, Armii Krajowej Str. 51, 66-100, Sulechów, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Czechowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Protection and Management, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45a, 15-351, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polakowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zduniak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana St. 1, PL 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jerzak
authors.affiliation: Department of Teacher Training and Biodiversity Studies, University of Łódz, Banacha 1/3, 90-237, Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janiszewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce, Prusa 12, 08-110, Siedlce, Poland.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goławski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lower-Silesian Field Station, Podwale 75, 50-449, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duduś
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, PlacŁódzki 3, 10-727, Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nowakowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lower-Silesian Field Station, Podwale 75, 50-449, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wuczyński
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Anatomy and Zoology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71-412, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wysocki
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D002947:Cities; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005523:Food Supply / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Central Europe; Human support; Human-wildlife interaction; Supplemental food; Urban ecosystems; Urbanization; Wintering