Detection of a passerine in an urban environment in southern Brazil

Bird detection in an urban area

Abstract

The modification of natural areas to meet the needs of human beings is called urbanization. Its effects on bird groups have been extensively studied, and mainly address changes in relative abundance and demographic aspects. Here we wished to determine the probabilities of detection and occupancy of the Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus in urban environments. We selected 10 sites within the urban area of ​​the city of Santa Helena, western Paraná state, southern Brazil, to conduct 5-minute point counts and used occupancy modelling and logistic regression to determine the aforementioned parameters. The probability of detecting the species is suggested to halve as a function of time, while its occupancy probability alone was not related to the levels of afforestation or noise pollution; the number of houses around point counts showed a positive influence on their detection. When we analyzed the probability with the variables together and their interactions, our results suggest that Great Kiskadee is well adapted to urban environments.