10.5061/DRYAD.JV387
Husby, Arild
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Husby, Magne
Nord-Trøndelag University College, Røstad, 7600 Levanger, Norway
Data from: Interspecific analysis of vehicle avoidance behavior in birds
Dryad
dataset
2014
Pica pica
road ecology
Corvus corone
Turdus iliacus
Turdus pilaris
vehicle avoidance behavior
Larus canus
Passer domesticus
Emberiza citrinella
Motacilla alba
Fringilla coelebs
anthropogenic change
Corvus monedula
Sturnus vulgaris
2014-02-24T14:55:10Z
2014-02-24T14:55:10Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/aru011
154424 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Among the most widespread forms of anthropogenic modification of the
natural landscape is road construction, with vehicle mortality a major
issue affecting amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. Why some species
are more susceptible to vehicle collision than others, however, is poorly
understood. We examine how roadside vegetation patterns, road size,
vehicle speed, and brain size influence vehicle avoidance behavior using
more than 3700 individuals of 11 species of European birds. We find that
on larger roads and at higher vehicle speeds, birds were more likely to
fly away from the road than to cross it. Moreover, species with a larger
relative brain size flew away from the road more often than species with a
small brain size, something that may in part explain interspecies
differences in vehicle collision mortality rates. Our results provide
important insights into factors that influence vehicle avoidance behavior
in birds and show that brain size can be an important trait for adjusting
to novelties in their environment.
DatafileDatafile. See Readme file for further description.dryaddata.csv
Norway
Europe