Which species come to mind when you think of urban birds?

For me, pigeons, sparrows, starlings and crows immediately come to mind. There have been times when I have seen some surprise birds in urban areas, such as the yellow-rumped warbler I saw while I was sitting in a downtown restaurant. There are also stories, of course, of birds such as hawks and falcons nesting in skyscrapers.

The aforementioned species, however, are perhaps the most common urban birds. A new study by scientists − based on data, research and observations from six continents and 379 cities − looks at how these species thrive in such an environment. Importantly, it also looks at how to maintain as much biodiversity as possible in urban areas. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

One takeaway seems rather obvious in that birds that thrive in urban ecosystems eat a variety of foods. I’ve seen house sparrows begging for French fries at fast-food restaurants. I’ve seen crows flying with pizza crust in their bills. Starlings will eat whatever is offered at the feeder – seeds, suet, fruit, mealworms, whatever.