Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>)
In cities and densely populated areas, several corvid species are considered nuisance animals. In Austria, particularly carrion (<i>Corvus corone</i>) and hooded crows (<i>C. cornix</i>) are regarded as pests by the general public that frequently cause damage to crops, feed o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/5/215 |
| _version_ | 1818238782408753152 |
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| author | Doris Preininger Bjoern Schoas Diether Kramer Markus Boeckle |
| author_facet | Doris Preininger Bjoern Schoas Diether Kramer Markus Boeckle |
| author_sort | Doris Preininger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In cities and densely populated areas, several corvid species are considered nuisance animals. In Austria, particularly carrion (<i>Corvus corone</i>) and hooded crows (<i>C. cornix</i>) are regarded as pests by the general public that frequently cause damage to crops, feed on human waste, and thus spread trash. We conducted a detailed one-year field survey to estimate the abundance of carrion crows in relation to potential anthropogenic food sources and reference sites in the Austrian Rhine valley. Our results demonstrated that the number and proximity of waste management facilities, animal feeding areas, and agricultural areas, and the productive capacity of agricultural areas, predominantly influenced habitat choice and abundance of carrion crows. In the current study, the probability of observing more than two carrion crows at a survey site decreased with increasing human population density. Moreover, the abundance of crows increased despite a continuous increase in crow hunting kills registered during the past 25 years. Our study suggests a regionally comprehensive waste management plan could serve as a promising strategy to manage nuisance birds. A reduction in anthropogenic food supply through improved waste management practices is required for long-term, sustainable management to limit the abundance of crow populations in and close to urban environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:47:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8dc0a7f3276b40e99325a2a0e49e98d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:47:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-8dc0a7f3276b40e99325a2a0e49e98d32022-12-22T00:24:06ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152019-05-019521510.3390/ani9050215ani9050215Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>)Doris Preininger0Bjoern Schoas1Diether Kramer2Markus Boeckle3Vienna Zoo, 1130 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Landscape, Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, AustriaSteiermärkische Krankenanstaltengesellschaft m. b. H., 8010 Graz, AustriaDepartment of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaIn cities and densely populated areas, several corvid species are considered nuisance animals. In Austria, particularly carrion (<i>Corvus corone</i>) and hooded crows (<i>C. cornix</i>) are regarded as pests by the general public that frequently cause damage to crops, feed on human waste, and thus spread trash. We conducted a detailed one-year field survey to estimate the abundance of carrion crows in relation to potential anthropogenic food sources and reference sites in the Austrian Rhine valley. Our results demonstrated that the number and proximity of waste management facilities, animal feeding areas, and agricultural areas, and the productive capacity of agricultural areas, predominantly influenced habitat choice and abundance of carrion crows. In the current study, the probability of observing more than two carrion crows at a survey site decreased with increasing human population density. Moreover, the abundance of crows increased despite a continuous increase in crow hunting kills registered during the past 25 years. Our study suggests a regionally comprehensive waste management plan could serve as a promising strategy to manage nuisance birds. A reduction in anthropogenic food supply through improved waste management practices is required for long-term, sustainable management to limit the abundance of crow populations in and close to urban environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/5/215abundanceanthropogenic food<i>Corvus corone</i>crowcorvidecologywaste management |
| spellingShingle | Doris Preininger Bjoern Schoas Diether Kramer Markus Boeckle Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>) Animals abundance anthropogenic food <i>Corvus corone</i> crow corvid ecology waste management |
| title | Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>) |
| title_full | Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>) |
| title_short | Waste Disposal Sites as All-You-Can Eat Buffets for Carrion Crows (<i>Corvus corone</i>) |
| title_sort | waste disposal sites as all you can eat buffets for carrion crows i corvus corone i |
| topic | abundance anthropogenic food <i>Corvus corone</i> crow corvid ecology waste management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/5/215 |
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