New research shows how lockdowns impacted wildlife around the world
A Manitoba-led research team has determined that the impact of pandemic lockdowns on wildlife was different depending on which part of the world the animals were in.
Last year, Nicole Koper, a University of Manitoba conservation biology professor, led a research team that found that most birds in Canada and the United States increased in human-dominated areas as people took shelter during the pandemic.
However, new research shows that this was not the case around the globe.
Koper teamed up with behavioural ecologist and lead author Miya Warrington to look at how birds responded to the lockdowns in the United Kingdom.
This research, which was published on Wednesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, found that while some birds in the U.K. increased their use in the spaces they share with humans, many species did not. The research found that popular lockdown activities, such as visiting parks or spending time in backyards, infringed on the birds that share these spaces.
“With North America, they found that largely the animals they responded positively in the sense that when humans stayed at home they saw more increases in birds…with the U.K. we found a very mixed effect,” said Warrington in an interview on Wednesday.
“We didn’t see it largely being birds increasing in their numbers, we also saw a decrease in numbers.”
The research team found that even common species such as the blackbird and the European robin adjusted their behaviours when dealing with the change in human activity as these species were detected in fewer numbers when people spent more time at home in the U.K. However, the research found that some garden-feeder species, such as European goldfinches, benefited from the lockdowns as they may not have minded sharing their backyards with humans.
Warrington explained that a possible reason for the decrease in some birds in the U.K. may have to do with the fact that when people and pets spent more time in their yards it was disruptive for birds.
“When people are going away to work we have an empty yard that the birds can use and then all of a sudden, there are people there,” she said.
“This could have disturbed the birds and they may have decided not to stay in the area or they may have hidden from view of the humans.”
Warrington said the study helps to give us an idea about what kinds of activities are associated with certain effects on animals.
“What’s really interesting about this is this understanding that human activity is not just one thing,” she said.
“We can impact birds and wildlife in many different ways. This draws attention to the fact that humans, we are not just separate from nature, we are part of nature.”
- With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.