Evaluation of the variation in escape distance between native bird populations of the interior and exterior of the urban matrix of the city of La Paz-Bolivia

This study evaluated whether there is an inter- and intra-specific difference between populations of four native bird species (Zenaida auriculata, Turdus chiguanco, Phrygilus punensis and Zonotrichia capensis) that are present in both urban and peri-urban areas. For this purpose we evaluated the “Flight Initiation Distance” (FID), which is the distance between a person approaching and the bird at the time it escapes flying. Regarding the intra-specific variation, it was found that the populations of the four species have higher FIDs in the peri-urban areas compared to the urban ones. When analyzing the inter-specific variation, it was found that the species P. punensis is the species that significantly presents the highest FIDs in relation to the other species, both for the urban zone and for the peri-urban zone. Therefore, it can be said that there is a difference in the level of tolerance between urban and periurban bird populations where urban bird populations have modified their behavior in response to anthropogenic activities. It can also be said that bird species differ in degree of tolerance due to intrinsic factors of each species.