SYNANTROPIC BIRDS

SYNANTROPIC BIRDS, the species of wild birds, which live close to human settlements (cities, villages, parks, squares, and gardens). There are obligate synantropes, facultative nesting and facultative non‑nesting synantropes. Obligate synantropes permanently inhabit settlements, they depend on humans and their activity (house sparrow, rock‑pigeon, etc). Facultative nesting synantropes are the species which inhabit both settlements (used as nest refuge) and in the natural biotopes, and do not significantly depend on humans (great tit, jackdaw, martinet, tree sparrow, gray crow, starling, swift, and white wagtail). Facultative non‑nesting synantropes are species, which do not inhabit settlements, but are tied to them by fodder interests (raven, rook, milvus, imperial eagle, and magpie). Food of S.b. often has an anthropogenic nature, their diet includes cultivated plants seeds, consumer and food waste. S.b. transmit various infections, pose a threat to human health. Ornithosis is one of the common infectious diseases, in Russia it’s spread mainly by pigeons and decorative birds.