Perceptions of Birds by Urban Residents in an Australian Regional City and Implications for Conservation
This study examines how urban residents in Ballarat, Australia perceive and categorize local bird species, revealing how traits like size, nativeness, and behavior shape public attitudes. Findings highlight strong support for bird conservation and offer guidance for designing effective urban biodiversity and community engagement strategies.
Subject Tags
- Social Sciences
- Biodiversity
Abstract
Given the prevalence of common and threatened bird species within cities, more research is necessary to determine human attitudes to urban birds and how this may affect conservation in urban areas In Australia, few studies have considered the impact of human attitudes on birds; those that have focused primarily on particular species. In this study, we aim to understand the perceptions of urban residents of an Australian city (Ballarat) by examining the ways they categorise birds (using the multiple sorting technique). We found that people were particularly enamored by large, exotic species, but if familiar to them, native species were positively perceived by people. People tended to view aggressive species negatively, but only where this aggression was directed at humans. This approach gained important insight into the attitudes of these urban residents to local birds and their conservation. We used this insight to suggest how attitudes to avian species conservation may inform conservation initiatives and methods for maintaining biological diversity in urban areas.
Citation
Champness, B. S., Fitzsimons, J. A., Kendal, D., & Palmer, G. C. (2023). Perceptions of birds by urban residents in an Australian regional city and implications for conservation. Birds, 4(3), 262-276.
TNC Authors
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James Fitzsimons
The Nature Conservancy
Email: jfitzsimons@TNC.ORG