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<p>Urbanization alters biodiversity patterns, often favoring generalist species. The Chimango Caracara (<i>Milvago chimango</i>) is a neotropical raptor that has recently expanded into urban areas in Argentina. Yet, its spatial distribution and behavioral responses across urbanization gradients remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated chimango abundance and behavior in relation to environmental variables across three spatial levels: regional (urban vs. peri-urban), landscape (defined by socio-environmental units), and local (grid cells of 300&#xa0;m x 300&#xa0;m with multiscale buffer analysis), in Mar del Plata, the fifth largest city in Argentina. Field surveys were conducted during the austral summer of 2022–2023, covering 20 landscape units and recording 1616 individuals. At the regional level, chimangos were more abundant in peri-urban areas. At the landscape level, density patterns were not associated with any socio-economic characteristic. At the local level, abundance was positively associated with the number of rubbish bags and negatively associated with urbanization intensity. Behavioral differences included a lower number of individuals observed standing on the ground, fewer group formations, and reduced intraspecific aggression in urban areas. Despite the greater availability of anthropogenic food in cities, the lower abundance and altered behaviors suggest potential trade-offs related to urban disturbance. These findings support the classification of the chimango as an urban adapter, capable of exploiting urban resources while maintaining behavioral variability. Our findings show that chimangos adjust their distribution and behavior according to environmental structure and human activity, underscoring the importance of integrated waste management and urban design strategies in promoting human-wildlife coexistence.</p>

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Multiscale spatial patterns and behavioral variability along an urbanization gradient in a generalist raptor

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月9日

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  • Abril A. Marcolongo,
  • Nicolas A. Lois,
  • Eugenia A. Bonetti,
  • M. Susana Bó,
  • Laura M. Biondi

摘要

Urbanization alters biodiversity patterns, often favoring generalist species. The Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango) is a neotropical raptor that has recently expanded into urban areas in Argentina. Yet, its spatial distribution and behavioral responses across urbanization gradients remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated chimango abundance and behavior in relation to environmental variables across three spatial levels: regional (urban vs. peri-urban), landscape (defined by socio-environmental units), and local (grid cells of 300 m x 300 m with multiscale buffer analysis), in Mar del Plata, the fifth largest city in Argentina. Field surveys were conducted during the austral summer of 2022–2023, covering 20 landscape units and recording 1616 individuals. At the regional level, chimangos were more abundant in peri-urban areas. At the landscape level, density patterns were not associated with any socio-economic characteristic. At the local level, abundance was positively associated with the number of rubbish bags and negatively associated with urbanization intensity. Behavioral differences included a lower number of individuals observed standing on the ground, fewer group formations, and reduced intraspecific aggression in urban areas. Despite the greater availability of anthropogenic food in cities, the lower abundance and altered behaviors suggest potential trade-offs related to urban disturbance. These findings support the classification of the chimango as an urban adapter, capable of exploiting urban resources while maintaining behavioral variability. Our findings show that chimangos adjust their distribution and behavior according to environmental structure and human activity, underscoring the importance of integrated waste management and urban design strategies in promoting human-wildlife coexistence.