The distance at which birds flee when approached by a human observer is a measure of how they perceive predation risk. We are developing a large scale project to measure flight distances for as many individuals and species as possible in cities, and their nearby rural surroundings, along an elevational and latitudinal gradient along the west coast of the Americas—from California to Chile. Data will allow us to understand and predict how birds will respond to changes in climate, human disturbance and biological communities. We are requesting the help of local birders to collect data as part of this international initiative during the 2024 and 2025 breeding seasons.

Mario Díaz will coordinate the ‘American Gradients’ project. Mario is a full professor at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain, as well as an active birder and member of the Spanish ornithological society. He has analysed latitudinal trends on bird fear in Europe, together with a team of more than 20 ornithologists, each working in her/his own city, from Southern Spain to the Arctic Circle. Several highly cited scientific publications have shown the utility of these analyses to understand how birds deal with our increasingly humanized world.

The program will be presented online at: https://bluejeans.com/370150254/6854