Date: 5/6/25 3:23 pm From: Chuck & Lillian via groups.io <misclists...> Subject: [LACoBirds] SMBAS Zoom program Tues 6 May 7:30 pm
Santa Monica Bay Audubon invites you to tonight's program.
Changing Behavior in Changing Cities: Shifting Trends in Urban Bird Behavior Across Seasons and Cityscapes, with Joey Di Liberto & Suu Zhou. Zoom Evening Meeting, Tuesday, 6 May, 7:30 p.m. Zoom Waiting room opens 7:15 p.m.
Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) have become prolific in Californian urban spaces, which makes them a model species to study urban adaptation. Joey Di Liberto and Suu Zhou will discuss their recent two years of research on how juncos are shifting crucial behavioral responses while living in urban environments. While it is known that urban populations of Dark-eyed Juncos' exhibit altered territorial aggression compared to montane counterparts, we recently found that discrete populations in different urban areas, as well as in a non-urban area, show differing aggressive responses. Additionally, Dark-eyed Juncos have been found to have reduced flight initiation distance and fear response in urban spaces, but little work has focused on how these behavioral responses vary across the birds' annual cycle. New research indicates that the juncos' breeding phenology may not have a direct impact on their fear response, but there are signs that the specific time of year, among other variables, may instead impact their flight initiation distance. This research allows us to gain key insights on how wildlife may be affected by human activity, and how they may be adapting their behavior to thrive in the city.
Joey Di Liberto is a second year PhD student in the Yeh Lab. He attended UC San Diego for his Bachelors and The College of William and Mary for his Masters; both in the field of Biology. His work broadly seeks to understand how birds on the front lines of anthropogenic changes adapt and change in response. When not birding, you can find him jamming out on his trumpet, hiking, or listening to music. His favorite bird is the Satin Bowerbird.
Suu Zhou is a second year MS student in the Yeh Lab. They attended Mount Holyoke College, where they majored in Biology. Their research focuses on seasonal changes in urban Junco behavior. Their hobbies include birding (of course), reading, and their favorite bird is the Steller's Jay.
