Special Issue: African urban birds

Urbanisation is globally and rapidly expanding, with profound consequences for wildlife. Current knowledge is heavily biased towards temperate cities in Europe and North America, but there is an urgent need to address urbanisation patterns and processes in a developing world context that are characterised by substantially different climate and demography. 

Ostrich Journal of African Ornithology, Volume 92, Issue 1 is a special issue titled "African urban birds" and focuses on research specifically on the African content. The aim of the special issue is to highlight some of the unique issues towards gaining a broader and deeper understanding of the impacts of urbanisation on birds, and to contribute to a global perspecctive. 

Seven original research papers that were conducted in southern Africa are presented in the issue and include community-based approaches aimed at understanding species richness and functional diversity spanning across several African countries. In addition, the Special Issue includes papers around urban raptor communitiies in South Africa as well as a local view on the bird community in Grahamstown/Makhanda with respective future direction sections. A paper written by Risi et al. highlights a study conducted on a university campus which examines how pulsed foot traffic and associated anthropogenic food availability influence the feeding efficiency and body mass of city-dwelling Red-winged Starlings Onychognathus morio. 

Wildlife right at our doorstep also creates a chance for urban conservation through public engagement, which is also highlighted in articles in the special issue. The special issue is available to read at no cost until the end of May here.