Habitat for Annoying Wildlife
Kate Thompson, Interdisciplinary PhD Program, Dalhousie University
2021-06-20
Spotting a white-tailed deer in the woods in Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park in the early morning or evening is an exciting event for many park visitors. So too is witnessing the eerily silent flight of a barred owl, or the vigorous activity of a pileated woodpecker. Our urban forest provides habitat that allows us to enjoy these close encounters with wildlife within the city.
However, wildlife in the city may be annoying. Urban woodlands may provide transient habitat for large animals; deer can swim to Point Pleasant Park from the Halifax mainland. I was delighted one day a few years ago to see a doe and two fawns, who had left the park or a woodland close by, browsing the grass in my neighbour’s yard. My delight was dampened somewhat when I noticed that they had also feasted on most of the perennials in my little front garden. Wildlife may also bring threats to human safety and health. On many occasions a deer has wandered from Halifax’s woodlands into the busy downtown streets. At least once, a panicked deer has crashed through the windows of a business, injuring itself and frightening the people inside (CBC News, 2011). Deer habitat is also tick habitat, and most Nova Scotians are now aware that the black-legged tick carries the bacteria for Lyme disease.
The street trees and woodlands of our urban forest provide habitat for the birds that people enjoy having around, like most songbirds. However, some bird species, such as starlings and crows, are annoying because they congregate in large numbers and are particularly noisy and messy. Their acidic droppings damage cars and other property, and make walkways slippery and hazardous. Crows have been observed to roost in the thousands in urban trees since the mid-1900s (Brittingham, 2011). One of these winter roost sites was near the Motherhouse at Mount Saint Vincent University. Crows have a strong hold on the human imagination, and the sight of thousands of large birds congregating there was awe-inspiring, frightening, “annoying or hilarious, depending on whom you ask” (Willick, 2018).
In addition to ticks, we can count mosquitoes and blackflies among the irritating wildlife in parks and green spaces. Mosquitoes, whose larvae grow in standing water, may transmit viruses, such as the West Nile virus from birds. Earlier in the season, blackflies, whose larvae live in running water, are the predominant annoyance, but they do not carry disease.
Like other Canadian cities, Halifax’s urban development is advancing into the surrounding landscape of near-wildlands. Animals such as raccoons, coyotes, and bears, attracted by human food sources, may make their way into streets and yards in suburban and exurban areas. They may produce disruption for humans and possibly lethal consequences for themselves. Raccoons may carry the rabies virus.
Not all annoying urban wildlife needs the urban forest to survive. Halifax is home to many animals (other than pets and domesticated animals) that are genetically and behaviorally well-adapted to urban life (Forman, 2011). Many urban animals are viewed as pests because of the damage they inflict on our property, and for the health risks that they present. Although street trees, backyard trees and parkland trees may serve them for cover and refuge, these creatures are here in abundance because they are able to take advantage of the structures we build, and the plentiful supply of food waste.
Our attics, basement, walls, vents, chimneys, and other nooks and crannies are the living spaces of choice for raccoons, squirrels, mice, rats, and birds such as sparrows and starlings. Raccoons, rats, and cockroaches find refuge in stormwater drains. Our backyards are attractive to raccoons, rodents, and songbirds (including the plentiful, noisy European starling), especially when birdfeeders are filled. The ubiquitous city pigeon will nest and roost in almost any elevated perch. Managing these animal annoyances is mostly a matter of ensuring that we prevent easy entry to our buildings, and that we don’t leave food waste around to provide a free meal.
As is true for other aspects of the urban forest, whether wildlife is seen as largely enjoyable or annoying is subjective (Lyytimäki et al., 2009). From my perspective, the annoyances presented by the wildlife of the urban forest are more than offset by enjoyment of the presence of these animals, and the multiple benefits of the urban forest for our well-being. Encounters with wildlife in the city remind me that nature is all around, even as humans become more urban.
References
Brittingham, M.C. (2011). Managing Urban Crow Roosts in Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved from https://extension.psu.edu/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/223/
CBC News (2011, Jun 20). Deer smashes through Halifax café. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/deer-smashes-through-halifax-caf%C3%A9-1.1065880
Forman, R. T. T. (2014). Urban Ecology: Science of Cities. Cambridge Univ. Press.
Lyytimäki, J., Petersen, L. K., Normander, B., & Bezák, P. (2008). Nature as a nuisance? Ecosystem services and disservices to urban lifestyle. Environmental Sciences 5(3):161-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/15693430802055524
Willick, F. (2018, Dec 27). For decades, a Halifax neighbourhood has been known for a murder (of crows). CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/crow-roost-mount-saint-vincent-university-halifax-1.4958216
