Urbanization and the Mountain Chickadee: How Do Habitat Characteristics Influence the Nesting Success of Mountain Chickadees?

Urbanization can have varying effects on the reproductive success of a species. Previous studies have shown that Mountain Chickadees (Poecile gambeli), a small songbird native to montane regions of North America, are able to cope with urbanization and breed successfully in urban areas. I examined Mountain Chickadees nesting in artificial nest boxes in rural and urban areas around Kamloops, BC. Specifically, I was interested in understanding how habitat characteristics, especially those in urban environments, influenced the propensity of chickadees to nest and the success of those nests. I examined the abundance of coniferous vs deciduous trees, the presence or absence of gardens and bird feeders near the nest boxes, and several other variables describing habitat structure. These findings will lay the groundwork for future studies in order to estimate the effects of urbanization on a variety of species