Human influences on antipredator behaviour in Darwin’s finches

1) Humans exert dramatic influences upon the environment, creating novel selective pressures to which organisms must adapt. On the Galapagos, humans have established a permanent presence and have altered selective pressures through influences such as invasive predators and urbanization, affecting iconic species such as Darwin’s finches.

2) Here, I ask two key questions: (i) does antipredator behaviour (e.g. flight initiation distance – FID) change depending on whether invasive predators are historically absent, present, or eradicated? and (ii) to what degree does urbanization affect antipredator behaviour? This study is one of the first to quantify antipredator behaviour in endemic species after the eradication of invasive predators. This will help to understand the consequences of invasive predator eradication and inform conservation measures.

3) I quantified FID, an antipredator behaviour, in Darwin’s finches, across multiple islands in the Galapagos that varied in the presence,...