Mistletoe-bearing trees positively influence bird foraging patterns across urban and natural environments

Worldwide, parasitic mistletoe species have become successful inhabitants of urban forests, despite novel host trees and communities of potential avian dispersers compared to natural habitats. Though land managers often remove mistletoe because of its impact on urban trees, these hemiparasites may nonetheless provide important food resources and structural heterogeneity for local avifauna. This study compares bigleaf mistletoe’s (Phoradendron leucarpum spp. macrophyllum) host distribution and relationships with birds in the urban and natural landscapes of California’s Central Valley. We established vegetation plots in urban parks and riparian forests to survey mistletoe distributions and measured avian visitation and behavior within individual trees. Mistletoe was detected in 10 of 32 surveyed tree species. Mistletoe presence did not vary across land-uses or tree origins (i.e., native vs. non-native trees); however, infestation levels were highest on larger and nonnative trees. Bird spe..., , , # Mistletoe-bearing trees positively influence bird foraging patterns across urban and natural environments

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.cfxpnvxgm](10.5061/dryad.cfxpnvxgm)

## Description of the data and file structure

We set out to understand how mistletoe distributions and avian tree visitation behavior differ between urban and natural areas in California’s Central Valley. To do so, we surveyed tree communities and mistletoe across >20 circular plots, 10 in natural areas and 11 in public parks. Across the same study system, we then conducted wintering bird observations at 68 focal trees, with and without mistletoe, noting avian visitors and their behaviors. The following files contains data from tree surveys, bird surveys, and traits used in both analyses. 

### Files and variables

#### **File: BirdSurveyData.csv**

**Description: Data recording individual trees utilized in bird analyses.** 

##### **Variables**

* Number: The individual survey event unique identifier number.
* Loc...,