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The book "Ecology of Wild Bird Diseases", edited by Sasan Fereidouni, focuses on the ecology of the most important infectious diseases of wild avian hosts, especially those with high morbidity and mortality rates. Disease ecology is an important scientific approach to study the relationships and interactions between living organisms, their environment, and potential pathogens. Birds have high diversity, and the very special ability to fly and migrate. They migrate over long distances, and share ecosystems with other animals, even humans. They serve as the most important natural source of several pathogens with zoonotic potential. Bird-pathogen interactions are increasingly changing due to the continuous anthropogenic disturbances in habitats and ecosystems. With intensified climate change and improved environmental conditions for vectors, as well as higher susceptibility of avian hosts due to simultaneous exposure to environmental stressors (e.g., contamination, food limitation, etc.), the probability of emerging new infections and their expansion into new territories increase tremendously. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that neglected ecological and epidemiological interactions between wildlife, domestic animals and humans are paramount to global health.

The book has a different approach to understanding complex and multiscale interactions among various ecological factors for the most important infectious diseases of wild birds. It provides valuable data to students and everyone who deals with avian species including biologists, researchers, conservationists, and policymakers.

Starting in Zurich (Switzerland), the StadtWildTiere project has since been expanded to a total of 13 cities in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, including Vienna and Berlin. Observations of random encounters with wild animals in urban neighbourhoods are collected on a joint online platform. In Austria, reports can be submitted via the website www.stadtwildtiere.at.  A recently published international study involving the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna has now analysed the benefits of this transnational initiative.

StadtWildTiere collects sightings of wildlife in cities to raise awareness of biodiversity in urban areas throughout Central Europe. The collection of data also serves as a basis for scientific analyses. Furthermore, the knowledge collected by the citizens is used to promote nature and biodiversity in urban areas.

Climate change, interactions:
Community project uncovers the unknown for the first time

Urban ecology is still a young field and urban wildlife populations have not yet been the focus of many studies. "StadtWildTiere enables us to recognise previously hidden patterns and temporal trends, e.g. in the context of urban densification and the heat island effect, particularly with regard to climate change. The initiative can therefore also serve as a sensor for future interactions between humans and wildlife," explains study co-author Theresa Walter from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology at Vetmeduni.

Important basis for decisions at political level

In the long term, the scientists suggest that projects such as StadtWildTiere should create a basis for comparative, international monitoring in order to close the existing gaps in knowledge about urban wildlife populations. According to study co-author Richard Zink from the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Comparative Behavioural Research (KLIVV) at Vetmeduni, the data obtained from the study goes far beyond science: "This knowledge is also of crucial importance for political decision-makers and wildlife managers in order to establish the right strategies and measures. In particular, this also concerns the question of how to effectively improve biodiversity in cities."

The article „StadtWildTiere – added value and impact of transnational urban wildlife community science projects“ by Madeleine Geiger, Anouk Lisa Taucher, Sandra Gloor, Mirco Lauper, Sarah Kiefer, Sophia E. Kimmig, Janette Siebert, Theresa Walter, Richard Zink, Fabio Bontadina and Daniel Hegglin was published in „Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution“.

Scientific article

StadtWildTiere Österreich