Cities can look like a concrete nightmare for wildlife… yet some birds are absolutely crushing it, while others vanish. In this episode of Okay, But... Birds, host Dr. Scott Taylor is joined by Dr. Fran Bonier, Professor at Queen’s University, to unpack what “urban birds” really are, why cities create winners and losers, and what it actually costs a bird to live the high-rise life.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. Which birds tend to become “city birds,” and why some species thrive in urban spaces while others disappear
2. The concrete benefits and hidden costs of city living, plus the traits that predict an urban “winner”
3. How scientists test whether birds are adapting and learning fast vs. being filtered by city conditions, and what the biology says about stress in urban birds

All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Bird media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:

1. House Sparrow audio contributed by Wil Hershberger, ML539706
2. Peregrine Falcon audio contributed by Mike Andersen, ML136378
3. Rosy-faced Lovebird audio contributed by Derek Solomon, ML168222
4. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo audio contributed by Mark Robbins, ML529861
5. White-crowned Sparrow audio contributed by Bob McGuire, ML207181
6. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Northern) audio contributed by David McCartt, ML137605
7. Chimney Swift audio contributed by Wil Hershberger, ML107413
8. Chimney Swift video contributed by Timothy Barksdale, ML440546