Dynamics of nectarivory in the House Sparrow in an urban environment

In urban environments, the green areas often are used for human recreational activities, which increase notably during weekends, inducing cyclic changes in wildlife activity. Potential pollinators are influenced by the number of flowers, the quantity and quality of nectar, the density and connectivity of plants, and habitat characteristics. However, the temporal dynamics of human activities is also likely to influence visitation rates. In this study, I analyzed the spatial and temporal variation of nectar feeding by a population of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) on a public garden of Aloe arborescens plants located on a recreational area along the coast of Mar del Plata City (Argentina). During the weekends there was an increase in vehicle and pedestrian traffic and a decrease in the number of visits by the House Sparrows to. A. arborescens. Spatially, the number of visits by House Sparrows on A. arborescens was positively correlated with the number of inflorescences during both weekend days and working days, but during weekend days also was correlated negatively with the distance between plants. These results suggest that there are weekly cycles in the nectarivory levels of House Sparrows, highlighting the importance of analyzing the effects of human disturbance in urban environments.