Las aves que tienen cerebros
pequeños, tales como el jilguero
(arriba) no han sido capaces de
hacer frente a los cambios
desencadenados por la caída del
comunismo en Europa oriental,
los científicos encontraron.
Birds with smaller brains, such as the goldfinch (above) have not been able to cope with the changes unleashed by the demise of Communism in eastern Europe, scientists found. Photo: ALAMY
A study has identified several species of
songbirds which have suffered following the
demise of the Soviet Bloc after being unable to
cope with the consequences of the changes it
unleashed in eastern Europe.
While some birds have thrived after adapting to
socio-economic changes affecting their habitats
– such as the regeneration of eastern bloc
cities and the emergence of new suburbs –
those
with smaller brains, such as common whitethroat,
goldfinch, garden warbler and pipit, have not
been able to do so and have consequently lost
out since the end of the Communist era, the
research by Czech and German scientists found.
The study, which is published in the journal
Biological Conservation, looked at population
trends of 57 species over the last 20 years, in
three different regions. One was in the former
West Germany, the other two were the other side
of the Iron Curtain: one in the former East
Germany and the other in former Czechoslovakia.
The scientists observed that songbirds – or
passerines – with relatively large brains, such
as common magpies, Eurasian jays and blue and
great tits, did better in the former Soviet Bloc
countries than in West Germany.
The researchers believe the birds’ better
cognitive abilities have allowed them to adapt
better to the socio-economic changes affecting
habitats after the end of communism.
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