The document summarizes a study on the interaction between birds and humans on Venice Beach. It outlines the hypothesis that fewer birds will be present when more people are on the beach. The study examined how factors like tides, weather, human activities (feeding, walking), and species of birds (gulls, crows, sparrows) affected the numbers of birds and people at different locations and times along the beach. Observations were made over multiple days and times to analyze how these variables impacted bird and human behaviors and distributions on the beach.

1. Birds and Human Interaction on Venice Beach By Emilie Nguyen Geog 163 Final Project

4. Methodology Equipment : - Binoculars - Recorder - Tide schedule booklet Time period : - 3 days a week for 2 weeks - twice a day during low and high tides for one hour each time Sources : - Internet to check weather - Interview with lifeguards and curious people - Bird book to identify different species Study area : - length between lifeguard towers: 565m - width: 120m

5. Left vs. Right sides

6. Low & High Tides

7. Results: how low & high tides affect birds & humans

9. Discussion: Study on Human Disturbance Human disturbances leave a “ behavioral footprint ” according to Webb who studied flight initiation of Western gulls behavior at the Santa Monica Pier. Flight initiation distance is the distance at which a bird moves away from an approaching threat, and reflects an economic decision, whereby animals flee when the perceived costs of flight outweigh the perceived benefits of remaining in place. F light initiation distance decreased with distance because the gulls habituated to their local level of disturbance and became more tolerant in more disturbed areas.

10. Conclusion: Gulls: - predominant species on the beach - tolerant around people who are passive - more adult gulls present in crowded beach - group together in quiet place & less people - people affect gulls behavior - gulls adapt to people but not vice versa

11. Intolerant Species: Human