Country birds are bigger than city slickers Few species do well
across a gradient of urbanization from cities to remote farms.
Among species that can thrive across these diverse habitats, are
there differences between populations found in the city and
those in the country? Do urban House Sparrows, for instance,
differ from their country cousins? Recent research along the
urbanization gradient in Hungary has shed light on differences
between city and country birds. Researchers discovered that
House Sparrows in the city were smaller, on average, than
individuals of the same species that lived in nearby rural
areas. Differences were detected in body mass (weight), the
length of the tarsus (a bone in the lower leg), and overall body
condition. City-living House Sparrows were consistently smaller
and in worse condition than their country cousins. Birds in the
most urban settings were 5% lighter, on average, than birds in
the most rural areas. These differences remained even after the
researchers controlled for the