Study On Urban Rock Dove (Columba Livia) Movements In The City Of Madrid Using GPS Devices

A study of the mobility of this species using GPS was started in 2024. The GPS devices are placed on the bird's back and attached to a harness designed using a 3D printer. The data is obtained via Bluetooth signal and includes, in addition to spatial coordinates, height, ambient temperature, light intensity and battery charge level. All the data obtained can be viewed on a mobile phone, tablet or PC. At first, a pilot test was carried out with one specimen of the species to develop the necessary operations and validate them. The study then began with five specimens of Columba livia simultaneously in a specific area of the city representative of the urban centre of Madrid. This process has been replicated at different times of the year to understand the influence of seasonality in a city with a continental Mediterranean climate. The results obtained, greatly influenced by the abundance of water, food and shelters, have served to deepen the knowledge of the urban rock doves and optimize strategies for its management, one of the great challenges of urban wildlife management today.