Effect of replacing surface with underground rubbish containers on urban House Sparrows Passer domesticus

Abstract Urbanisation processes are increasing worldwide at surprising rates affecting wildlife in many ways: changing habitat structure, reducing resources, and modifying the distribution, composition abundance of local biota. In different countries, urban waste collection techniques evolving surface rubbish containers (neighbourhood receptacles for temporarily storing anthropogenic household located above-ground on streets) being replaced with underground ones (metal boxes steel chutes that fed into large containers) to improve sanitation measures, avoid bad smells scattering by animals. We aimed detect if House Sparrows were more abundant close than ones. recorded an index during two visits winter 2018–2019 point counts groups both container types (80 85 containers, respectively) eight towns Eastern Spain. modelled according type, 14 other environmental variables four scales: container, nearest buildings, near features, general locality features using GLMMs. which may be linked higher food debris availability. The presence (bar terraces, private gardens, mature trees) interacting also influenced Sparrows. replacement deprive could lead decline this species, especially areas little green cover.