Cities, warmer climates and human-made habitats are creating unexpected winners in the animal world.
1. Pigeons
Cities provide pigeons with year-round food, nesting ledges and warmer temperatures. Research shows urban pigeons can breed more successfully because winter conditions are less severe and food is abundant. (Wiley Online Library)
2. Brown Rats
Rats benefit from the same urban combination: warmth, shelter and easy access to human food. Urban environments can allow them to reproduce through periods when colder conditions would restrict populations elsewhere. (Wiley Online Library)
3. Anna’s Hummingbirds
These small birds have expanded dramatically northward in the western U.S. Their range has moved roughly 700 kilometers over four decades, with urban environments providing food, shelter and warmer conditions that help them survive farther north. (Wiley Online Library)
4. Coyotes
Coyotes have become remarkably successful in North American cities, where fragmented green spaces, parks and suburban areas provide habitat and abundant food. Their ability to adapt their behavior helps them coexist with heavily developed landscapes.
5. Urban-Adapted Birds
Crows, gulls and some songbirds can exploit human food, buildings and artificial habitats. A 2026 global analysis found that behaviorally innovative bird species are disproportionately likely to persist in cities. (ScienceDirect)
6. City Wildlife in General
Scientists increasingly recognize that cities aren’t automatically biological wastelands. A 2026 review in Nature Reviews Biodiversity found that urban areas can provide viable, sometimes high-quality habitat for wildlife, although benefits vary dramatically by species. (nature.com)