Three Ways Street-Smart Birds Hacked Human Infrastructure This Year

Human inventions often create threats for wildlife: Plastics and pesticides harm birds’ health, artificial lights throw off their navigation, and suburbs and freeways eat into essential habitats.

But certain adaptable avians surprise us by learning to make the most of our technologies and infrastructure. Researchers continue to stumble upon the inventive ways birds are taking advantage of the human-built environment. Here, check out three studies from this past year that explore some of birds’ latest hacks.

Trash Birds

Why exert energy flying after food when you could simply hitch a ride? In San Francisco, one Western Gull hopped on a garbage truck and rode it 80 miles to a compost facility outside the city in pursuit of tasty scraps. Researchers caught on to the joyride when they saw the bird’s GPS tag zipping along at much faster speeds than usual. Apparently, the grub was good: The gull repeated the trip just a couple of days later. Researchers suggested more birds may come to depend on such behaviors as climate change reduces their regular food sources. “We should not underestimate what birds may learn as humans and climate continue to alter their natural habitats,” they write.

Green Means Go

In suburban New Jersey, a Cooper’s Hawk discovered a clever strategy for ambushing prey by syncing its attacks with a traffic light. A local biologist observed that when the clicking crosswalk signal went off—indicating a long red light—the young hawk would perch in a tree and wait. Once the line of waiting cars got long enough, the bird would swoop down low, using the cars as cover, and veer into a nearby lawn to snag unsuspecting sparrows, starlings, and doves feeding on the ground. These prey birds, too, were taking advantage of human goods: The lawn belonged to a family that liked to dine outside, leaving behind plentiful crumbs.

Fountain Flocks

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos have for years caused chaos in Sydney, Australia, with their ability to flip open garbage can lids and feast on the tasty trash within. Now, one local flock has picked up a new trick: drinking from water fountains. Scientists observed the birds manipulating their feet and body weight to twist the spout open and even waiting in line to take turns at the bubbler. Their study documented the birds making hundreds of attempts to hack the fountain, even when other water sources were freely available, suggesting the behavior has become a “new urban-adapted local tradition.” 

This story originally ran in the Winter 2025 issue as “Street Smarts.” To receive our print magazine, become a member by making a donation today.