13 species in the city
When talking about biodiversity, we actually talk about several thousand species. It is impossible to know this many species, and it can also seem as a difficult task to even get started.
This is why we, in cooperation with all our friends in the Facebook group Rethink Urban Habitats, have created a list of 13 species, which are good to know in the context of city nature. These are easy to tell apart, they have their own stories, and it is possible to take action to help them.
The 13 species are:
Hawthorn When we plant bushes and trees, hawthorn should always be taken into consideration. It is a very generous source of pollen and nectar for insects, and the berries are food for winter birds such as thrushes and waxwings. Hawthorn has almost disappeared in the forest, where it originally grew.
Ivy This “climbing tree” is widespread in the forest, but it is often also used in the cities, where it covers many walls. Ivy creates habitats for small birds and in the late autumn, it is the latest blooming nectar source for insects.
Bird’s-foot trefoil A low growing flower plant, which is often found in construction sites and unused areas. Many insects – everything from butterflies to beetles – lay their eggs on exactly this plant.
Swift Crying swifts over the cities’ roofs is an iconic image of the city’s nature. Swifts breed in small niches or gaps under the roofs’ eaves. Unfortunately, many modern buildings do not have these gaps, but there is potential to build nesting boxes instead.
Peregrine falcon The world’s fastest bird has a successful story as the species has spread widely in the last few years due to the decreasing use of environment poisons. It breeds on ledges and in nesting boxes on tall buildings.
Parti-coloured bat On warm evenings in the late autumn and start of the winter, it is possible to hear the parti-coloured bats’ mating cries. It passes the winter in the cities preferably in attics in tall houses while in the summer, it breeds in farm buildings.
Hare In the rural areas, the hare is in rapid decline while a surprising high number of hares live in the cities. This is due to the cities’ green areas and their supply of vast amounts of hare food such as flowers and green plants. All they need is a place to hide during the day.
Small water salamander In small clean garden ponds, it is possible to find breeding water salamanders during the months of spring. In the remainder of the year, the salamanders spend their time hiding under rocks and dense bushes, where they live off small animals. Salamanders, however, hate fish!
Red solitary bee When we speak of bees, we usually mean honey bees. However, it is the wild bees, which need our help. The most easily recognized wild bee is the red solitary bee, which immigrated to Denmark in the 1980’s. It pollinates among others apples and redcurrants in the gardens and breeds in holes in the ground, which it digs itself.
The white W In old times, the white W was a common city butterfly, which bred in elm trees. But due to the elm tree disease, the population has decreased rapidly. It is, however, still present.
Little bee beetle The large well-known beetle is, if any, highly affiliated with the city, where it is often found in ruderates such as rail road areas due to their microclimates being very warm. It breeds in old pieces of wood such as railroad ties.
Dicranopalpus ramosus This characteristic species is solely found on walls in the city, where it can be seen throughout the autumn months. It has immigrated to Denmark within the past few years and it has already spread widely. Almost all of Denmark’s 24 related types can be found on city walls.
Fleshing earth start (Geastrum triplex) An iconic mushroom, which is attached to rich top soil under leaf scattering bushes. If you look for it, you might be lucky to see it at the bottom of older bushes in the cities. But be aware that it is not edible.