[Editor's note: Dr. Rich Kostecke is associate director of research and planning for The Nature Conservancy of Texas. Well-versed in birds and arthropods, his areas of expertise include migratory and wide-ranging species, biological monitoring, stewardship and restoration, and wildlife management.]

If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’re living and/or working in one of the world’s major urban areas. How do I know that? Well, in 2008 a little more than half of the world’s 7 billion people lived in cities. According to the United Nations, this marks the first time in history more people are living in urban centers than rural areas.

Such rapid growth could signal real changes for our environment—questions about smart development and the use of shared natural resources already abound—but our presence could mean even larger adjustments for species living in urban centers, such as the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler. This Central Texas songbird makes its home within the city limits of Austin (14th most populous city in the U.S.) and San Antonio (7th most populous city in the U.S.).

According to some studies, urban noise from sources such as traffic and construction may cause birds to ...

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