New York City Urban Food Web
Urban
New York City, United States
Description
New York City supports a surprisingly diverse urban food web including peregrine falcons nesting on skyscrapers, coyotes in the Bronx, and harbor seals in the East River. Central Park alone hosts over 200 bird species annually. Human food waste subsidizes rat and pigeon populations that form the prey base for urban raptors.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Urban fungi
Soil invertebrates
Bacteria
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Peregrine falcon
Great horned owl
Eastern coyote
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Red-tailed hawk
American kestrel
Raccoon
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Rock pigeon
Norway rat
Eastern grey squirrel
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Central Park oaks
Street trees
Rooftop gardens
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Peregrine falcons nest on bridges and buildings, reaching 380 km/h diving on pigeons
- Red-tailed hawks in Central Park hunt rats, pigeons, and squirrels
- Coyotes have colonized all five boroughs, preying on rats and Canada geese
- Harbor seals haul out near the Statue of Liberty, feeding on fish in the harbor