In Australia, homes are increasingly becoming refuges for native animals. New research has shown that over the past decade, residents of Victoria have reported nearly 2400 cases of wild animals and birds taking up residence in, on, or under buildings.
Scientists analyzed this data and found 36 species of native animals that use homes for nesting, foraging, or resting. Among them are micro-bats hiding behind curtains and Pacific black ducks building nests on balconies.
Animals are colonizing almost every part of buildings. Cavities in walls and roofs are chosen by 40% of species, garages and other structures by 19%, and eaves and balconies by 16%. Another 10% find shelter inside rooms, 9% under the house, and 6% in heating and air conditioning systems.
Such places often replace disappearing natural shelters. Tree hollows, which hundreds of Australian species rely on, take centuries to form, and in cities they are becoming scarcer. Buildings partially fill this gap, but the reliability of such refuge is low: repairs or renovations can deprive animals of their homes in an instant.
Australia plans to build 1,2 million new homes over five years. At the same time, energy efficiency requirements are tightening—homes are being sealed to reduce heat loss. However, energy efficiency does not necessarily mean no space for nature. In Scotland and Germany, special 'swift bricks', bat boxes, and hedgehog houses are built into the walls of new buildings. Such solutions show that combining human comfort and animal needs is quite feasible.
In Australia, there are no mandatory standards yet, but initiatives are emerging where developers install one nest box per new home. Biodiversity-conscious urban planning is already being applied in Canberra and Adelaide: instead of lawns, flowering meadows are planted, creating a food base for insects and birds.
It is important to remember that not all animals are safe to coexist with, and in such cases, professional help is required. However, excluding wildlife without providing alternatives means exacerbating the extinction crisis. When designing homes, it is worth incorporating elements in advance that will help native species survive in an urbanized world.
