Bird-assisted sampling of air temperature reveals three-dimensional cooling effects of urban vegetation

In Rome, Italy, homing pigeons equipped with air-temperature sensors show vegetation-linked cooling: air above artificial surfaces is up to ~5°C warmer than above vegetated areas at low altitudes and mornings.

• Why it matters: Urban temperature studies often rely on ground stations and satellite surface products that miss near-surface air conditions and vertical structure.
• What they did: During summer campaigns from 2023 to 2025, GPS-logged Columba livia flights mapped fine-scale 3D air-temperature patterns, and modelling related them to land cover and altitude.
• The result: Green areas buffer temperatures near wooded patches, with air remaining relatively stable up to ~300 m from patch edges before rising by as much as ~3°C.