Urbanization alters the seasonality of bird communities across China

When refugia vanish: Recurrent fire and resistant landscapes homogenize bird communities

Patterns and drivers of beta diversity in bird communities associated with blue-green infrastructure in rapidly urbanizing landscapes

Wetlands are ecosystems of critical importance for human health and well-being. Despite this, they remain undervalued and face significant conservation challenges. Birds are a distinctive taxonomic group in these environments contributing substantially to ecosystem function. In the continental interior of South America, the Dulce River marshes and Mar de Ansenuza Lake form an extensive wetland of international importance, particularly for migratory birds. We propose to analyze bird communities composition in relation to environmental heterogeneity in the southern sector of the Ansenuza lake and assess whether the wetland functions as a relevant point for vagrant birds. We used presence-absence data of birds across various environments, combining field observations with historical citizen science records, to conduct dissimilarity analyses and hierarchical clustering based on average linkage. Additionally, we identified and evaluated novel species recorded over the past 10 years. Bird communities showed significant differences among environments (R = 0.5178, p = 0.004). Ordination analysis strongly indicated two groups, the terrestrial environment hosting the highest species richness (53%), and the aquatic group showing the greatest species exclusivity. Of a total of 345 species recorded, 24 were newly displayed diverse migratory behaviors. Our results highlight the increasing use of the wetland by birds and suggest that it may function as an important refuge and critical resource hub for wide-ranging avian species. These findings underscore the need for both habitat-specific and integrated conservation strategies.

Urbanisation is a major driver of changes in the configuration and composition of the landscapes, threatening biodiversity by reducing connectivity and simplifying ecosystems. This study examines the impact of variation in the structure and composition of urban landscapes on bird species richness and functional composition in Chetumal, Mexico. Through passive acoustic monitoring, we assessed bird species richness and, using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, we calculated vegetation indices, spectral heterogeneity, texture, and landscape metrics to characterise habitat composition and configuration. Our results show that species richness decreased with increasing urbanization, with the forest landscape supporting more species than urban sites, particularly insectivores and shrub-foraging birds. The forest site was more aggregated and contiguous and had a higher effective mesh size, indicating greater structural connectivity. In contrast, urban sites were patchier and had more heterogeneous spectral signatures, reflecting landscape disaggregation. Functional composition of the bird communities also shifted, with urban sites harbouring more generalist species. Our findings highlight the importance of maintaining vegetated corridors and structural complexity to support ecologically diverse bird communities. The integration of acoustic biodiversity monitoring with spatial landscape metrics offers a powerful approach for mitigating biodiversity loss in rapidly expanding tropical cities.

Abstract Introduction Birds and bird communities can serve as indicators to assess the effectiveness of management actions aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems. Objectives This study conducted a literature review to assemble and summarize publications where bird community data from freshwater‐riparian ecosystems were used as indicators of restoration. We aimed to elucidate where bird community data have been established to inform restoration effectiveness and highlight areas where these data are underutilized. Methods We assembled publications (using Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ResearchRabbit AI) to examine how bird communities were used to evaluate bird conservation and riparian restoration projects. Results Results of our literature review indicated that few restoration actions were explicitly aimed at improving habitat or conditions for birds. More commonly, restoration was focused on other taxa or purposes. Regardless, measurable changes in bird communities were observed across reviewed literature, suggesting birds and bird communities can serve as bioindicators in restored ecosystems across spatial and temporal scales. Further, we found few of the projects aimed at restoring freshwater ecosystems had evaluated bird response to changing water and macroinvertebrate conditions, with limited papers exploring the link between water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates, and riparian birds. Conclusion Our findings suggest there is room for broader consideration of the role birds can play in informing researchers and land managers interested in measuring the effectiveness of freshwater‐riparian restoration efforts. We suggest further development of methods to employ bird community data to assess and monitor aquatic restoration activities.

The invasion of Spartina alterniflora has caused widespread ecological disruption along coastal wetlands. In response, China launched a large-scale, physical S. alterniflora removal project. Here, we conducted a comprehensive assessment comparing conditions before (absence of removal areas, ARA) and after (removal areas, RA) physical removal. We found that physical removal was associated with significant changes in soil physicochemical properties, including higher pH, total soluble salts, organic carbon, and available phosphorus, and lower total nitrogen and potassium in RA compared with ARA ( p < 0.001). Macrobenthic abundance and richness were significantly lower after removal ( p < 0.001). Bird richness was lower in RA, whereas bird individual numbers were higher. Bayesian phylogenetic structural equation models indicated that soil physicochemical variation was significantly associated with macrobenthic communities (95% CI [−0.36, −0.12]), and that macrobenthic abundance was positively associated with bird individual numbers in RA (95% CI [0.09, 0.29]), while no significant macrobenthos–bird relationship was detected before removal. Direct associations between soil properties and bird metrics were weak or non-significant. Overall, large-scale physical S. alterniflora removal was associated with a transitional ecosystem state characterized by rapid abiotic reorganization, reduced macrobenthic abundance and richness, and restructured cross-trophic relationships. From a management perspective, these results indicate that short-term increases in bird abundance alone may not reliably reflect restoration outcomes. Post-removal evaluation should therefore incorporate both soil physicochemical stabilization and macrobenthic recovery trajectories, and allowing sufficient recovery intervals following physical removal or facilitating macrobenthic recolonization may improve the re-establishment of functional trophic linkages in coastal wetland ecosystems.

Two aspects of host infectiousness shape pathogen transmission and distribution but are underappreciated: the relationship between pathogen load and infectiousness, and variability in pathogen load within species. We quantified the relationship between host pathogen load (parasitemia) for avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) and infectiousness for biting Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes with experimental infections in canaries (Serinus canaria). Using this relationship, we estimated the infectiousness of 17 bird species in 11 communities in Hawai'i and quantified the relative contributions of infection stage (acute versus chronic) to transmission. We show that infectiousness to mosquitoes increased with parasitemia, temperature, and time since feeding. The relationship's gradual (low) parasitemia slope resulted in a wide range of parasitemias being partly infectious, and high within-host species variability in parasitemia led to extensive overlap in infectiousness among hosts. Disproportionate mosquito host utilization (inferred from relative infection prevalence) elevated the importance of a few host species, yet broad overlap in species infectiousness resulted in similar total infectiousness across most bird communities. This similarity likely contributed to avian malaria's widespread distribution throughout Hawai'i despite diverse host community assemblages. Our findings highlight the importance of both the shape of the pathogen load-infectiousness relationship and within-species variability in determining a pathogen's host range, transmission intensity, and spatial spread.

Peat ecosystems are one of the tropical ecosystems that have high ecological value because they play a role in carbon storage, hydrological regulation, and as a habitat for various fauna groups, including birds. Rawa Tripa, as part of the Leuser Ecosystem Area, is one of the most important peat landscapes in Aceh that faces anthropogenic pressures such as forest fragmentation and land use change. The lack of basic data on bird communities in this area hinders evidence-based conservation efforts. This study aims to inventory the bird species found in the Tripa Peat Forest and assess their conservation value in the context of habitat management. The survey was conducted from July 18 to 28, 2024, using the point count method on 10 observation transects. The results of the study recorded 16 bird species from 12 families, with the Pycnonotidae family being the most commonly found group. Several species with important conservation status were also identified, such as Leptoptilos javanicus (Near Threatened), Acridotheres javanicus (Vulnerable), and the presence of Rhyticeros undulatus (Vulnerable) and their nest, indicating the availability of large trees for nesting. Based on their feeding behavior, the birds of Rawa Tripa exhibit a diversity of ecological functions, ranging from insectivores and frugivores to raptors. These findings indicate that Rawa Tripa still has habitat quality that supports bird communities, even though threats such as hunting and land degradation remain. This study emphasizes the urgency of long-term monitoring and the need for conservation strategies that maintain vegetation structure and wetland sustainability in the Rawa Tripa area.

Abstract Urban blue spaces are highly valuable for both people and nature. They provide key ecosystem services, including flood alleviation, pollution absorption and microclimate regulation. They also support human health and wellbeing, through cultural services such as recreation and tourism, and the provision of food resources. Crucially, urban blue spaces support biodiversity, including threatened species, and despite often being small, may have disproportionate effects on their surrounding environment, acting as critical habitats within urban systems. However, research on the role of urban blue spaces within ecological contexts remains limited. Here, we assessed urban bird communities across green and blue spaces to quantify the ecological effects of urban water bodies. We surveyed birds along 22 paired 1 km transects in the city of Kingston Upon Hull, UK, recording species and abundance across both winter and breeding seasons. Our findings indicate that blue spaces significantly increase bird species richness during summer (P = .016), though not in winter. However, we found that the taxonomic distinctiveness of bird communities is consistently greater around blue spaces across both seasons (P < .05). Similarly, functional diversity based on species-level ecological traits was higher around water (P = .01). In addition, we show that urban blue spaces could be important for avian conservation, supporting more red and amber-listed species than green spaces during the summer (P < .05). Overall, our results show that urban blue spaces play a critical ecological role within cities by enhancing the complexity of avian communities, which in turn could improve human wellbeing and contribute to urban sustainability.

Human development is a driver of global change and a major threat to biodiversity. Protected areas maintain and support biodiversity, but outside stressors, such as climate change and land use change, can negatively influence natural resources within protected areas. We examined the effects of land surface temperature and the surrounding landscape context on the structure and composition of the breeding bird community in national parks in the Mid-Atlantic (USA). We used avian point count surveys, conducted annually from 2007 to 2024, to estimate the composition of 16 avian guilds and estimated land surface temperature at each survey point. We defined 3 landscape context types (forested, urban, and agricultural) based on the dominant land cover surrounding each survey point. We used multivariate generalized linear models to test community-level (all guilds combined) and guild-level (individual guilds) responses to local land surface temperature and landscape context. We hypothesized a negative relationship between within-guild abundance and land surface temperature, and stronger negative relationships in specialist guilds and variation in response based on the landscape context. Landscape context influenced local land surface temperature and, therefore, avian guild responses. Points in forest-dominated landscapes averaged 2°C cooler than points in urban or agricultural landscapes. The majority of specialist guilds had an interaction with land surface temperature and landscape context. There were negative effects of high land surface temperature on the bird community. These effects differed across landscape context, with less extreme negative relationships detected at points surrounded by forest relative to points in urban or agricultural landscapes. Because increased forest cover is important to retain natural cooling and mitigate the effects of urban heat, preserving or increasing forest cover could help preserve and maintain bird community resilience in a warming climate.

We conducted transect surveys in urban Pretoria, South Africa, to document interspecific interactions involving the invasive Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and coexisting species. During 90 standardised transect surveys across three suburban sites from April to August 2022 (outside the main breeding season for many bird species), we recorded 36 interspecific interactions between Common Mynas and other birds. Common Mynas were observed chasing or being aggressive towards other birds such as sparrows (Passer diffusus, P. domesticus) and doves (Streptopelia capicola, Spilopelia senegalensis). Of these encounters, 26 (72%, 95% CI: 56–84%) involved aggression, with Common Mynas initiating 86% of aggressive incidents. In most aggressive incidents, the other bird fled; only larger species (Cape Starlings Lamprotornis nitens) successfully retaliated. Such aggression may facilitate the displacement of native and non-native species from feeding sites or nesting areas. These findings provide evidence for interference competition by Common Mynas in South African urban environments and highlight the need for targeted management strategies to protect native bird communities.

Corrigendum to “Native forest cover, fragmentation, and seasonality shape functional diversity in forest bird communities” [For. Ecol. Manag. 598 (2025) 123201

Landscape and habitat effects on functional and phylogenetic diversity and structure of bird communities in fragmented habitats within an urban landscape, Southwest China

Research on the bird diversity and key ecological elements of wetlands affecting bird distribution and restoration models.

Seasonal fluctuations significantly impact bird species diversity and community composition. This study was conducted in the eastern Rapti river, Nepal during winter and summer seasons to explore bird diversity in different seasons. The line transect method was adopted for this study. Altogether 21 transects were placed, and 110 bird species were recorded. According to the Shannon-Weiner diversity index, greater avian richness and diversity was recorded in the winter season than the summer season. In contrast, bird species were evenly distributed during the summer season than the winter season. The order passeriformes, and guild insectivorous had the highest number of bird species, and resident species were the most prominent. One of the notable sightings in this study was the record of Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) for the Makwanpur District, Nepal. This study provided an overall checklist of bird species in the region, laying out baseline data on the area’s avifauna to aid and guide future studies. The Eastern Rapti river provides a unique habitat for bird species and requires a conservation management plan to protect the birds and their habitat.

Birds play a crucial role in sustaining tropical agroecosystems through pollination and seed dispersal services; however, their functional associations with horticultural crops remain insufficiently explored. The present study assessed the diversity, seasonal abundance, and functional guild composition of fruit- and nectar-feeding birds associated with banana (Musa spp.) and papaya (Carica papaya) plantations in Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India, from March 2023 to February 2024. Standard visual encounter surveys were conducted across seasons using line transect and point count methods, and diversity indices were computed to evaluate community structure. A total of 13 bird species belonging to nectarivorous, frugivorous, and omnivorous guilds were recorded across both crop systems. Banana plantations supported higher overall bird abundance, particularly during the monsoon and winter seasons, whereas papaya fields exhibited greater evenness and species diversity, as reflected by higher Shannon and Simpson diversity indices. Seasonal variation influenced bird assemblages, with peak species richness observed during the monsoon and post-monsoon periods. Statistical analysis indicated no significant seasonal differences in diversity indices (F = 0.1537, p > 0.05), suggesting relative temporal stability in avian community composition. The findings highlight that crop structure and phenology significantly shape avian assemblages, with banana plantations functioning as high-abundance foraging habitats and papaya plantations supporting a more balanced and diverse bird community. This study underscores the importance of diversified agroecosystems in conserving avian biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services such as pollination and seed dispersal within agricultural landscapes.

Climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events such as tropical cyclones, raising concerns about ecological stability under these disturbances. This study examined how functional richness and functional redundancy influenced the stability of two key ecological functions-insect predation and seed dispersal-in forest bird communities with contrasting histories of cyclone exposure. Using total biomass of insectivores and frugivores as functional indicators, we found that the stability of insect predation increased with redundancy in function-delivering traits under cyclone disturbances, whereas the stability of seed dispersal was enhanced by redundancy in both function-delivering and response-related traits. In forests frequently exposed to cyclones, both functional groups occupied a smaller overall trait space, while frugivores showed greater trait similarity among individuals. These results suggest that the stability in insect predation and seed dispersal largely stems from the abundance of species performing similar functional roles. High cyclone frequency appears to exclude species with extreme traits and concentrate functional space around a few dominant species with convergent traits. Because such convergence buffers cyclone impacts, the loss of even a few redundant species could increase functional uniqueness and, consequently, reduce the functional stability of forest bird communities.

India provides crucial habitats for a wide array of aquatic birds. Wetlands in India provide a unique habitat to many aquatic flora and fauna as well as numerous birds including migratory species. Bird community evaluation has become an important tool in biodiversity conservation which is necessitating documentation of the current status of bird species for future monitoring and conservation. Research papers on Avifauna of wetlands were reviewed by searching different research journals. Anthropogenic activities and environmental changes are disturbing the distribution and diversity of bird species. The paper highlights the importance of understanding the diversity, distribution, and ecological roles of aquatic birds for effective conservation and management strategies.

Abstract. Ahmad SW, Erif LOM, Mukhsar, Adcu AS, Isnawati R, Indarwani Z, Fadilah, Karya A. 2025. Influence of Green Open Spaces (GOS) on bird composition and abundance in Kendari City, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 26: 5814-5823. One of the negative impacts of shrinking Green Open Spaces (GOS) and urban landscape change is the decline in biodiversity. GOS play a key role in maintaining biodiversity within rapidly expanding cities. In urban areas, GOS such as urban parks serve as habitats for birds despite high human density and altered land cover. Complex and diverse vegetation structures provide better habitat quality, and larger GOS connected to natural habitats tend to support higher bird diversity. This study examined the influence of GOS characteristics, area, vegetation quality, water availability, and connectivity with natural habitats on bird composition and abundance in Kendari City, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Eight GOS sites were surveyed, recording a total of 48 bird species, including 14 Sulawesi endemics, with total abundance ranging from 208 to 580 individuals per site. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that these habitat variables explained 12.33% of the variation in bird community composition, suggesting a weak but ecologically meaningful influence. While generalist species dominated smaller ornamental parks, larger, forest-like sites supported higher species richness and endemic representation. These findings highlight the importance of retaining native vegetation and ensuring water availability in urban planning to enhance bird diversity and support biodiversity-based management strategies.