Bird Diversity Research Articles

Keberadaan Avivauna Sebagai Dampak Pembangunan Taman Keanekaragaman Hayati (KEHATI) Pt. Tirta Investama Pabrik Solok

ABSTRACTIndonesia is one of the world's megabiodiversity countries, but it is also a country with a high reduction in biodiversity, so efforts need to be made to maintain this biodiversity. One of these efforts is to build a Taman Keanekaragaman Hayati, as has been done by PT. Tirta InvestamaPabrikSolok. The existence of a biodiversity park will certainly attract animals, especially birds, to come. In order to determine the extent of the presence of these birds, a study was carried out with the aim of obtaining data on bird species, the level of diversity, abundance and diversity as well as their conservation status. The research was conducted from June to July 2023 using the point count method. Placed as many as 6 counting points in an area of 2.5 ha. The results of the study found 31 species belonging to 16 families, with the Nectarinidae and Pycnonotidae families having the highest number of species. The bird diversity index was 2.7130 (medium), the evenness index was 0.7900 (high) and the dominance index was 0.0896 (low). Insectivorous birds were found at 58%, granivorous birds 19%, nectivorous 13% and piscivorous birds as much as 10%. 90% are land birds and 10% water birds. One species (3%) was found to be protected nationally, while internationally 3% met VU criteria, 3% NT criteria and 94% LC.

ОРНІТОФАУНА СЕЛА СОЛОНКА НА ЛЬВІВЩИНІ: АНАЛІЗ СПОСТЕРЕЖЕНЬ ЗА 2010–2023 РОКИ

This article analyzes the avifauna species in Solonka village, a distinct area situated on Povitriana Street, located on the southern outskirts of Lviv city. Data on bird species diversity were collected throughout different seasons from 2010 to 2023. Over this period, a total of 63 bird species were observed. Between 2010 and 2016, there were 46 nesting species. Anthropogenic factors significantly influence the species diversity and population of birds in Solonka village. Gardens, summer cottages, areas adorned with fruit trees, sewage treatment plants, and ornamental plantings near houses provide birds with food, shelter, and nesting opportunities. The primary causes of mortality among both young and adult birds each year are the presence of a large number of stray cats and dogs. During the winter months, local residents actively feed passerine birds. Additionally, each year, some nests and chicks are unintentionally disturbed by children and teenagers. The avian population in the area is predominantly composed of small birds that inhabit trees and shrubs. From 2022 to 2023, we observed birds belonging to six orders: Ancerinae (Anseriformes), Falconidae (Falconiiformes), Galliformes (Galliformes), Columbidae (Columbiformes), Woodpeckers (Piciformes), Old world sparroews (Passeriformes). In 2021, The Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulous Linnaeus, 1758) were observed. They were registered in separate winters. In the winter of 2022, for the first time during 13 years of observations, the marsh tit (P. palustris Linnaeus, 1758), the crested tit (P. cristatus Linnaeus, 1758), the common redpoll (Acanthis flammea Linnaeus, 1758) and the short-toed brachydactyla (C. brachydactyla Brehm, 1820) and the falcon (Falconidae). Martins and terns (Laridae), the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis Linnaeus, 1758), and gray heron (Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758) regularly visit reservoirs in the vicinity of Solonka village. The listed species do not nest here. The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus Linnaeus, 1758) and Eurasian coots (Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758) nest in the ponds every year. There are known cases of mallard nesting. After 2010 jackdaws and owls stopped nesting on the surveyed territory.
 The migration route of the gray crane (Grus grus Linnaeus, 1758) and the white stork (Ciconia ciconia Linnaeus, 1758) passes through the territory of Solonka village, where these birds are regularly observed during both autumn and spring migrations.
 In general, the number of bird species observed in the area of Solonka village is lower than that in the residential area of Lviv. In Lviv, a total of 84 bird species were recorded between 2006 and 2018. In contrast, our surveys in the Solonka village area have documented only 63 species of birds. This indicates a difference of 20 bird species between the two locations we studied. Our observations span the period from 2010 to 2023. 
 To put this into perspective, in 1994, Lviv was home to 197 bird species. This significant decrease in species diversity over the last three decades can be attributed to various factors, with one of the most prominent being the substantial transformation of biotopes.

Anthropogenic habitat modification causes nonlinear multiscale bird diversity declines

Anthropogenic habitat modification is a leading contributor to biodiversity change, but it is unclear what factors, including scale, influence the magnitude of change. Changes in species richness and its scaling relationship across an anthropogenic gradient can be influenced by changes in the total number of individuals in each sample, the species abundance distribution, and/or the spatial arrangement of conspecific individuals. Here, we integrated continental‐scale citizen science data on bird occurrences across the contiguous United States – from eBird – with an analytical framework capable of dissecting the aforementioned biodiversity components to quantify bird diversity changes along an anthropogenic landscape habitat modification gradient. We found an overall decline in bird diversity along an anthropogenic modification gradient, with peak levels of bird diversity at low to moderate levels of modification. The magnitude of biodiversity change was greater at gamma than at alpha scales and was most strongly associated with a declining number of individuals along the anthropogenic gradient. Spatial species turnover was lower at higher impacted sites, but this was also due to the sampling of fewer individuals rather than changes in spatial species patchiness. Our results suggest that local‐scale management can promote bird diversity, especially at the natural–rural–suburban interface. Management efforts (e.g. managing natural habitat or preserving urban greenspaces against development) should be focused on creating, restoring, and preserving resources (e.g. nesting habitat, foraging resources) necessary for a large number of individuals, as this is the primary influence of diversity change along an anthropogenic gradient.

Assessment of Diversity and IUCN Status of Birds at Sultanpur National Park (Haryana) India

Assessment of Diversity and IUCN Status of Birds at Sultanpur National Park (Haryana) India

Identifying and optimizing ecological spatial patterns based on the bird distribution in the Yellow River Basin, China

In the Yellow River Basin (YRB), there exists a rich biodiversity of species that has been shaped by its unique geography, climate, and human activities. However, the high speed of economic development has resulted in the fragmentation and loss of habitats that are crucial for the survival of these species. To address this problem, constructing ecological networks has emerged as a promising approach for biodiversity preservation. In the study, we centered on the YRB and employed bird communities as an indicator species to identify ecological sources by combining bioclimatic variables and land use data with the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) models. We generated a resistance surface using various data such as Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), nighttime light, road density, railway density, and waterway density. So, we then simulated ecological corridors applying the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model and constructed a bird diversity protection network. The results we found suggested that bird hotspots were predominantly clustered upstream and downstream in the YRB. We identified 475 sources covering a total area of 65,088 km2, 681 corridors with a total length of 11,495.05 km. This network served as a critical ecological facility to sustain and protect biodiversity. The bird ecological corridors in the YRB showed that a dense east-west pattern in the central area, with a short length in the west and east and a long length in the central area. Although the central region lacked ecological sources, the east and west were still connected as a tight whole. Two scenarios showed adding ecological stepping stones had a better optimization effect than enhancing ecological connectivity.

Bird diversity along an urban to rural gradient in large tropical cities peaks in mid-level urbanization.

The gradient from natural to urban areas strongly associates with the structure of avian communities over that gradient. Most research on urban birds is from temperate areas and knowledge from tropical Southeast Asia is lacking. We examined bird species diversity, relative abundance, and species composition along an urban to rural gradient in three Myanmar cities, and assessed potential environmental factors responsible for the changes. We counted birds within 40 point-count sites with 50-m fixed-radius in three large cities of Myanmar, namely Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Myeik. We distinguished four urban habitat types (Downtown-urban, University Campus-suburban, Paddy Field-agriculture, Hill-forest). We classified all species into migrant or resident and into major feeding groups and related with several environmental parameters such as 'impervious surface'. We counted 5,423 individuals of 103 species with roughly equal species diversity between the three cities. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) was the most frequent species. The species composition differed significantly between the four major habitat types. Omnivores were more abundant in the city center than all other functional groups. Interestingly, insectivores were also predominant in the city center. In addition, more generalist' species occurred towards the city center compared to the periphery, indicating that the periphery has increased relevance for specialized birds. We found some marked differences in species composition between the three cities of Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Myeik. Additionally to species composition, species diversity and relative abundance differed significantly between each of the four major habitat types in all three cities.

Avifaunal diversity of Northwestern Himalayas (Jammu and Kashmir) and Trans Himalayas (Ladakh) of India

Abstract. Yousuf P, Parvaiz S, Zehbi N, Altaf S, Zargar BN, Rather R, Tantray J, Lateef M. 2023. Avifaunal diversity of Northwestern Himalayas (Jammu and Kashmir) and Trans Himalayas (Ladakh) of India. Biodiversitas 24: 212-231. The Himalayas are home to various plants and animals, making it one of the world's most biodiverse regions. The northwestern Himalayan region of the trans-Himalayan Region of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, India are home to various bird species due to varied topography and temperature. In this study, we collected the checklists and field data for 3 years based on compiling data from published and unpublished scientific literature, print and electronic, currently accessible in research articles, papers, books, websites, web pages, and field notes. The trans-Himalayas (Ladakh) and Northwestern Himalayas (Jammu and Kashmir) are home to 677 bird species, which belong to 89 families; there are approximately 107 families in the Indian sub-continent, equals to 6.77% of total bird species (>10,000) found globally and 49.2% of total bird species (1,376) in the Indian subcontinent. The family Muscicapidae (53 or 7.8%) has the most species, followed by Accipitridae (41 or 6%), and so on. Furthermore, the threatened species number is 54 (8%), which includes 23 (3.40%), 22 (3.25%), 6 (0.8%), and 3 (0.44%) under Vulnerable, Near Threatened, Endangered, and critically Endangered categories. Moreover, among 677 species, 228 species (33.77%) are found in all the 3 regions, 77 (11.4%) in only Jammu & Kashmir but not Ladakh, 24 (3.55%) in Jammu & Ladakh but not in Kashmir, 152 (22.5%) only in Jammu but not in Kashmir & Ladakh, 80 (11.85%) in Kashmir & Ladakh but not in Jammu, 26 (3.84%) only in Kashmir but not in Jammu & Ladakh, 71 (10.51%) only in Ladakh but not in Jammu & Kashmir. This information could provide these regions first-of-its-kind comprehensive data on bird diversity.

Improved Broad Learning System for Birdsong Recognition

Birds play a vital and indispensable role in biodiversity and environmental conservation. Protecting bird diversity is crucial for maintaining the balance of nature, promoting ecosystem health, and ensuring sustainable development. The Broad Learning System (BLS) exhibits an excellent ability to extract highly discriminative features from raw inputs and construct complex feature representations by combining feature nodes and enhancement nodes, thereby enabling effective recognition and classification of various birdsongs. However, within the BLS, the selection of feature nodes and enhancement nodes assumes critical significance, yet the model lacks the capability to identify high quality network nodes. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel method that introduces residual blocks and Mutual Similarity Criterion (MSC) layers into BLS to form an improved BLS (RMSC-BLS), which makes it easier for BLS to automatically select optimal features related to output. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the RMSC-BLS model for the three construction features of MFCC, dMFCC, and dsquence is 78.85%, 79.29%, and 92.37%, respectively, which is 4.08%, 4.50%, and 2.38% higher than that of original BLS model. In addition, compared with other models, our RMSC-BLS model shows superior recognition performance, has higher stability and better generalization ability, and provides an effective solution for birdsong recognition.

Promoting Bird Functional Diversity on Landscapes with a Matrix of Planted Eucalyptus spp. in the Atlantic Forest.

Promoting the diversity of biological communities in areas of agricultural production is a very current debate since protected areas may not be sufficient to ensure biodiversity conservation. Among the biological communities affected by the production areas are birds, which show rapid responses to changes in the landscape. Here we seek to understand how landscape planning, concerning its composition and configuration, in areas with a matrix of planted Eucalyptus spp. forests influences the functional diversity of bird assemblages in the Atlantic Forest. Our results show that the spatial distribution design of planted forests in terms of age, land cover and clone types have effects on bird diversity with regard to functional divergence, functional evenness and species richness. These results reinforce the importance of good management for the maintenance of bird diversity. We found that bird functional diversity in planted forest matrices increased with the proximity index, proportion of native vegetation and age importance value, and is negatively influenced by edge density and proportion of forest plantation. For bird conservation, it is thus better to associate Eucalyptus spp. with other cover types in the landscape. These results corroborate that, to increase bird functional diversity, it is possible to associate conservation and production in the same landscape. Mosaic landscapes have great potential to contribute to the conservation of bird biodiversity outside protected areas. However, decisions regarding the management of planted forests and planning of improved areas intended for conservation seem to be decisive to ensure the maintenance of bird biodiversity.

A Study on Diversity of Birds of Chinab River Catchment at Earstwhile Akhnoor Sub Division of District Jammu, J & K

A Study on Diversity of Birds of Chinab River Catchment at Earstwhile Akhnoor Sub Division of District Jammu, J & K

Study of Bird Diversity during Monsoon Season Related to Air Quality at Asansol, West Bengal

Study of Bird Diversity during Monsoon Season Related to Air Quality at Asansol, West Bengal

Examining the temporal effects of wildfires on forest birds: Should I stay or should I go?

In flammable ecosystems, forest dynamics are affected by fire suppression, climate change and changes in land use that cause the frequency and intensity of fires to diverge from natural fire regimes. Although afforestation provides new habitats for forest species, fire can reverse its benefits by penalizing forest species. Shorter fire recurrence may also affect the capacity of original habitats to recover with post-fire salvage logging adding to the picture and having both direct and indirect effects on birds. To identify the underlying factors driving temporal variations in forest bird populations after wildfires, we performed counts in 685 transects located in 68 burnt areas in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula), ranging from one to 11 years post-fire. Among the 20 studied forest species, 18 related significantly to time since fire and 14 to water deficit. Post-fire bird responses mainly fitted to non-lineal responses, such as irruptive and inverse-irruptive trends; whereas water deficit matched with the inclined and bell-shaped trends. Individual site fidelity seems behind the decision of forest birds to stay or leave after a fire, leading to increase frequency of occurrence immediately after fire but this effect tends to diminish over time. In terms of the spatial characteristics of burnt areas, the majority of species showed a positive relationship with fire severity heterogeneity and the density of unburnt patches. On the other hand, salvage logging negatively affected forest bird diversity. Bird diversity also decreased with the time since fire and in the driest transects but fire heterogeneity was positive for alpha and beta bird forest diversity. The relationships between forest birds and the mosaic of burnt and unburnt areas created by wildfires plays a critical role in maintaining biodiversity in fire-prone ecosystems. Thus, limiting post-fire disturbance (e.g. salvage logging) and promoting natural regeneration could be an effective strategy that will benefit forest organisms such as birds. Maintaining unburnt patches and creating a mosaic of burn severity and vegetation will promote habitat heterogeneity and benefit a diverse range of bird species.

Testing the links between bird diversity, alien species and disturbance within a human‐modified landscape

Introduced alien species are associated with lower taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of native communities and negative impacts on ecosystem functioning. This is particularly evident in habitats where human disturbance may favour alien species, posing an additional stressor on native communities. Following the community resistance hypothesis (higher diversity promotes higher resistance to invasion), we predicted: 1) higher taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity (TD, FD and PD respectively) in non‐invaded bird communities (i.e. no alien bird species); and 2) higher diversity and resistance to invasion in less human‐disturbed areas. We surveyed bird communities in a modified Mediterranean landscape subject to varying levels of human disturbance. We tested whether TD, FD and PD were significantly different between non‐invaded and invaded bird communities, and assessed the effect of land classes (forest, agriculture, urban), landscape composition and heterogeneity on these metrics. We found that non‐invaded communities retained higher TD and FD, but not PD, than invaded communities. Alien birds occupied marginal niches in invaded communities, and did not fully compensate for the taxonomic and functional diversity loss caused by the absence of native species. These results were consistent across different land classes, suggesting weak environmental filtering of communities. Generally, less human‐modified and more heterogeneous areas supported higher TD regardless of the presence of alien species. FD and PD of invaded communities decreased with increases in human‐modified areas, whereas non‐invaded communities were not affected. Our results suggest that even within a human‐modified landscape, invaded community diversity is more affected by, and thus has a lower resilience to, disturbance. Restoring and protecting natural habitats within human‐modified landscapes is likely to increase the resilience of native species.

The critical role of coastal protected areas in buffering impacts of extreme climatic conditions on bird diversity and their ecosystem services' provisioning in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

In this study, we documented the diversity of bird species in the Eastern Cape coastal nature reserves (i.e., Hluleka, Dwesa, Silaka and Mkhambati nature reserves), and determined the potential role of each bird species in habitat maintenance using two functional traits (i.e., body mass and feeding mode) as the function's proxy. We applied the timed species count approach during bird observations, coupled with drive-by surveys to maximise spatial coverage of each nature reserve over four years. To evaluate functional diversity, bird species were classified based on functional traits such as the adult body, and their potential ecological role derived from their feeding mode and habitat associations. Over 864 h, we accumulated 818 bird records containing 178 different bird species that were classified into 58 families with 32 species occurring in all nature reserves. Shannon-Wiener Diversity Indices showed very high overall species diversity across the nature reserves (H > 3.5) with no differences detected across sites. Although no significant correlations between vegetation changes measured through Normalised Difference vegetation Index (NDVI) in each nature reserve and the number of bird records, forest bird species were dominant (42.1%; N = 178) throughout years of observation and diversity remained high (H > 3.5). Bird species abundance only increased significantly across all nature reserves during 2018-2019. All four nature reserves had a similar distribution of bird functional traits with both high functional richness (FRic = 1), and divergence (FDiv = 0.8) and moderate evenness (FEve = 0.4). Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) demonstrated a positive correlation between bird sizes and functions with large birds mainly associated with predators and carrion. Small birds and medium birds had a similar composition of species in terms of functionality being seed dispersers across the nature reserves. A significant effect that insectivores and carrions displayed in MCA plots, suggest the availability of indirect pollination services. Despite extreme drought conditions across the country in 2019, NDVI levels remained largely consistent over time in these four reserves; and thus, they offer important refuge for birds during extreme climatic conditions such as drought.

The Importance of Urban Green Spaces for Resident and Migrant Birds – A Case Study from Tepeören Cemetery in Istanbul-Türkiye

Aim of study: This study was carried out to determine the effects and importance of urban cemeteries on bird species diversity. Area of study: The Tepeören cemetery is one of the oldest and most historically important cemeteries in the Istanbul region. Material and methods: Field studies of birds were carried out between April-September 2018/2019. During the study period of 12 months, the cemetery was visited twice a month. The species list of the area was created by registering all feeding, lodging, roosting and nesting birds observed in the area. Main results: It was determined that 36 bird species occured in the cemetery, out of which ten species were identified as breeding in the area. The main bird species that used the cemetery as breeding ground, was Corvus monedula (Western jackdaw) that utilizes the cavities of old oaks for nesting. The average number of eggs per nest was found to be 4.3 based on the examination of 49 active nests in 2018-2019. The number of fledged birds per nest was determined as 1.1. Higlights: In the current study, the importance of the city cemeteries in terms of bird diversity has been revealed. The presence of plant species that provide suitable nesting conditions for the reproduction of birds in these cemeteries supports the survival of the birds in the city.

A dataset of bird checklist and community characteristics during breeding and wintering seasons in typical forest ecosystems of Dinghushan (2015–2018)

Bird diversity and its community structure are important indicators for the long-term monitoring of biodiversity in ecosystems. Three typical forest vegetation types have been well preserved in Dinghushan National Nature Reserve, including the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, the mixed Pinus massoniana/broad-leaved forest and the Pinus massoniana coniferous forest. In particularly, the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest has a conservation history of more than 400 years without any human disturbance. The dataset consists of organized data on the long-term monitoring of bird communities during breeding and wintering seasons from 2015 to 2018 in all three forest types. Field surveys recorded information such as bird species, number, time, distance, ground height, habitat type, activity substrate and behavior. Moreover, we carried out various data analyses of diversity index, evenness index, dominance index, similarity coefficient of bird community and occurrence frequency, individual number, as well as average density of bird species in different survey periods. The dataset includes a total of 89 species from 9 orders and 35 families. This dataset provides valuable information for future studies on bird communities, and for better understanding inter-species interaction between multiple groups of plants and animals. It is further expected to support the protection and management of forest ecosystems in this region.

Island biogeography of birds in the South West Pacific: Direct and indirect effects of physical geography and co‐occurring vegetation

AbstractAimThe distribution of birds among islands is thought to be regulated by island physical geography (i.e. island area, isolation and latitude). In contrast, work on continents indicates that bird diversity is often regulated by plant diversity. Consequently, the (statistical) direct and indirect effects of physical geography on island bird distribution are poorly understood. We investigated the relative roles of physical geography and vegetation in determining island bird diversity in the South West Pacific at two taxonomic scales of resolution: total bird diversity and bird diversity within functional guilds.LocationEleven archipelagos in the South West Pacific.TaxonLand birds.MethodsWe created a dataset characterising total and functional guild diversity for land birds and seed plants (i.e. Spermatophytes) among archipelagos. We then used mediation analysis to disentangle the direct and indirect (i.e. mediated) effects of physical geography and vegetation on bird diversity.ResultsOn a broad taxonomic scale, total bird diversity was directly determined by total plant diversity, not the area, isolation or latitude of islands. On a fine taxonomic scale results differed between functional guilds. The diversity of herbivorous and frugivorous birds was directly determined by physical geography rather than plant total and trait diversity. Woody and herbaceous plant species diversity mediated the effect of physical geography on forest‐dwelling, above ground nesting and ground nesting bird diversity. Granivorous, nectarivorous and grassland‐dwelling bird diversities were unrelated to both physical geography and herbaceous plant diversity.Main ConclusionsPhysical geography and vegetation can have both direct and indirect effects on island bird diversity. Furthermore, relationships between physical geography, vegetation and bird diversity can vary markedly among functional guilds.

Oil palm plantations versus mammals and birds conservation: a case study in two oil palm plantations in West Kalimantan Province

The assessment of the oil palm plantations impact on biodiversity mostly compares oil palm plantations to natural forests. But in reality, most land cover type before oil palm plantations establishments are no longer primary forest. Observations were made on 2 large holding plantations (PSB) in West Kalimantan Province. Tracking data on the origin of land cover types was carried out by interview method and analysis of interpretation of land-satellite imagery. The results showed that the baseline PSB studied were shrubs/fields and secondary forests. The number of species (mammals and birds) in the oil palm area is higher than the baseline area. PSBs establishment that are originally in the form of shrubs/fields has affect in increasing diversity of mammals (3 species) and birds (11 species). The same results are also shown in areas that are originally in the form of secondary fields and forests, has also increased the number of species of mammals (5 species) and birds (18 species). Thus, it can be concluded that the land cover changes in 2 oil palm plantations studied has a positive impact on the mammals and birds’ species diversity

Winged Wonders and Lush Landscapes: Exploring the Harmony between Birds and Forests

Birds are essential bio- or eco-engineers that play a vital role in regulating nature, and their interactions with other environmental aspects can be complex and varied. Forests and birds are intricately intertwined. Through their mutual interaction, they create a harmonious living system that supports both parties. Forest birds play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature by dispersing seeds, pollinating flowers, and controlling insect populations. In addition to housing and food, forests offer bird's places to nest, wintering grounds, and thermal refuges. The diversity and distribution of forest birds are critical indicators of forest health and ecosystem function. However, factors such as climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and human activities profoundly impact the distribution and abundance of forest birds. Addressing these issues and taking action to mitigate their effects is essential. The forest ecosystem and its avian inhabitants can be protected by restoring degraded habitats, putting conservation practices into place, and promoting sustainable forestry practices.

Contrasting relationships between socio-economic status and avian ecosystem service provision in a developing world city

Urban biodiversity, and the ecosystem services it provides, are not equitably distributed across socio-economic gradients. Previous studies have highlighted disparities in alpha-diversity along socio-economic gradients, but few have translated those findings into differences in ecological function, and critically, ecosystem service delivery by urban wildlife along the same gradient. This study tested whether turnover in bird functional diversity, and associated avian ecosystem services, varied along the socio-economic gradient of a large developing world city. We surveyed bird diversity in 27 public access urban green spaces across the urban and socio-economic gradients in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Bird functional traits, representing cultural, regulation and supporting ecosystem services were assigned to species recorded during the surveys. A fourth-corner analysis revealed that socio-economic and urban landscape compositional variables surrounding the green spaces acted as filters of bird species’ functional traits, suggesting differences in ecosystem service provision along development gradients. Urban green spaces in low-income landscapes supported more birds of ‘public interest’ (a cultural ecosystem service), but in contrast had fewer nectivores (a supporting ecosystem service - pollination). Tree cover had a positive relationship with frugivorous bird abundance, and green space size had a negative relationship with granivorous bird abundance (both supporting ecosystem services – seed dispersal). The contrasting relationships, particularly between socio-economic status and ecosystem service provision, suggest that it is important to interrogate how socio-economic variables affect access to urban biodiversity beyond commonly used metrics of alpha-diversity. This allows for nuanced perspectives of environmental injustice in cities and relevant interventions that can aid in circumventing it.