Bird Diversity Research Articles

Keanekaragaman dan Status Konservasi Burung di Kawasan Gili Meno, Lombok Utara

The presence of birds in Gili Meno has a positive impact on environmental aspects as birds serve as bioindicators of environmental quality, pest controllers, and aid in pollination processes. Based on research conducted in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015, there has been an increase in bird populations in the Gili Meno area, particularly birds from the Ardeidae family. With rapid development currently underway, it is suspected to affect the presence of birds in Gili Meno, necessitating monitoring of bird diversity and conservation status in the area. This study aims to assess the diversity and conservation status of birds in the Gili Meno area. The research was conducted on Gili Meno from May to June 2022. Data collection utilized snowball sampling for interviews and transect methods combined with point counts. Observational data were analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. The results indicate a total of 29 bird species found in the Gili Meno area, belonging to 22 families, with a diversity index of 2.8. The conservation status of most birds (97%) in the Gili Meno area is categorized as "least concern" according to IUCN criteria and classified as "unprotected" species under P.106/MENLHK/Setjen/Kum.1/12/2018. Acridotheres javanicus is listed as vulnerable by IUCN, while Thallaseus bergii is protected under P.106/MENLHK/Setjen/Kum.1/12/2018.

Seasonal variation of bird diversity in Chokchisapani Community Forest, Tanahu District, Nepal

Seasonal variation of bird diversity in Chokchisapani Community Forest, Tanahu District, Nepal

Bird diversity rate as variable of land use change protection scenario using a system dynamics approach

Abstract. Handoyo F, Soemarno, Sudarto, Hakim L. 2024. Bird diversity rate as variable of land use change protection scenario using a system dynamics approach. Biodiversitas 25: 2463-2477. The existence of enclave villages in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia raises concerns about land use changes in the conservation areas. This study analyzed the position of bird diversity rate as a variable in system dynamics modeling. Data from the results of the stock flow diagram simulation, which consists of the bird diversity rate variable, along with other variables, are references used for assessing answers regarding efforts to protect conservation areas through several scenarios. The aim of this study was to predict the best scenario for the protection of national park areas that include the bird diversity rate as a variable. Bird species observations at 2 sites found 21 families and 34 species out of 135 total recorded individuals. The diversity index (H') is relatively high, the Evenness Index (E) is relatively evenly distributed between species. The Margallef Richness Index (R) at location 1 is classified as medium and location 2 is classified as low. The simulation results of stock flow diagram model (2015-2050) shows that the national park area, decreased. Measurements of bird diversity rate have also decreased. The best interventions seen in scenario 2 and scenario 3 have a good impact on reducing land use change. Protection of national park areas in scenario 3 can increase bird species diversity rate by up to 76% by implementing important actions in ecosystem improvement.

Prairie dog towns increase grassland bird diversity at the landscape scale

Prairie dog towns increase grassland bird diversity at the landscape scale

Greenspaces as shelters for the conservation of bird diversity in a big city

Greenspaces as shelters for the conservation of bird diversity in a big city

Diversity and distribution of birds in a Congo Basin wetland: the upstream part of the Nyong River valley in Cameroon along two regions (Centre and East)

Several studies have recently been carried out on the avifauna of Cameroon and have made it possible to update the data for certain regions; however, no recent study has been carried out on the upper valley of the Nyong River, which is a wetland, and therefore the data remains quite old. We carried out a study on the avifauna of this valley and birds were sampled over a period of one year using the mist-netting method. The collected data were analyzed using PAST bio statistical software for the diversity and distribution of the avifauna. A total of 268 individuals belonging to 69 bird species were captured, with a high proportion of passerines (73%) compared with non-passerines. The high diversity of the avifauna is supported by estimated values of diversity indexes which show an absence of supremacy of one species (H’=3.64) and an equal distribution of individuals in their environment (J’=0.86). With the value of the Simpson diversity index of 0.96, our result confirms high diversity within the upper valley of the Nyong River avifauna but it also reveals the abundance of this avifauna. In addition, the Kruskal-Wallis test value of 0.04 showed a significant difference in the distribution of relative abundances of taxa at the areas investigated and that different could be justified by a difference in the physiognomy of their vegetation. This study confirms that the composition as well as the structure of the upper valley of the Nyong River as observed in the field play a main role in the diversity of bird species due to the presence of feeding, resting and nesting areas. Based on our distribution and diversity analysis, the pattern of variation in distribution of birds in this wetland appears to lean on environmental factors and particularly the vegetation, which played the main role with a mixture of poor and good dispersers, migratory and vagrant due to presence of lush vegetation all year round.

Controversies and Misconceptions related to Forest Carbon Storage and the Policy of Forest Bioenergy and Sustainability

The present commentary elaborates on the question whether the sequestration of carbon in forests can be interpreted as a renewable form of energy. Serious concerns have been raised regarding this classification of forest wood among the alternatives for fossil carbon reserves. The hypothesis of (Zhao et al. 2022), namely that taller forests (as a volumetric measure) procure a larger C-sequestration (storage) to the planet’s biosphere, not only is extrapolated to all latitudes. Moreover, a number of 10 misconceptions is envisaged and critically answered, that are well-known from discourses of deforestation lobbyists. Finally, a case study is presented of the impact of deforestation and landscape reforms on bird biodiversity in the Netherlands, measured using a newly developed quick-scan for bird diversity in European temperate regions. It is observed that with broadening and increasing the impact of the political decision making process, the risk of generating bigger ecological mistakes may increase too.

Old-growth forests are critical to safeguard tropical birds in complex landscape mosaics exposed to slash-and-burn agriculture

ContextSlash-and-burn agriculture generates landscape mosaics composed of different land uses. Ecological theory postulates that in these mosaics, the structure of species assemblages depends on both local- and landscape-scale factors, but their relative role remains poorly known.ObjectivesUnderstanding the relative importance of local and landscape variables for bird assemblages in landscape mosaics of the Mayan tropical forest, Mexico.MethodsWe evaluated the effect of two local variables (land use type and tree basal area) and two landscape variables (old-growth forest cover and human proximity) on bird abundance and diversity, separately assessing forest and non-forest birds. As species extirpation may accelerate when forest loss exceeds certain limits (extinction thresholds), we assessed forest loss effects with linear and nonlinear models.ResultsWe recorded 1867 birds from 118 species in four land-use types (old-growth forest, secondary forest, burned lands, and agricultural lands). Land-use type and surrounding old-growth forest cover better predicted bird abundance and diversity than tree basal area and human proximity. Agricultural lands showed the lowest abundance and diversity of forest species, but the highest abundance and diversity of non-forest species. We found no support for the extinction threshold hypothesis. Yet, independently of the land use, old-growth forest loss decreased the diversity of forest species and increased the abundance and diversity of non-forest species. Human proximity also decreased total bird abundance, especially because of the loss of forest species.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the key role played by old-growth forests for preserving bird assemblages in landscape mosaics exposed to slash-and-burn agriculture.

Diet overlap of overwintering migratory birds on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula

Previous studies of overwintering migratory birds in neotropical environments have found that species co-occur in the same habitats despite high diet overlap. Hence, discovering subtle diet differences within habitats can help explain patterns in bird species diversity. The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is an important region for overwintering migratory birds, but little is known about how habitat differences in food resources contribute to bird diversity. To address the knowledge gap, we compared the degree of overlap in the diet of all terrestrial migratory birds within and between mangrove and tropical dry forests on the Yucatan Peninsula’s northern coast. We collected data on the consumption of food items through direct observation of birds feeding on four transects in each habitat every week (12 weeks) during the non-breeding season (i.e., overwinter, December-February). We recorded 19 species, 15 species in mangrove and 15 species in forest, with 11 of those found in both habitats. In both habitats, diet overlap was high. However, species present only in the tropical dry forest had less overlap than species occurring in both habitats, indicating that diet specialization might restrict the range of habitats that a species can occupy. On the other hand, species present only in the mangrove had similar diet overlap to species present in both habitats. The diet variation that did exist was greater within than between habitats possibly due to intraspecific diet differences among different geographic locations. Although small, within-habitat diet differences might be key to allowing species to coexist locally in the Yucatan, thus supporting studies demonstrating a similar mechanism in other neotropical regions. More generally, the information we provide on bird diet can be used to discover whether threats like anthropogenic development precipitate species loss via altering the resource base upon which birds rely.

Herpetofauna of Laguna Blanca National Park, Argentinean Patagonia: species list and conservation status

Laguna Blanca National Park (LBNP) is located in the mid-west of Neuquén Province, Argentina. It was created in 1940 with the aim of conserving the nesting and breeding habitats of an important diversity of birds. Until now, there have been no exclusive works that address the herpetofauna present. The aim of this article is to provide an updated inventory of reptile and amphibian species in LBNP. We used four sources of information to create the species list: 1) data coming from field observations; 2) specimens deposited in herpetological collections; 3) scientific literature review; 4) online biodiversity databases. We confirm the occurrence of 18 species of herpetofauna in LBNP, including 13 reptiles and 5 amphibians. We also included six species with probable presence according to the range of distribution and habitat similarity. We added the conservation status of the national and international lists for each species. Five species are in some threat category at the national (Vulnerable, Endangered) or international level (Endangered, Critically Endangered). Seven taxa are listed as “Species of Vertebrates of Special Value” by the Administración de Parques Nacionales. Despite being protected within a national park, the herpetofauna present face threats such as prolonged drought events, habitat modification due to the presence of livestock, introduced exotic species, and emerging diseases. Conservation efforts are imperative to protect these species and mitigate their threats.

Measuring metrics: what diversity indicators are most appropriate for different forms of data bias?

Biodiversity metrics have become a ubiquitous component of conservation assessments across scales. However, whilst indices have become increasingly widely used, their ability to perform in the face of different biases has remained largely untested under realistic conditions. Citizen science data are increasingly available, but present new challenges and biases, thus understanding how to use them effectively is essential. Here, we built a virtual world incorporating BirdLife data and accounting for their biases, then explored how well commonly‐used diversity metrics could estimate known values across a suite of representative scenarios. We used predictive modelling to model bird diversity globally and overcome biases using the approaches found most accurate in prior assessments. Performance was highly variable across the different types of biases, but in many instances Simpson's index performed best, followed by Hill numbers, whereas Pielou's index was almost universally worst. From standardised tests, we then applied these metrics to eBird data using 611 520 112 samples of 10 359 species of bird (around 88% of known species), to reconstruct global diversity patterns at five and ten km resolutions. However, when we mapped out diversity using Maxent based on these indices, Simpson's index generally over‐predicted diversity, whereas Hill numbers were more conservative. Based on an average of the better projected indices, one can map out diversity across resolutions and overcome biases accurately predicting diversity patterns even for data‐poor areas, but if a single metric is used, Hill numbers are most robust to bias. Going forward, this workflow will enable standardized best practices for diversity mapping based on a clear understanding of the performance of different metrics.

Analysis of Artificial Nest Inhabitancy and Factors Affecting Their Inhabitation of Different Avian Species in Uvas C-Block Pattoki Pakistan

Artificial nesting is considered as a common experimental practice throughout the world. Artificial nest boxes offer a convenient way for carrying out experiments, identifying birds and capturing birds for research and conservation. Studies on the effects of urbanization on birds has revealed that species richness is negatively impacted by urbanization and fragmentation which decreases bird diversity while increasing bird density. This study was designated to determine the inhabitancy of birds inside artificial nests as well as enlists the factors which affect the inhabitation of birds in such nests. The experiment was conducted at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, C-Block, Ravi Campus, Pattoki. Google Earth Pro (a software) was used to take the satellite image of experimental site. Further, geo-referencing and digitization of image were done by using ArcGIS version 10.1. This digitized image was categorized into four classes as roads, barren, buildings, ponds and agricultural land for quantification of land use of experimental site. Ten types of artificial nests varied by nests shapes, size and material were installed at five selected sites named as building site, barren site, pond site, road site and agriculture land site. Total sixty (n=60) artificial nests were installed at five nest sites, hence each site possessed twelve nests supported with iron wire and nails. All of these nests were installed approximately among 4 and 5m above ground. A measuring tape (40 feet) was used to measure the height of each tree by the yardstick measuring method. The area obtained after the digitization of the boundary of (UVAS) C-Block was 46.03 hectares. The findings indicated that throughout the trial's last three months (January, February, and March), twelve nests out of sixty were occupied at the ponds site, H.S-1, and botanical garden whereas others were remained unoccupied. The overall rate of occupancy was 20%. Further, eight nests were those where in birds’ activities were observed. It is concluded that inhabitancy of birds inside artificial nests is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors including the presence of water, food sources, human activities nesting sites and predators. This study will contribute to provide information that helpful that will be helpful for the future conservation of birds and wildlife management.

Mental health is positively associated with biodiversity in Canadian cities

Cities concentrate problems that affect human well-being and biodiversity. Exploring the link between mental health and biodiversity can inform more holistic public health and urban planning. Here we examined associations between bird and tree species diversity estimates from eBird community science datasets and national forest inventories with self-rated mental health metrics from the Canadian Community Health Survey. We linked data across 36 Canadian Metropolitan Areas from 2007-2022 at a postal code level. After controlling for covariates, we found that bird and tree species diversity were significantly positively related to good self-reported mental health. Living in a postal code with bird diversity one standard deviation higher than the mean increased reporting of good mental health by 6.64%. Postal codes with tree species richness one standard deviation more than the mean increased reporting of good mental health by 5.36%. Our results suggest that supporting healthy urban ecosystems may also benefit human well-being.

Highly diverse RNA viruses and phage sequences concealed within birds.

The diversity of birds in most parts of the world is very high, and thus, they may carry different types of highly differentiated and unknown viruses. Thanks to advanced sequencing technologies, studies on the diversity of bird-associated viruses have increased over the past few years. In this study, a large-scale viral metagenomics survey was performed on cloacal swabs of 2,990 birds from nine provinces of the Chinese mainland. To detect undescribed RNA viruses in birds, more than 1,800 sequences sharing relatively low (<60%) amino acid sequence identity with the best match in the GenBank database were screened. Potentially novel viruses related to vertebrates have been identified, and several potential recombination signals were found. Additionally, hundreds of RNA viral sequences related to plants, fungi, and insects were detected, including previously unknown viruses. Furthermore, we investigated the novelty, functionality, and classification of the phages examined in this study. These viruses occupied topological positions on the evolutionary trees to a certain extent and might form novel putative families, genera, or species, thus providing information to fill the phylogenetic gaps of related viruses. These findings provided new insights into bird-associated viruses, but the interactions among these viruses remain unknown and require further investigation.IMPORTANCEStudying the diversity of RNA viruses in birds and mammals is crucial due to their potential impact on human health and the global ecosystem. Many RNA viruses, such as influenza and coronaviruses, have been shown to cross the species barrier and cause zoonotic diseases. In this metagenomics study involving 2,990 birds from at least 82 species, we identified over 1,800 RNA sequences with distant relationships to known viruses, some of which are rare in birds. The study highlights the scope and diversity of RNA viruses in birds, providing data to predict disease risks and monitor potential viral threats to wildlife, livestock, and human health. This information can aid in the development of strategies for disease prevention and control.

Food production and biodiversity are not incompatible in temperate heterogeneous agricultural landscapes

We need landscape-scale approaches to design and manage agro-ecosystems that can sustain both agricultural production and biodiversity conservation. In this study, yield figures provided by 299 farmers served to quantify the energy-equivalents of food production across different crops in 49 1-km2 landscapes. Our results show that the relationship between bird diversity and food energy production depends on the proportion of farmland within the landscape, with a negative correlation observed in agriculture dominated landscapes (≥ 64–74% farmland). In contrast, neither typical farmland birds nor butterflies showed any significant relationship with total food energy production. We conclude that in European temperate regions consisting of small-scale, mixed farming systems (arable and livestock production), productivity and biodiversity conservation may not be purely antagonistic, particularly when (semi-)natural habitats make up a large fraction of the landscape (≥ 20%).

Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus from resident and Neotropical migrant birds in Colombia

Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a group of widely distributed blood parasites that can negatively affect the fitness of their hosts. Colombia contains the greatest diversity of birds on the planet, but knowledge about the associations between haemosporidian and its avifauna is scarce and fragmented. We collected blood samples from 255 birds (203 residents and 52 neotropical migrants) belonging to 27 families and 108 species. The study was conducted in six localities in the inter-Andean valleys of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. Parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus were identified in the samples by morphological and molecular analysis of a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cyt b. Among the samples, 9.3% (n = 24) were positive for Plasmodium or Haemoproteus. Co-infection with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus was found in Red-eyed Vireo. Seventeen haemosporidian lineages were identified, five of which were reported for the first time in resident birds (Common Ground Dove, Checker-throated Stipplethroat, Tropical Kingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater) and one in the Summer Tanager (neotropical migrant). The research results confirm the wide diversity of haemosporidian present in tropical lowlands and the possible role of neotropical migratory birds in dissemination on haemosporidian along their migratory routes.

Environmental and ecological factors affecting tick infestation in wild birds of the Americas

The Americas hold the greatest bird diversity worldwide. Likewise, ectoparasite diversity is remarkable, including ticks of the Argasidae and Ixodidae families – commonly associated with birds. Considering that ticks have potential health implications for humans, animals, and ecosystems, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effects of bioclimatic, geographic variables, and bird species richness on tick infestation on wild birds across the Americas. We identified 72 articles that met our inclusion criteria and provided data on tick prevalence in wild birds. Using Generalized Additive Models, we assessed the effect of environmental factors, such as habitat type, climatic conditions, bird species richness, and geographic location, on tick infestation. Our findings show that most bird infestation case studies involved immature ticks, such as larvae or nymphs, while adult ticks represented only 13% of case studies. We found birds infested by ticks of the genera Amblyomma (68%), Ixodes (22%), Haemaphysalis (5%), Dermacentor (1%), and Rhipicephalus (0.8%) in twelve countries across the Americas. Our findings revealed that temperature variation and bird species richness were negatively associated with tick infestation, which also varied with geographic location, increasing in mid-latitudes but declining in extreme latitudes. Our results highlight the importance of understanding how environmental and bird community factors influence tick infestation in wild birds across the Americas and the dynamics of tick-borne diseases and their impact on biodiversity.

Impacts of Air Pollution on Richness and Abundance of Bird Species in Phnom Penh Urban Habitats

In Cambodia, there has been no study on the effects of air pollution on birds. Accordingly, the purpose of this study aims to assess the species richness and abundance of birds, to understand air quality status and possible sources of air pollution, as well as to investigate the relationship between the variables of air quality (PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and O3), and bird diversity in two different habitats in Phnom Penh. The study was conducted from February 21 to May 21, 2022, at two study sites: 1) the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) and 2) the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA). Both universities are located in Phnom Penh. The two areas are structured by vegetation which suitable for birds. We used a point count method to observe and record the number and species of birds in both study areas. The study recorded 18,334 observation individuals (counting), arranged in 50 species, 40 genera, 25 families, and 9 orders. At the RUPP, we recorded 11,190 individuals (counting), arranged into 34 species, 29 genera, 21 families, and 7 orders. In the RUA, we recorded 7,144 observation individuals (counting), arranged into 46 species, 38 genera, 25 families, and 9 orders. An observation of human activities can be a source of air pollution, including transportation, stationary sources, urban development, open burning, etc. The air quality parameters at both study sites were still lower than the air pollution standards set by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGoC). Among air quality variables, only SO2 and O3 affect birds, but to a lesser degree. Factors that affect birds may be due to green areas, including the number of small and large trees, food sources, and human disturbances.

Relative effects of arable land-use, farming system and agri-environment schemes on landscape-scale farmland bird assemblages

ContextFarmland biodiversity has been declining because of agricultural intensification and landscape simplification. Many farmland birds breeding in non-crop habitats use arable land as their feeding habitat (and vice versa) and understanding habitat composition and configuration at the landscape scale is important for their conservation.ObjectivesWe explored the relationship between farmland bird densities and land-use characteristics at a landscape-scale (mean size 235 ha) to reveal the most important land-use elements driving avian farmland abundance.MethodsWe used bird territory mapping from 36 study landscapes across Finland to study relationships between densities of total farmland birds, open field species, edge species, farmyard species, and Farmland Bird Indicator (FBI) species, and multiple descriptors of the composition and configuration of the study landscape mosaics, reflecting the full range of available crop types, farmland structures, non-crop habitat types, and soil type.ResultsDensities of farmland birds increased with greater areas of leys and pastures, subsidized grasslands, habitat diversity, and farmyards with animals, and those effects were consistently stronger compared to effects of non-crop habitats. Positive effects of the relative area of leys and pastures in the landscape was most often consistent in the species-specific models, whereas species-level responses to other landscape characteristics were idiosyncratic, reflecting the variety of the species’ ecologies and habitat requirements.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that overall habitat diversity, and habitat elements like subsidized grasslands, pastures, and farmsteads with animal production support higher bird diversity at the level of landscape mosaics. Our results suggest that studies based on field-scale study units need to be complemented with landscape-scale studies to reveal a holistic understanding of land-use intervention impacts on farmland birds.

Ocurrence dataset of birds in university campuses of Nanjing, Juangsu Province China.

The protection of urban biodiversity plays a critical role in maintaining urban ecological security. As a unique taxon of urban wildlife, birds have been intensively used as an indicator of our surrounding environment. Although the diversity of urban bird species has received increasing attention, present studies are mainly focused on urban parks. As one of the important components of the urban ecosystem, the university campus also plays a critical role in maintaining bird diversity. Due to the lack of observation data, it is a challenge to evaluate the impact of the environmental conditions on campus bird diversity. Given the most concentrated higher education resources in China, Nanjing has a large number of universities, covering a wide area of the urban landscape. The landscape of these universities usually has a high percentage of green space as well as waterbodies, which is conducive to attracting various bird species to inhabit. Here, we conducted a one-year bird survey from January 2019 to December 2019 in 12 universities in Nanjing and provided an occurrence dataset containing detailed species and geographical information, providing a good source to study the ecological and anthropogenic factors on urban bird diversity on a local and larger scale. This dataset represents the first annual record of birds publicly released by 12 universities in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. It includes classification information, population, distribution and survey details. All data have been published on GBIF.