Avian Community Structure Research Articles

Supplementary feeding restructures urban bird communities

Food availability is a primary driver of avian population regulation. However, few studies have considered the effects of what is essentially a massive supplementary feeding experiment: the practice of wild bird feeding. Bird feeding has been posited as an important factor influencing the structure of bird communities, especially in urban areas, although experimental evidence to support this is almost entirely lacking. We carried out an 18-mo experimental feeding study at 23 residential properties to investigate the effects of bird feeding on local urban avian assemblages. Our feeding regime was based on predominant urban feeding practices in our region. We used monthly bird surveys to compare avian community composition, species richness, and the densities of local species at feeding and nonfeeding properties. Avian community structure diverged at feeding properties and five of the commonest garden bird species were affected by the experimental feeding regime. Introduced birds particularly benefitted, with dramatic increases observed in the abundances of house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and spotted dove (Streptopelia chinensis) in particular. We also found evidence of a negative effect on the abundance of a native insectivore, the grey warbler (Gerygone igata). Almost all of the observed changes did not persist once feeding had ceased. Our study directly demonstrates that the human pastime of bird feeding substantially contributes to the structure of avian community in urban areas, potentially altering the balance between native and introduced species.

Continental-style avian extinctions on an oceanic island

Abstract The Indonesian islands have long been recognized for their rich and unique avifaunas, but little is known regarding how past processes and events have shaped current avian distributions. Here we compare the modern non-passerine avifauna of Flores with the Late Pleistocene non-passerine fossil assemblage from the cave site of Liang Bua to assess whether the Late Pleistocene assemblage differs from the modern avifauna. Randomized permutation tests failed to detect a statistically significant difference in body size distributions, but a significant difference in dietary guild was found, as the modern fauna lacks scavengers. The emerging pattern of avian extinctions on Flores is characterized by a low proportion of extinct species, a loss of large-bodied species, and apparently minor effects on avian community structure. This is in contrast to other oceanic islands, which experienced dramatic changes in avifauna after the arrival of modern humans. Flores' close proximity to other islands and landmasses likely allowed for population connectivity that buffered populations from extinction. Widespread species may also have been able to recolonize if local extirpations took place. The extinction of the large-bodied avian scavengers Leptoptilos robustus and Trigonoceps sp. on Flores is consistent with the pattern of human-caused extinctions on other oceanic islands. However, the loss of these two large scavenging species may be linked to the extinction of the pygmy proboscidean ( Stegodon florensis insularis ). Such a dependence of avian species on mammalian megafauna, leading to extinction by trophic cascade, is characteristic of continental Late Pleistocene extinctions.

Housing development erodes avian community structure in U.S. protected areas.

Protected areas are a cornerstone for biodiversity conservation, but they also provide amenities that attract housing development on inholdings and adjacent private lands. We explored how this development affects biodiversity within and near protected areas among six ecological regions throughout the United States. We quantified the effect of housing density within, at the boundary, and outside protected areas, and natural land cover within protected areas, on the proportional abundance and proportional richness of three avian guilds within protected areas. We developed three guilds from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, which included Species of Greatest Conservation Need, land cover affiliates (e.g., forest breeders), and synanthropic species associated with urban environments. We gathered housing density data for the year 2000 from the U.S. Census Bureau, and centered the bird data on this year. We obtained land cover data from the 2001 National Land Cover Database, and we used single- and multiple-variable analyses to address our research question. In all regions, housing density within protected areas was positively associated with the proportional abundance or proportional richness of synanthropes, and negatively associated with the proportional abundance or proportional richness of Species of Greatest Conservation Need. These relationships were strongest in the eastern forested regions and the central grasslands, where more than 70% and 45%, respectively, of the variation in the proportional abundance of synanthropes and Species of Greatest Conservation Need were explained by housing within protected areas. Furthermore, in most regions, housing density outside protected areas was positively associated with the proportional abundance or proportional richness of synanthropes and negatively associated with the proportional abundance of land cover affiliates and Species of Greatest Conservation Need within protected areas. However, these effects were weaker than housing within protected areas. Natural land cover was high with little variability within protected areas, and consequently, was less influential than housing density within or outside protected areas explaining the proportional abundance or proportional richness of the avian guilds. Our results indicate that housing development within, at the boundary, and outside protected areas impacts avian community structure within protected areas throughout the United States.

Structural heterogeneity increases diversity of non‐breeding grassland birds

Grassland birds have experienced greater population declines than any other guild of birds in North America, and yet we know little about habitat use and the affects of management during their non‐breeding period on wintering grounds. The paucity of information on wintering grassland birds limits our ability to develop effective conservation strategies. We investigated habitat use by the winter bird community in grasslands with restored heterogeneity resulting from the interactive effects of fire and grazing. We used 500 m line transects distributed across patches (i.e., <13, 13–24, and >24 months post disturbance) resulting from spring burning with growing season grazing (April‐Sept) and quantified avian relative abundance, community structure, and probability of patch occupancy while accounting for imperfect detection. Grassland structure that resulted from the fire‐grazing interaction created heterogeneity among patches that influenced avian habitat use during winter. Generalist birds such as the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and meadowlarks (Sturnellaspp.) were relatively common in all patch types while more specialized species such as the Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) and Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) reached greatest abundance and probability of occupancy in the patches with the least and greatest time post disturbance, respectively. This research provides novel information on the response of wintering birds to restored ecological processes in grasslands and can improve efforts to create effective conservation strategies. Our findings add to a growing body of literature supporting the use of fire and grazing to create a shifting grassland mosaic that increases vegetation structural and compositional heterogeneity and maximizes native biodiversity within rangeland ecosystems through the conservation of natural patterns and processes.

The Mid-Winter Assemblage And Diversity Of Bird Populations At Patlakhawa Protected Forest, Coochbehar, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT We compared avian community structure of six contrasting habitat types at Patlakhawa Protected Forest of Dooars of West Bengal. During three weeks of the mid-winter studies 154 bird species representing 41 families were recorded. Of the 154 recorded species, 22 were observed in grasslands, 22 in swamp forest, 46 in riverine forest, 52 at miscellaneous plantation areas, 43 at forest edges and 51 at wetlands. The Shannon-Wiener general diversity indices varied among the habitats and ranged from 2.323 to 3.458. Richness (5.813-11.410), evenness (0.406-0.641) and dominance (0.042-0.128) indices also varied considerably among the study locations. The highest diversity, the lowest dominance and a very high evenness were characteristics of miscellaneous plantations. Grasslands showed highest evenness and considerably high species diversity. The lowest avian evenness and diversity were recorded in wetlands and swamp forests. Insectivorous birds were most numerous (53), followed by carnivorous (40), omnivorous (29) and frugivorous (15) birds. Winter appeared to be the best time for niche occupancy at the Himalayan foothills for assemblages of either winter migrants and visitors or altitudinal and passage migrants, as about 30% of all encountered species were migrants. 96 bird species were observed to occur at any one of these habitat types showing high habitat fidelity. Mixed avian foraging assemblages that varied in species number and compositions were observed and they contain 11 to 17 species. Avifaunal niche diversity and richness in different habitats of Patlakhawa Protected Forest during mid-winter envisaged its importance from conservation point of view.

Do bird species richness and community structure vary with mistletoe flowering and fruiting in Western Australia?

Worldwide, mistletoes act as a keystone resource, providing food (nectar, fruit and foliage) and structural (nesting sites) resources to hundreds of fauna species. In Australia, loranthaceous mistletoes depend on birds for pollination and dispersal, and provide important nectar and fruit resources to a large number of nectarivorous and frugivorous species of bird. We investigated whether avian species richness and community structure varies with flowering and fruiting of two common mistletoe species (Loranthaceae: Wireleaf Mistletoe, Amyema preissii; and Box Mistletoe, A. miquelii), conducting monthly surveys of both birds and mistletoes over 1 year at five sites in south-western Western Australia (WA). Flowering and fruiting periods were distinct and differed both among sites and between mistletoe species. Nectar and ripe fruit were available for up to 5 months (Box Mistletoe) or 6–7 months (Wireleaf Mistletoe) at individual sites, but were available every month of the year across all sites. The presence of fruiting, but not flowering, mistletoe was associated with changes in bird community structure. Mistletoebirds (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) were significantly more likely to be recorded during months when ripe mistletoe fruit was present and the overall bird species richness was higher for these survey months. Mistletoes provide important resources, but further investigation is required to assess whether they act as a keystone resource in south-western WA.

Effects of landscape, land use and vegetation on bird community composition and diversity in Inner Anatolian steppes

We present here the first systematic study on drivers of bird community composition and diversity in Anatolian steppes (Turkey), an environment important for populations of threatened grassland birds yet underrepresented in conservation networks. We focused on one million hectares of mountainous land with a long and varied land use history, and collected quantitative data on breeding birds as well as environmental, vegetation, landscape and land use parameters at 32 sites. Data were analyzed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and hierarchical partitioning to understand avian community structure and reveal major drivers of observed patterns. Bird communities in high-altitude steppes of inner Turkey showed patterns in species richness and community composition that were best explained by an altitudinal gradient and by human activities. Steppe birds occurred most often in cropland abandoned 20–50 years ago with good coverage of erect leafy plants while overall avian diversity tended to increase with reduced grazing pressure and with nearby presence of rural settlements. CCA results revealed a contrast between highly heterogeneous anthropogenic environments in warmer and drier land with woody elements, and treeless steppes at higher elevations that were, apart from transhumant grazing, little influenced by human activities. The former sites were characterized by the occurrence of several grassland birds along with a variety of generalist species, some of which required the presence of trees, while the latter sites were less diverse but usually with a higher proportion of steppe-dependent birds in their composition. To conserve steppes for birds, we recommend as key actions to maintain the current landscape mosaic, sustain low to moderate grazing levels and use our findings in developing a network of protected areas.

Avian Community Use and Occupancy of California Oak Savanna

Abstract. California oak savanna is a habitat of sparse tree canopy that extends from northern Baja California to southern British Columbia and is under threat from land-use pressures such as conversion to agriculture, overgrazing, urban development, and fire suppression. Bird-conservation plans have been drafted for the region's oak woodlands. Yet it is unclear whether birds use California oak savanna at different frequencies than they do neighboring oak habitats. In the foothills of the central and northern Sierra Nevada, California, we explored patterns of avian community structure and habitat occupancy in four habitats: blue oak (Quercus douglasii) savanna with a well-developed grass and forb layer, blue oak savanna with a well-developed shrub layer, and two habitats with a denser canopy, blue oak woodland, and montane hardwood. Additionally, we assessed the effect of habitat characteristics on avian community structure and occupancy. Avian communities were uniquely grouped among the four habitats. Fi...

Grassland Bird Response to Vegetation Structural Heterogeneity and Clearing of Invasive Bramble

Spatial and temporal patterns of disturbance and the subsequent heterogeneity are critical in maintaining biodiversity within grassland ecosystems. Grassland birds have evolved within this ‘shifting mosaic’ to become reliant on specific habitat characteristics maintained under varying levels of both natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Unfortunately, grasslands in South Africa have been extensively transformed and remain poorly conserved, threatening grassland avifauna. Mistbelt grassland is a threatened vegetation type endemic to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, of which only 0.3% is formally protected. This study investigated seasonal and patch type heterogeneity in a Mistbelt grassland avian community by determining avian community structure and composition in four patch types, i.e. i) untransformed open grassland, ii) burnt grassland, iii) bramble-invaded and, iv) bramble-cleared grassland, during winter and summer. Avian assemblages were significantly different between the different patch types for e...

Grassland bird response to vegetation structural heterogeneity and clearing of invasive bramble

Spatial and temporal patterns of disturbance and the subsequent heterogeneity are critical in maintaining biodiversity within grassland ecosystems. Grassland birds have evolved within this ‘shifting mosaic’ to become reliant on specific habitat characteristics maintained under varying levels of both natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Unfortunately, grasslands in South Africa have been extensively transformed and remain poorly conserved, threatening grassland avifauna. Mistbelt grassland is a threatened vegetation type endemic to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, of which only 0.3% is formally protected. This study investigated seasonal and patch type heterogeneity in a Mistbelt grassland avian community by determining avian community structure and composition in four patch types, i.e. i) untransformed open grassland, ii) burnt grassland, iii) bramble-invaded and, iv) bramble-cleared grassland, during winter and summer. Avian assemblages were significantly different between the different patch types for each season. The bramble patch type negatively affected grassland bird species diversity. Bramble-cleared grassland and untransformed grassland had similar vegetation structure and avian communities in the summer, suggesting that the grassland bird community benefitted soon after the clearing of invasive vegetation. This study provides further evidence that bird diversity is enhanced in structurally heterogeneous grassland landscapes. Furthermore, the protection and appropriate management of privately owned Mistbelt grassland, conserved in the form of rangeland, is an important refuge for threatened and endemic avifauna, such as the globally-threatened blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) and wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus).

Too risky to settle: avian community structure changes in response to perceived predation risk on adults and offspring

Predation risk is widely hypothesized as an important force structuring communities, but this potential force is rarely tested experimentally, particularly in terrestrial vertebrate communities. How animals respond to predation risk is generally considered predictable from species life-history and natural-history traits, but rigorous tests of these predictions remain scarce. We report on a large-scale playback experiment with a forest bird community that addresses two questions: (i) does perceived predation risk shape the richness and composition of a breeding bird community? And (ii) can species life-history and natural-history traits predict prey community responses to different types of predation risk? On 9 ha plots, we manipulated cues of three avian predators that preferentially prey on either adult birds or offspring, or both, throughout the breeding season. We found that increased perception of predation risk led to generally negative responses in the abundance, occurrence and/or detection probability of most prey species, which in turn reduced the species richness and shifted the composition of the breeding bird community. Species-level responses were largely predicted from the key natural-history trait of body size, but we did not find support for the life-history theory prediction of the relationship between species' slow/fast life-history strategy and their response to predation risk.

No Evidence of Interspecific Competition Regulating the Urban Avian Communities of the Kanto Region, Japan

To assess the impact of urban sprawl on avian biodiversity, many studies worldwide have tackled the question of which birds are able to inhabit urban areas. Some studies have suggested that ecological characteristics of birds are important. Other studies, however, have suggested that interspecific competition can regulate urban avian communities. In order to examine whether interspecific competition is primarily responsible for community structure, we investigated the degree of cooccurrence of ecologically similar species in the urban avian community in the Kanto region of Japan. They should not coexist if interspecific competition is strong. On comparing the observed avian community with virtual communities, we did not obtain any evidence of interspecific competition regulating the urban community. The main mechanism behind formation of an urban avian community structure appears to be the ecological traits of the species.

Habitat filtering influences the phylogenetic structure of avian communities across a coastal gradient in southern Brazil

AbstractThe evolution of a particular trait or combination of traits within lineages may affect subsequent evolutionary outcomes, leading closely related species to exhibit higher phenotypic similarity than expected under a simple Brownian‐motion evolutionary model. Niche theory postulates that phenotypes determine species distribution across environmental gradients, leading to a phylogenetic signature in the community assembly. Thus, the incorporation of species phylogeny in the analysis of community ecology structure allows one to link broader environmental, spatial and temporal factors to local, small‐scale ecological processes, thus enabling understanding of community assembly patterns in a broader context. We used the net relatedness index to assess phylogenetic structure within avian communities across a harshness gradient in coastal habitats in southern Brazil. We also evaluated phylogenetic beta diversity, to test whether closely related species exploit habitats with similar environmental conditions. In order to do so, we scaled up phylogenetic information from the species to site level using phylogenetic fuzzy weighting. We found a pattern of phylogenetic clustering in less‐vegetated habitats, namely sandy beach and dunes, which are subject to harsher conditions because of proximity to the ocean. Basal lineages were associated with the more structurally homogeneous sandy beach, while late‐divergence clades occurred in more complex habitats, which were positively related to vegetation cover and height. The observed pattern of phylogenetic clustering suggested the importance of harsh conditions in constraining the distribution of avian lineages. Furthermore, contrasting environmental features between habitats influenced phylogenetic variation, demonstrating the prevalence of phylogenetic habitat filtering. From an applied point of view, such as planning and management of biological reserves, we showed that the full array of habitat patches embedded within coastal ecological gradients must be included in order to preserve distinct evolutionary lineages.

Consequences of urbanizing landscapes to reproductive performance of birds in remnant forests

In contrast to the well-documented changes in avian community structure in urbanizing areas, the demographic consequences of urbanization remain less understood. As such, we examined the extent to which an urbanizing landscape matrix affected avian reproductive performance in forests. From 2001 to 2011, we studied five songbird species in 19 forested sites in Ohio, USA and monitored 4264 natural nests to determine rates of daily nest survival and brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater). We also tracked the annual number of fledglings produced by color-banded pairs of two focal species, the synanthropic northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis, n=974 breeding pairs between 2003 and 2011) and the urban-avoiding Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens, n=350 breeding pairs between 2001 and 2011). Over the 10-year period, neither daily nest survival nor brood parasitism rates in remnant forests were consistently related to the amount of urbanization in the surrounding landscape matrix for focal species, with the sole exception of Acadian flycatcher for which the percentage of nests with brood parasitism increased with urbanization. Annual reproductive output of cardinals was comparable across the rural–urban gradient, but Acadian flycatchers produced fewer fledglings as urbanization increased. These findings demonstrate that urban-associated patterns of annual reproduction cannot necessarily be inferred from nest survival data alone. Moreover, we show that avian community changes are not the simple consequence of nest predation. Understanding ecological processes that operate within metropolitan areas is critical if we are to conserve biological diversity on our urbanizing planet.

Window Area and Development Drive Spatial Variation in Bird-Window Collisions in an Urban Landscape

Collisions with windows are an important human-related threat to birds in urban landscapes. However, the proximate drivers of collisions are not well understood, and no study has examined spatial variation in mortality in an urban setting. We hypothesized that the number of fatalities at buildings varies with window area and habitat features that influence avian community structure. In 2010 we documented bird-window collisions (BWCs) and characterized avian community structure at 20 buildings in an urban landscape in northwestern Illinois, USA. For each building and season, we conducted 21 daily surveys for carcasses and nine point count surveys to estimate relative abundance, richness, and diversity. Our sampling design was informed by experimentally estimated carcass persistence times and detection probabilities. We used linear and generalized linear mixed models to evaluate how habitat features influenced community structure and how mortality was affected by window area and factors that correlated with community structure. The most-supported model was consistent for all community indices and included effects of season, development, and distance to vegetated lots. BWCs were related positively to window area and negatively to development. We documented mortalities for 16/72 (22%) species (34 total carcasses) recorded at buildings, and BWCs were greater for juveniles than adults. Based on the most-supported model of BWCs, the median number of annual predicted fatalities at study buildings was 3 (range = 0–52). These results suggest that patchily distributed environmental resources and levels of window area in buildings create spatial variation in BWCs within and among urban areas. Current mortality estimates place little emphasis on spatial variation, which precludes a fundamental understanding of the issue. To focus conservation efforts, we illustrate how knowledge of the structural and environmental factors that influence bird-window collisions can be used to predict fatalities in the broader landscape.

Differentiating nest sites characteristics of four sympatric cavity-nesting birds

Diverse group of cavity-nesting birds inhabit secondary forests of northeastern China, accounting for about one-third of breeding avian species. We examined differences in nest-site characteristics among four cavity-nesting birds, including two cavity excavators (i.e., great spotted woodpecker [Dendrocopos major] and grey-headed woodpecker [Picus canus]) and two secondary cavity-nesters (i.e., yellow-rumped flycatcher [Ficedula zanthopygia] and Eurasian nuthatch [Sitta europaea]) in Dagang Forestry Farm, Jilin Province, China. We detected total 160 active hole nests in the breeding season of 2008, including 58 nests of cavity excavators and 102 of secondary cavity-nesters. Secondary cavity-nesters tend to prefer Salix pierotii for nestingtrees, but the excavators not. Picus canus used south-facing cavities, which may have been due to thermal advantages. Nest tree and nest-site quadrat characteristics were different between the two excavator species. Specifically, there were significant differences in the entrance diameter and cavity inner diameter between the nest sites of Dendrocopos major and Picus canus, and the entrance length and canopy height of nest tree between Ficedula zanthopygia and Sitta europaea. The characteristics at the scale of nest tree were 第 6期 周春发等: 四种同域分布洞巢鸟的巢址特征比较 717 important for distinguishing nest sites for cavity excavators as well as secondary cavity-nesters. Discriminant analyses illustrated that Ficedula zanthopygia and Sitta europaea used cavities excavated by Dendrocopos major and Picus canus, respectively. Differences in size of nesting holes excavated by different woodpeckers could affect the usage of nest sites by secondary cavity-nesters, which may have an impact on avian community structure in secondary forests.

Mammalian nest predator feces as a cue in avian habitat selection decisions

Breeding habitat selection is expected to be adaptive. Animals should respond to strong agents of natural selection, such as expected offspring mortality due to nest predators, in their settlement decisions. In birds, mammalian nest predators are a significant mortality source and birds are known to respond to their presence. However, the mechanism used by birds to perceive mammalian nest predators and estimate the nest predation risk remains unknown, in particular at larger spatial scales while comparing potential breeding habitat patches. We experimentally tested whether the farmland bird community can detect and perceive cues of a mammalian nest predator (urine and feces), and how this perception affected the habitat selection and community structure of birds. The experiment was conducted at a large habitat patch scale by simulating a high abundance of nest predator by spraying on the ground water with dissolved mink excrements, whereas water was sprayed in the control treatment. Birds avoided settling in the plots treated with nest predator excrement. The number of migratory passerine species and their total density were lower in the simulated predation risk treatment than in the control treatment. Our results revealed a novel antipredator behavioral mechanism in birds; passerine birds can detect the excrements of mammalian nest predators and thereby assess the relative nest predation risk among potential breeding habitat patches. This mechanism has direct impacts on the structure of avian breeding bird community. Key wor ds: community structure, habitat selection, information use, nest preda tion. [Behav Ecol]

Structure of the Japanese avian community from city centers to natural habitats exhibits a globally observed pattern

The number of avian species in urban areas throughout the world, particularly in Europe and the USA is low; however, their total density is higher than that observed in surrounding habitats. Nevertheless, it has not been confirmed whether this is true in Japan. Japanese cities have fewer green areas than European and American cities, and Japanese suburbs are likely to face forests on mountain slopes, whereas cities in most other countries face open grasslands, rural areas, or flatlands. These differences could influence the structure of avian diversity from city to native habitat. We compared the number of species and individuals of all species among city centers, suburbs, and forested areas in Japan. Similar to other countries, the structure of avian communities in Japanese cities was dominated by a handful of species, and total abundance was highest among the other environments. This suggests that the underlying mechanism determining the structure of the avian community is the same between Japan and other previously studied countries. However, species richness was not the highest in the intermediate areas, which is typical in Europe and the USA. This is because suburbs face forested areas and moderately urbanized areas are scarce in the study area. The lack of intermediate area is moderately typical in Japan. This difference is important not only for managing avian diversity but also total diversity from the city to native habitats in Japan.

Avian community structure of urban parks in developed and new growth areas: A landscape-scale study in Southeast Asia

Urban development affects avian community structure dramatically, and is considered a major cause of native species extinction. Hong Kong is a highly urbanized city, but there is a paucity of data on its urban avian community or the differences between areas with different development history and human population density. We assessed the impacts of urban development on bird community, and the effects of landscape-scale habitat factors at two scales. We selected 30 urban parks from areas of two development types as sampling sites. We censused bird communities in the breeding and wintering seasons in 2010–2011. Communities in the developed areas were more heterogeneous than those in the new growth areas. Regarding species groups, residents dominated urban parks in both development types, and introduced species were only recorded in the developed areas. More granivores, but fewer insectivores and insectivore–frugivores appeared in the developed areas than in the new growth areas which supported more forest-specialist birds when compared with the developed areas which had more open-habitat species. Contrastingly, bird communities were more nested in the new growth areas. Although there were no significant differences in species richness, diversity and composition between the two development types, bird communities were very different in terms of species evenness, species groups and nestedness. Based on Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling, bird distribution pattern were strongly associated with habitat evenness and largest patch index for woodland at the 400-m scale and contagion index at the 400- and 1000-m scales in the two development types.

How would size, age, human disturbance, and vegetation structure affect bird communities of urban parks in different seasons?

Parks are diversity hotspots in cities, and are generalized isolated “islands” in urban landscapes. However, there is a paucity of information on the avian community structure of urban parks in big cities in Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong which has more than 7 million people. This study therefore aimed to assess the influences of park attributes, human disturbance, and vegetation structure on species richness, diversity, total density, and species groups of breeding and wintering bird communities in Hong Kong. Bird communities of 30 parks were censused four times each season in 2010–2011 using point counting. Species richness and diversity were affected by park size in both seasons, and larger parks supported more species and higher diversity. In addition, species richness of wintering season was negatively affected by visitor rate. Total bird density increased with visitor rate, but only in the breeding season. Noise did not have significant impacts on species richness, diversity, and total density. Regarding the responses of species groups, number of resident species increased with park size in both seasons. Migrants, insectivores, and insectivore–frugivores were positively affected by park size, but negatively by visitor rate in the wintering season. However, omnivores in the breeding season increased with both park size and visitor rate. Granivores was the only feeding guild which was positively affected by noise and negatively by foliage height diversity in the wintering season. In conclusion, park size and visitor rate affected bird community structure, and different species groups had different responses to habitat factors in the two seasons.