Factors influencing the bird community of urban wooded streets along an annual cycle

Abstract

Although the bird communities of some urban habitats have received considerable re-search attention, the bird fauna of wooded streets have been little studied despite the fact that wooded streets constitute a distinct feature of the urban landscape. In order to exam-ine the effects of vegetation structure and floristic attributes on bird species richness and bird abundance, 216 wooded streets in the city of Valencia (Spain) were surveyed during three consecutive seasons in the year 2000. During the survey 1,378 individuals of 14 bird species were recorded. With the exception of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and the Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), most of these species had very low abun-dances. Depending on the season, the species recorded in wooded streets represented be-tween 19–25% of the species recorded in the nearby urban habitats. Across seasons, tree species richness, tree abundance and tree height were the main factors influencing bird species richness and bird abundance. 34 tree species out of 41 were used by birds. Some large tree species like the Box Elder (Acer negundo), the Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumilla) and the White Poplar (Populus alba) were preferred. A substantial change in the design and management of wooded streets in order to improve their suitability for bird fauna is suggested.