Bird communities and the structure of urban habitats

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Abstract
Relationships between bird communities and habitat structure were examined along a gradient of urban habitats in Vancouver [British Columbia, Canada]. Bird species diversity, evenness of species abundances and numbers of species increase with foliage height diversity and total vegetation as they do in natural habitats. Few ecological niches for birds are enhanced by man-made features of the urban environment. Bird species diversity is actually inversely related to the apparent increase in habitat diversity contributed by elements of the built environment. While limited to a few niches, food provided by man has a major effect on density and distribution of birds in urban areas. Despite declining natural productivity and species diversity, total bird density does not decline across the Vancouver urban gradient. Available habitat and food in highly urbanized environments strongly favor the few cavity-nesting, ground-feeding graminivorous or omnivorous bird species that already dominate.

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