Effects of Residential Development on Forest-Dwelling Neotropical Migrant Songbirds

Many bird species are in local or regional decline because of habitat loss or degradation. We attempted to disentangle the effects of residential development from the effects of forest size on forest-bird communities, with particular emphasis on Neotropical migrant species. Two variables were examined for their influence on avian diversity and abundance: forest size and the number of houses outside a forest within 100 m of the edge. We found that Neotropical migrants consistently increased in number and abundance as forest size increased. Of greater interest, we found that the number of houses surrounding a forest severely undermined its suitability for Neotropical migrants. Neotropical migrants consistently decreased in diversity and abundance as the level of adjacent development increased, regardless of forest size. The effects of development were striking: 4-ha woodlots without any nearby houses had on average a richer, more abundant Neotropical community than did 25-ha urban woodlots. No predictable pattern of change concerning development or forest size was observed for short-distance migrants or permanent residents. Current planning regulations generally permit housing right up to forest edges. This practice may prevent protection of ecological features within the forest. Threshold distances for housing developments around forests need to be determined to prevent or minimize adverse effects on features and functions within the forests.