Seasonal pattern of bird fauna habitat structure use in urban green areas in the South of Brazil

Abstract

With the rapid expansion of urban development, it is important to comprehend the relationship between wildlife and urban habitats. Thus, the present study aimed to: (a) describe which structural habitat classes are most commonly used in urban green areas, (b) test whether the effect of seasonality is capable of influencing birds in the patterns of use of different common structural elements in urban and green areas. Birds were sampled per season in three green areas located in the municipalities of União da Vitória (PR) and Porto União (SC), in southern Brazil. The abundance of individuals utilizing four structural classes in the habitat was quantified: (a) trees, (b) ground, (c) aerial space, and (d) artificial structures. At the end of the sampling, 69 species were recorded across the three sampled areas, totaling 4,849 records. Among the four structural classes, the highest abundance was observed in the trees class (n = 2989; 62%). Ground was the second most utilized structure among all squares (n = 1,348; 28%). Moreover, there is an increase in the intensity of the usage of these structures during summer. Finally, the squares present in urban environments are of great importance, particularly concerning the composition of urban green areas for the persistence of avifauna communities in fragmented habitats.