Habitat selection of wintering birds in farm ponds in Taoyuan, Taiwan

Farm ponds or irrigation ponds, providing a vital habitat for diverse bird communities, are an environmental feature with characteristics that cross over typical urban and natural conditions. In this study, the species richness and community structure of irrigation ponds were characterized on the local and landscape scales. Within a landscape complex in the Taoyuan Tableland of Taiwan, 45 ponds were surveyed, ranging in areas from 0.2 to 20.47 ha. In total, 94 species and 15,053 individual birds were identified after surveying four times. The association between ponds and birds was determined to establish the effect of pond dimensions on species richness and community composition in the complex by comparing the responses of functional groups to pond configurations. Seven avian functional groups were identified. Compared with landbirds (i.e., families Alcedinidae, Apodidae, Icteridae, and Sturnidae), waterbirds (i.e., families Anatidae, Ardeidae, Charadriidae, Podicipedidae, and Scolopacidae) exhibited a stronger correlation with pond variables. Our study provides substantial evidence that these artificial ponds have influenced wintering waterbirds. The final results of this study may help stakeholders and land managers identify areas not to establish large-scale solar facilities considering waterbird habitats in pond areas.