Abstract:

Artificial nestboxes are widely used in ecological research and conservation practices. However, we know little about the effects of nestboxes on breeding bird communities and their actual conservation value to bird communities. We chose two sample plots with similar plant communities in Xiaolongmen National Forest Park, Beijing. Fifty artificial nest-boxes were hung in the experimental plot and the other plot as a control. From March to August in 2007, we monitored artificial nestbox use by secondary cavity-nesting birds, reproductive rates of birds in nestboxes, and breeding bird and plant communities in the two sample plots. Twenty of 50 boxes were used by secondary cavity-nesting birds, such as the songar tit (Parus songarus), yellow-rumped flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia), Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea) and great tit (Parus major). We found that the density of yellow-rumped flycatcher was greater in experimental plot with nestboxes. Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') andPIE were higher in experimental plot while dominance index (λ) were lower. Indices of total breeding bird communities changed in the same way. Because secondary cavity-nesting bird and breeding bird communities are interrelated, these results may be attributed to the use of artificial nest-boxes. We conclude that nestboxes changed the distribution patterns of some secondary nesting birds and increased the population density and diversity of secondary nesting birds. So, in our study, artificial nest-boxes made good conservation sense for breeding bird communities.

Key words: artificial nest-box, secondary cavity-nesting birds, bird community