The value of residential green spaces for birds: A comparative study with urban parks of different scales

Abstract

Habitat loss, fragmentation and land-use change caused by the continued expansion of human settlements pose a threat to global biodiversity. Residential green spaces (RGs) are widespread throughout urban areas, providing benefits to human health and well-being and opportunities to conserve biodiversity. While RGs are fragmented by buildings and frequent human activities, little is known about their ability to support and conserve biodiversity relative to that of urban parks. To assess the ability of these green spaces to support biodiversity, we compared the bird species diversity, community composition, and influencing factors in RGs with those in urban parks of different scales. Our results revealed that, similar to medium-sized urban parks, RGs are associated with high bird species richness and abundance. Distance from waterbodies was the only common factor affecting bird species richness in RGs and urban parks. Moreover, RGs were favoured by native birds and urban dwellers, and the bird communities in RGs differed from those in urban parks. The results demonstrated that RGs can provide opportunities for bird conservation and serve as the most convenient place for humans to interact with animals in nature. We recommend that urban planners and managers consider blue–green spaces and habitat construction to improve bird diversity within residential areas.