Anthropogenic fire reduces migratory bird abundance and diversity at a stopover site.

Heim W; Hinninger L; Smirenski SM; Heim RJ

Abstract

The frequency and extent of fires are increasing worldwide. Fires impact biodiversity, including bird communities. However, our knowledge is biased towards breeding bird communities, with fire impacts on birds during migration being poorly studied. Migratory birds rely on suitable stopover sites, and any changes at such sites could negatively affect their survival and population dynamics. We investigated the effects of an anthropogenic fire on birds captured at an autumn stopover site, comparing data from one year with fire to four years thereafter without. We found significant negative effects of fire on bird abundance and diversity, though species composition remained largely unchanged. We posit that reduced habitat and food availability after fire cause these effects. We also assessed variation in stopover duration and fuel deposition rate in two species, but found no overall significant fire-related effects in either case. Management strategies should aim at limiting the extent of fires to sustain suitable stopover habitat patches.