Avian biodiversity in the urban green spaces of Paris: higher bird species richness in larger parks and park centers

Abstract

Diverse anthropogenic threats drive bird population declines, especially for species living in urban areas. Through studies of avian species richness in urban green spaces, i.e., the parks, gardens, and cemeteries of modern cities, we gain a deeper appreciation of refugia for birds living in the urban jungle. Larger urban green spaces are understood to support higher avian biodiversity than smaller urban green spaces. Within urban green spaces, central habitats are thought to support higher avian biodiversity than edge habitats. Through bioacoustic field recordings, we studied these patterns in the green spaces of urban Paris, one of the largest cities in Europe and one of the most densely populated cities on the planet. We found substantial levels of avian biodiversity, recording 36 species of birds across 37 parks, gardens, and cemeteries. Species richness showed a positive relationship with park size, with more species recorded in Paris’ larger urban green spaces. Species richness also varied with centrality, with more species detected in the central habitats of Paris’ urban green spaces. We conclude that both the size of urban green spaces and the amount of central habitat within those green spaces influence avian species richness. Our findings not only imply that even small green spaces should be protected in dense urban landscapes, but that green spaces should be designed to maximize their size and amount of central habitat to promote high levels of bird species richness.