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Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for scholarly work across science, engineering and related technologies.

e-ISSN 2231-8526 ISSN 0128-7680
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Research article

Distribution of Six Urban Bird Species in Urban Agglomeration of Central Region of Peninsular Malaysia Using Ebird Database

Aminah Madi, Fatihah Najihah Arazmi, Shukor Md. Nor and Mohammad Saiful Mansor

Volume 31, Issue 2 March 2023 Published 20 March 2023
https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.31.2.20
KeywordsCitizen science data, distribution, green space, Malaysia, metropolitan city, urban birds
Article content

Abstract

Developing countries are undergoing rapid urbanisation to fulfil the high demands of incremental population growth, construction, and development. Excessive development has negative impacts on biodiversity by altering or destroying habitats. However, each bird species may respond differently to habitat alteration. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the distribution of urban bird species in metropolitan cities and nearby areas in Peninsular Malaysia. The main objective of this study was to determine the distribution patterns of six aesthetically valuable urban bird species (Black-naped Oriole [Oriolus chinensis], Yellow-vented Bulbul [Pycnonotus goiavier], White-throated Kingfisher [Halcyon smyrnensis], Pink-necked Green-Pigeon [Treron vernans], Coppersmith Barbet [Psilopogon haemacephalus] and Common Iora [Aegithina tiphia]) in Greater Kuala Lumpur (the Klang Valley region) using observations from a citizen science (eBird) database. We mapped species abundance throughout the focal area using ArcGIS and analysed the data using Minitab. Three urban bird species dominated, with the highest number of observations recorded: Yellow-vented Bulbul (46.59%), Pink-necked Green-Pigeon (19.25%), and Black-naped Oriole (13.00%). While, the Coppersmith Barbet had the lowest recorded observations (2.76%). Species abundance differed significantly across the study region (F=5.12,p<0.05), with the studied species’ occurrence increasing as green spaces increased. Such dynamic mapping is crucial for better understanding the mechanisms of the persistence of urban biodiversity. We suggest creating more green areas and planting roadside trees to provide green corridors within cities to help sustain urban biodiversity.
Supporting literature

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