Habitat Suitability Evaluation and Environmental Factor Identification for Spatial Distribution of Urban Birds: A Case Study of Hongshan District, Wuhan City, China

Abstract

The article takes 11 species of birds in Hongshan District as the research object based on the bird observation data 2020 and then identifies the spatial distribution of their habitats through the MaxEnt model. According to the results, we analyze the distribution characteristics and problems of bird habitats in Hongshan District and finally put forward the optimization suggestions according to the cohort groups. We conclude that water habitats and urban forest parks have higher suitability for bird spatial distribution and that the influence of various environmental factors on different types of birds is somewhat different. Based on the data analysis results, we provide references for the conservation of bird diversity and habitat restoration in Hongshan District: (1) Control the area of construction land and the number of high-rise buildings to make room for bird migration, enhance gene exchange among birds in different patches, and enrich species diversity. (2) Increase the number of bird migration “stations” between long-distance habitat patches to provide resting points for birds during long-distance migration. (3) Increase the number of bird migration "stations" between long-distance habitat patches to provide resting points for birds in the urban forest park. (4) Adopt tree-shrub-grass planting to provide more living space for birds. (5) Reserve a green corridor around urban roads and water systems to reduce the impact of urban roads on the distribution pattern of bird suitability.