VARIATION IN AVIAN DIVERSITY IN RELATION TO PLANT SPECIES IN URBAN PARKS OF AYDIN, TURKEY

Among wildlife species, birds are important indicators of biodiversity and habitat quality in urban ecosystems. Parks, which are among the important components of urban ecosystems, are home to many bird species with their diversity of plant species. Due to this aspect, parks make significant contributions to increase bird diversity. The bird species were observed with the naked eye and using an Olympus 10x50 DPS I brand binocular. Bird observations were performed on sunny days without rain and excessive wind in the mornings (07.00-09.00 a.m./2 h after sunrise) and evenings. Sixteen bird species observed in urban parks of Aydin comprised 11 native, 11 resident and 9 insectivorous species. The Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto Frivaldszky), Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula L.), Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix L.), Great Tit (Parus major L.), and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus L.) were the most frequently observed bird species in all parks. The Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia L.) attracted the highest number of bird species with 12 species, followed by the Turkish Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) with 11 species. A significant variance was found between plant species and avian diversity.

Automated summary

Birds in urban ecosystems, particularly in parks, serve as important indicators of biodiversity and habitat quality. Observations of bird species in urban parks of Aydin revealed a correlation between plant species and avian diversity, with certain plants attracting higher numbers of bird species.