Remote and local threats are associated with population change in Taiwanese migratory waterbirds

• DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02402
• Publication Date: 2023-02-09T03:53:19Z
• Authors: Da-Li Lin; Chih-Yi Tsai; Scott Pursner; Jung Chao; Allen Lyu; Tatsuya Amano; Martine Maron; Ruey-Shing Lin; Kun-Hai Lin; Kung-Kuo Chiang; Yung-Lun Lin; Li-Chung Lu; An-Yu Chang; Wan-Jyun Chen; Richard A. Fuller
• Keywords: Flyway; Population decline

Although several countries along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway have recently begun reporting population trends and identifying threats to migratory waterbirds, there remains rather sparse geographical coverage of systematic waterbird monitoring, impeding our understanding flyway-wide status populations. To fill this gap, we used data from a nationwide citizen science project, "Taiwan New Year Bird Count'' examine recent 31 species across Taiwan, within three its hotspot regions, between 2014 2021. Island-wide, abundance two declined significantly while five increased. However, was substantial heterogeneity in among with nine declining Yi-Lan, four Chang-Hua one Chia-Nan. Conversely, 11 increased Chia-Nan, Chang-Hua, but no Yi-Lan. This suggests that combination local remote factors is driving change Taiwanese waterbirds. Moreover, use rice paddies or are dependent on tidal flats around Yellow Sea were more likely show declines, those able aquacultural wetlands showed growth. These results suggest paddy loss habitat been contributing declines wetlands. Our findings land planning policies Taiwan as well mitigation flat be complementary safeguarding future waterbirds Taiwan.