Community structure and dynamic distribution pattern of waterbird in Shanghai

From 2006 to 2010,an investigation was conducted synchronously at nine important sites of Shanghai to understand the inhabited status and population dynamics of waterbird.In the study period,a total of 796738 waterbird individuals belonging to 133 species of 18 families and 9 orders were recorded,among which,there were 53 species of Charadriiformes,28 species of Anseriformes,17 species of Ciconiiformes,and 16 species of Lariformes.According to resident type,the residents,summer breeders,winter migrants,and traveling birds occupied 3.0%,9.0%,43.6%,and 44.4% of the total species number,respectively.The migration period of winter migrants with Anatidae as the priority was from September to next April,and the traveling birds with Charadriiformes as the priority were generally migrated northward from March to May(spring) and southward from August to October(autumn).The habitats with more quantities of waterbird were in the order of Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve,Nanhui Dongtan,and Jiuduansha Nature Reserve.Clustering and habitat preference analyses showed that goose and duck(Anatidae) preferred to the mudflats with shallow water and the open and large water areas,while shorebirds(Charadriiformes) preferred to the larger areas coastal mudflats.Mudflat reclamation and human disturbance were the important factors negatively affecting the waterbird community,and accordingly,some recommendations for waterbird habitat management were put forward.