Spatiotemporal Variation of Avian Communities in the Liupan Mountain Nature Reserve

The bird surveys were carried out with the methods of fixed sample plots and line transects in the Liupan Mountain Nature Reserve,Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China during the period from May 2011 to May 2012. The bird community structure and its seasonal dynamic change in 4 typical habitats were investigated. In the survey area 88 bird species were recorded totally,including 49 residents,29 summer migrants and 9 passing migrants. In which there were 20 palaearctic species and accounted for 22. 73% of the total bird species,6 oriental species and accounted for 7. 82%,and also 62 dispersed bird species and accounted for 70. 45%. The analyzed results revealed that the bird community diversity index was the highest in spring but the lowest in winter,the bird community structure in all the habitats was seasonal,the difference between the 4 habitats was significant,and the dominant species varied across the habitats and were seasonal. Totally,there were 29 bird species distributed in the arbors,35 bird species in the farmland-villages,40 bird species in the bushes,and 43 bird species were investigated in the waters and marshes.