Avian Community Structure and Spatial Distribution in Anthropogenic Landscapes in Central Mexico

Habitat loss, pollution, and climate change have a global impact on bird diversity, particularly in central Mexico, where human disturbances and unplanned urbanization can lead to the decline of this faunal group. In this study, the effects of season (rainy, warm–dry, or cool–dry) and environmental variables (size, perimeter, vegetation cover, built cover, distance to nearby greenspaces and distance to the closet natural vegetation patch) on the avian diversity at different sites located in a peri-urban landscape in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City were determined. The study was conducted using the linear transect method to assess the diversity and composition of bird communities from November 2019 to March 2022, recording 290 total bird species. Zumpango Lagoon was the study site with the highest diversity (N = 209, H′ = 3.22) and evenness index (J′ = 0.76). Linear mixed models were used to determine the effects of season and environmental variables of the study sites on the avian diversity. The effect of distance to the nearest greenspace was significantly more positive during the rainy season than the two dry seasons. An ANOSIM test also showed that the avian community associated with water bodies differed significantly from the other communities (R = 0.16, p < 0.001). Despite some anthropogenic activities and human intrusion, sites with water bodies retain a high diversity of birds. This finding indicates the need for immediate conservation efforts to protect many resident breeding species and wintering migratory birds in the study area.