Avifauna of cloud forest riparian corridors in a degraded landscape in eastern Mexico

Cloud forests are known for their remarkable biodiversity and provide many ecosystem services. However, this biodiversity is in jeopardy due to the conversion of forests to other land uses. At its northernmost range in the Neotropics, cloud forest persists in remnant fragments immersed in an agricultural matrix that still has arboreal elements, such as riparian corridors. In this study we characterize the avifauna present in cloud forest riparian corridors in a highly degraded landscape of Mexico. We classified the avifauna in terms of migratory and conservation status, trophic guild, body mass, forest stratum and habitat preference. In 14 riparian corridors we recorded 86 bird species (75% were resident). Insectivorous and frugivorous species represented 79% of total richness. Almost 65% of species prefer the mid-story or canopy forest strata, while 46% were habitat generalists. Despite crossing open agricultural areas, cloud forest riparian corridors still harbor a diverse assemblage of bird species, which includes not only those tolerant to disturbance, but also species that are typical of old-growth cloud forest. We suggest that these remnants may be crucial for forest birds that move across the fragmented landscape.