Forest patches as important bird habitats in Malaysia's large-scale infrastructure development areas

The high demand for hydroelectric power to support electricity in rural areas of Malaysia drives the construction of dams. The development of large-scale dams threatens forest-dependent avian species due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Although many recent dam projects incorporate sustainable concepts for monitoring and managing wildlife, there is a lack of studies conducted during the development phase. This study evaluated avian species diversity across various habitats along a dam construction gradient, including recently disturbed forests, agricultural-forest patches and mosaic habitats. We conducted surveys using point count observations and mist-netting across six sampling sites over a 24-month period. A total of 120 bird species representing 40 families were recorded across the study area. Species richness was highest in agricultural–forest patches (78 species), followed by recently disturbed forests (65 species) and mosaic habitats (57 species). Hill numbers analysis similarly showed that agricultural–forest patches had the greatest overall diversity and the highest number of forest-dependent species. Feeding-guild patterns showed that omnivores dominated agricultural–forest patches and recently disturbed forests, while insectivores formed the largest proportion of the community in mosaic habitats containing embedded forest patches. Such findings highlight the importance of maintaining forest patches within homogeneous or degraded habitats, including agricultural and mosaic landscapes, as these remnants can continue to support substantial bird communities when properly managed. By implementing such sustainable management practices, the negative impacts of large-scale development projects on forest-dependent avian populations can be mitigated.