DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF AVIAN SPECIES IN an‎d AROUND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF SEOUL CITY, KOREA

Urban ecosystem discussions often focus on vegetation diversity rather than wildlife. Even less discussion is cantered on the ecology of avian species, and not much is known about avian habitat requirements in urbanized areas. This study investigated the bird–habitat relationship in an urbanized area in Seoul, Korea. More specifically, it sought to determine a general relationship between avian species and forests by comparing the degree of adaptation observed in each species to varying conditions in urban areas. Based on observations of 11,093 birds belonging to 89 species throughout the study site, the investigators identified three significant findings: First, the bird–habitat relationship with respect to forest and urban areas can be classified into four specific types: (1) forest specialist, (2) forest-to-nearurban generalist, (3) whole-forest-to-urban generalist, and (4) urban specialist. Second, of particular interest is the identification of forest-tonear-urban generalist species. They can extend their home ranges into highly urbanized areas, but many of these species were found not far from forests. In fact, most individuals were observed 500 m from the forest border. Third, forest-to-near-urban generalists were mostly observed in 30% of the GAP (green area percentage) patches in the urban area. Knowing the habitat needs of the four bird species types will eventually help target key species during urban ecological planning. For example, we now understand that if forest-to-near-urban generalists need to be attracted to an urban environment, forest patches need to be placed, at most, 500 m apart with a GAP of 30%.