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Bird communities as ecotourism resources in an urban park of Hong Kong

摘要


Due to accelerating urbanization in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, urban habitats are rapidly becoming the major lowland habitats in the region. As urban habitats are expanding at the expense of natural habitat, urban ecosystems are becoming increasingly important in providing refuge to the remaining native species. Many studies showed that urban parks are biodiversity hotspots in urban ecosystems. Birds are the most conspicuous and probably the most appreciated element of urban wildlife. The urban bird communities may also play a role in enhancing recreational value of the urban parks and the quality of life for the urban residents. The present study investigates the bird community of an urban park. Kowloon Park (KP) is one of the most heavily-used urban parks in Hong Kong. The park with a size of 13.3 ha is situated at the heart of the city. The bird communities of KP were studied by transect counts twice a month since March 2014 for 12 months. Breeding bird communities were studied by the territory mapping method during the avian breeding season. Seasonal changes of the park bird community were found in this study. Summer visitors, winter visitors and passage migrants were recorded. Proven or probable avian breeders in the park were identified. Feeding guilds of birds observed include granivore, omnivore, scavenger, carnivore, insectivore, insectivore-frugivore and insectivore-frugivore-nectarivore. Given its small size, KP has a diverse bird community with different guilds being found, such as woodland species and water-dependent species. The potential of the urban park bird communities as an ecotourism resource for park visitors will be discussed.

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