EFFECT OF DEVELOPMENT ON BIRD SPECIES COMPOSITION OF 2 URBAN FORESTED WETLANDS IN STATEN-ISLAND, NEW-YORK

Urban development often results in removal, fragmentation and degradation of woodland habitat. A 2-yr breeding bird census was conducted at two urban, forested wetlands in Staten Island, Richmond County, New York, to evaluate the influence of development on bird species composition. Bird species composition at the Richmond Creek site, a habitat fragment surrounded by development, was dominated by non-forest, urban-resident and human-attracted species. The Latourette Park site, located within a wooded parcel in the Staten Island Greenbelt, supported significantly more forest-interior and human-intolerant species. The two sites did not differ significantly in the number of migrant or resident bird species. The study indicates that forest islands in New York City can provide nesting habitat for area-sensitive bird species, but development that encroaches upon or degrades these habitats promotes the urbanization of the forest bird community.