Top ten birds indicators of high environmental quality in European cities

Urban and suburban areas are among the fastest-growing land-use types globally, reducing fragmenting natural habitats for many animal species making human-wildlife interactions more common. However, cities also create habitat several considered urban tolerant or exploiter species. Additionally, environmental characteristics of can strongly affect life quality citizens. This study aimed to assess effectiveness common bird as indicators with high within cities. Our recorded 128 in 1441 point counts distributed fifteen different European We classified “high quality” – HEQ when they were simultaneously characterized by a vegetation cover heterogeneity, low level light pollution, avian communities potential resilience face ecological stress. Species identified using species-level indicator value (IndVal) analysis. Such be used The list top ten birds is led Eurasian blackcap, selected an than half survey Other multiple Blackbird (47%), Great tit (40%), Blue tit, Tree sparrow Magpie (all 33%). mean specificity top-ranked (Eurasian blackcap) was 0.778. Most HEQ-indicators resident resident/short migratory territorial behaviour. findings support bioindicators changes specific groups few surrogates areas. approach proposed this applied monitor biodiversity status periodically, even involving citizen science initiatives.