Comparison of avian diversity, breeding communities, and nesting habitats between urban and peri-urban ecosystems of Fez (Central Morocco)

Avian diversity is very poor in urban zones due to the loss of natural ecosystems, breeding sites, nesting substrates, and foraging resources. However, the variation of these elements following the urban gradient is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to look into the nesting substrates, breeding communities, habitat use, and bird abundance in the urban and peri-urban environments in central Morocco's Fez City. Field visits were conducted monthly from 2017 to 2019 in urban and peri-urban habitats with a 1-3 km transect method. Birds were identified visually and acoustically with points of count separated by 100 to 300 m. We noted bird species, populations, type of habitat, nesting site, and nesting substrate. A total of 140 avian species were identified in peri-urban (130 species) and urban (68 species) zones. Equally, 717 nests of 29 bird species were documented in urbanized (109 nests of 13 species) and peri-urban (608 nests of 20 species) habitats. In peri-urban ecosystems, nests of breeders were recorded in farmlands, wetlands, and forests. In the urban zone, nests were recorded in urban farms, green gardens, walls, and urban forests. Equally, nesting substrates were variable among surveyed zones. On the other hand, nests of four breeding birds were recorded commonly in urban and peri-urban ecosystems. This study elucidated the diversity of avifauna in the human-made landscapes of Morocco, which were neglected during the last decades and could serve as references for future and comparative studies of biodiversity in urban zones. Equally, this study could serve as a tool for management programs of landscapes and their diversity in urban areas. However, more investigations are needed to analyze how other factors such as noise, buildings, and traffic affect the diversity of avifauna in urbanized landscapes.