Farm ponds are a traditional feature of lowland landscapes in Taiwan yet have limited recognition in terms of their conservation value. In order to assess the conservation value of farm ponds for birds, 45 ponds in the Taoyuan Tableland region were surveyed and bird species richness analysed in relation to pondscape characteristics. Bird community composition was classified into guilds according to the use birds make of specific pond microhabitats, and these guilds were further classified along a gradient from open water through to use of land adjacent to ponds. Particular features of ponds was a strong and/or moderate correlate for all of the wetland birds (i.e., waterside birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl), but not land birds or air feeders. The presence of adjoining natural and/or farmland habitats was probably the most important determinant of wetland avifauna in farm-pond areas. Three reasons why some farm ponds do not become refuges for more-sensitive species were identified. First, too littleof the ornamental vegetation cover found on the surrounding areas; second, anthropogenic structures are usually made of concrete with no native trees, and this makes such areas unattractive to waterside species; third, the small pond size associated with a curvilinear shape is not optimal to attract waterside birds.
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