Do Birds Care About Urban Stormpond Design?

The decline in bird populations is an urgent environmental issue, and understanding the role of urban environments could help reverse this trend. This research is timely as it attempts to quantify the potential of urban stormwater features to serve as habitats for migratory birds and to provide information for design improvements of future constructed wetlands.

The objective of this study was to assess whether the size, shape, and additional design elements (such as islands and peninsulas) can enhance the richness of migratory bird populations in Edmonton's stormwater ponds, and to evaluate the effectiveness of using citizen science data for site-scale ecological inquiries.

My approach involved analyzing eBird citizen science data collected from various stormwater ponds across Edmonton, Alberta from 2015-2023. I used this data to compare bird richness between 40 ponds with different design features in a circular ring around the Edmonton core.

This study found that ponds with designs resembling natural wetlands, including those with internal features such as islands and peninsulas, supported higher avian species richness, showing an average increase of 24% compared to more conventional pond designs. Additionally, larger ponds with a lower perimeter-to-area ratio exhibited an 11% increase in species richness, indicating that the size and shape of the pond are also factors in enhancing habitat quality. The practicality and potential of using citizen science data in site-scale ecological research were also demonstrated and evaluated.

The implications of this study's findings are clear: urban planning that incorporates elements of natural wetland environments into stormwater management infrastructure can make a significant improvement for a wider community of migratory birds. Such design considerations are more than aesthetic choices; they represent a commitment to biodiversity and can turn urban areas into refuges for wildlife. Birds do care about urban stormwater design, and so should we.