Patch-matrix movements of birds in the páramo landscape of the southern Andes of Ecuador

Habitat loss and fragmentation are important threats to global biodiversity. Bird species are not only influenced by the remaining habitat patch size and quality but also by the habitat characteristics in the fragmented landscape. Heterogeneous matrices are known to promote connectivity among habitat fragments. However, to what extent these matrices influence species movement of different habitat guilds is not well understood. To do so, we assessed the observed movements of bird guilds in relation to Polylepis forest patch characteristics and surrounding páramo-matrix heterogeneity in an Ecuadorian High Andes biodiversity hotspot. We detected 250 individuals of 16 bird species making movements from a forest patch to the matrix. The total number of bird movements and especially the number of forest specialists moving increased with increasing heterogeneity of the páramo matrix. Forest specialists moved shorter distances between patch and matrix, and with a higher proportion of stepping-stone movements (fly–perch–fly) than generalists. Our findings suggest that structurally heterogeneous vegetation in páramo habitats is important for the Andean bird community as páramo-matrix heterogeneity enhances bird movements across the landscape of Polylepis patches, especially for forest specialist birds. We emphasise that the heterogeneity of habitats in the high-altitude Andes, particularly páramo-matrix heterogeneity, is an important factor for conservation and has a potentially positive influence on connectivity at landscape scale.