Season-dependent trait–environment filtering influences interaction networks in mixed-species bird flocks
6 affiliations
- 1Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, People's Republic of China
- 2Guangdong Chebaling National Nature Reserve, Shaoguan 512526, People's Republic of China
- 3Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111711, Colombia
- 4Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, 0843-03092, Panama
- 5Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
- 6Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Abstract
Seasonal variation can strongly influence species interactions, yet its effects on interaction networks remain poorly understood in tropical and subtropical systems. We surveyed mixed-species bird flocks (MSFs) across 20 2 × 2 km grid cells in a subtropical forest in southern China during breeding and non-breeding seasons, quantified seasonal changes in flock composition and network structure, and examined how species traits and environmental factors drive these changes. More species and individuals joined mixed-species bird flocks in the non-breeding season, producing more connected and cohesive networks. During the breeding season, network structure was associated with breeding traits: species with larger clutch sizes showed higher association strength, but overall network connectivity and cohesion declined, suggesting trade-offs imposed by parental care. Network structure in the non-breeding season was related to morphological traits, with smaller species forming more cohesive networks. Environmental effects were also season dependent. Connectivity increased with elevation, forest cover and canopy cover in the breeding season, whereas in the non-breeding season networks were most connected and cohesive at low elevations with high tree species richness and vegetation productivity. Our results demonstrate the importance of seasonal effects on mixed-species bird flocks and highlight the need to maintain mountain connectivity, as communities may rely on different parts of mountains across seasons.
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BibTeX
@article{shen2026seasondependent,
title = {{Season-dependent trait–environment filtering influences interaction networks in mixed-species bird flocks}},
author = {Yong Shen and Zufei Shu and Yingming Zhang and Sergio Estrada-Villegas and Eben B. Goodale and Frederick H. Sheldon and Qing Quan and Fasheng Zou and Fuchen Luan and Hairong Tan and Qiang Zhang},
journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2026.1365},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.1365},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Season-dependent trait–environment filtering influences interaction networks in mixed-species bird flocks
AU - Yong Shen
AU - Zufei Shu
AU - Yingming Zhang
AU - Sergio Estrada-Villegas
AU - Eben B. Goodale
AU - Frederick H. Sheldon
AU - Qing Quan
AU - Fasheng Zou
AU - Fuchen Luan
AU - Hairong Tan
AU - Qiang Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2026.1365
UR - https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.1365
AB - Seasonal variation can strongly influence species interactions, yet its effects on interaction networks remain poorly understood in tropical and subtropical systems. We surveyed mixed-species bird flocks (MSFs) across 20 2 × 2 km grid cells in a subtropical forest in southern China during breeding and non-breeding seasons, quantified seasonal changes in flock composition and network structure, and examined how species traits and environmental factors drive these changes. More species and individuals joined mixed-species bird flocks in the non-breeding season, producing more connected and cohesive networks. During the breeding season, network structure was associated with breeding traits: species with larger clutch sizes showed higher association strength, but overall network connectivity and cohesion declined, suggesting trade-offs imposed by parental care. Network structure in the non-breeding season was related to morphological traits, with smaller species forming more cohesive networks. Environmental effects were also season dependent. Connectivity increased with elevation, forest cover and canopy cover in the breeding season, whereas in the non-breeding season networks were most connected and cohesive at low elevations with high tree species richness and vegetation productivity. Our results demonstrate the importance of seasonal effects on mixed-species bird flocks and highlight the need to maintain mountain connectivity, as communities may rely on different parts of mountains across seasons.
SN - 0962-8452
SN - 1471-2954
ER -