Data from: Bird species’ tolerance to human pressures and associations with population change

Aim: Some species thrive in human-dominated environments, while others are
highly sensitive to all human pressures. However, standardised estimates
of species’ tolerances to human pressures are lacking at large spatial
extents and taxonomic breadth. Here, we quantify the world's bird
species’ tolerances to human pressures. The associated precision values
can be applied to scientific research and conservation. Location: Global.
Time period: 2013–2021. Major taxa studied: 6090 bird species. Methods: We
used binary observation data from eBird and modeled species’ occurrences
as a function of the Human Footprint Index. Using these models, we
predicted how likely each species was to occur under different levels of
human pressures. Then, we calculated each species’ Human Tolerance Index
(HTI) as the level of the Human Footprint Index where predicted occurrence
probability was reduced to 50% of the maximum species’ occurrence
probability. We used resampling to obtain estimates of uncertainty on the
Human Tolerance Indices. We also compared tolerances across species with
increasing, stable, and decreasing population trends. Results: We found
that 22% of the bird species tolerated the most modified human-dominated
environments, whereas 0.001% of species only occurred in the intact
environments. We also found that HTI varied according to species’
population trend category, whereby species with decreasing population
trends had a lower tolerance than species with increasing or stable
population trends. Main conclusions: The estimated HTI indicates the
potential of species to exist in a landscape of intensifying human
pressures. It can identify species unable to tolerate these environments
and inform subsequent conservation efforts. We found evidence that
species’ sensitivity to human-dominated environments may be driving birds’
use of space. Bird species’ tolerances are also linked to their population
trends, making the tolerances a relevant addition to conservation
planning.