Field data on nesting tree use, spatial distribution, and vertical stratification of colonial waterbirds at Kokkare-Bellur, southern India (2018–2023)

This dataset contains field-collected nesting ecology data of colonial waterbirds from a mixed-species breeding colony at Kokkare-Bellur Community Reserve, southern India, a village heronry embedded within a human-dominated landscape. The data were collected over five breeding seasons (2018–2023) and form the empirical basis for the manuscript “Nest partitioning in a mixed-species waterbird colony in a human-dominated landscape of Southern India”.The dataset includes detailed records of nest locations and nesting tree characteristics for five colonial waterbird species: Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), and Little Cormorant (Microcarbo niger). Nesting data were collected from 399 nesting trees, documenting species-specific nest counts, nest heights, vertical positioning, and spatial arrangement within trees and across the colony.For each nesting tree, the dataset records tree species identity, girth at breast height (GBH), canopy structure, tree height, and spatial coordinates, along with distance to human habitation. These variables were used to examine nest-site selection, spatial clustering, kernel density patterns, and vertical stratification among species. All observations were conducted using non-invasive field methods, with no disturbance to birds or nesting substrates.