Nesting preferences of white-rumped munias (lonchura striata) in power facilities: evidence for an ecological trap

This research was conducted in Ding'an County (110°7′–110°31′ E, 19°13′–19°44′ N) in Hainan Province, China. The county is characterized by a tropical monsoon maritime climate, with an average annual natural precipitation of 1,953 mm, an average annual temperature of 24.2°C, and a registered population of 348,100 (Liu and Liang 2021).White-rumped munias belong to the family Estrildidae and are resident birds widely distributed across central and southern China. Two subspecies occur in China, with the Hainan subspecies (Lonchura striata swinhoei) distributed in Hainan Province (AviList Core Team 2025). During the breeding season, the birds are actively engaged in nest construction, primarily nesting in trees and typically selecting forked branches or concealed shrubs to build their nests. Nests are spherical, woven from grass blades, dry grass, and fine twigs, with a compact structure, and are highly concealed (Pan et al. 2020).Results showed that white-rumped munias, which traditionally depend on trees for nesting, have evolved a behavioral strategy of utilizing power facilities for nesting in urban ecosystems, with utilization of power facilities (52.5%) being significantly higher than that of natural trees (5.2%). The survival probability of nests on power facilities (52.8%) was significantly higher than that of nests on trees (13.9%). This result indicates that the behavior of white-rumped munias to nest on power facilities can effectively reduce nest predation risk, representing an adaptive reproductive strategy in response to urbanization-induced habitat pressure. However, as power facilities are artificial structures, they are subject to emergency repairs, routine maintenance, and other human activities during operation and maintenance, which can easily lead to nest removal. This creates a potential ecological trap for white-rumped munias nesting on power facilities, as nest sites that appear favorable can ultimately compromise their reproductive success due to human disturbance. Our study enriches empirical cases of ecological traps for urban birds and provides important references for urban biodiversity management.