Data from: Geographical and habitat factors affecting migratory waterbirds along rivers in the Palearctic

Rivers are important habitats for many waterbird species, offering crucial resources such as feeding and resting areas during migration. The migratory patterns of this group of birds are influenced by a variety of factors, including geographical location, habitat availability, and environmental conditions. Despite the huge ecological importance of rivers, there are few studies on how riverine environments support migratory bird populations across a broad geographical scale. This study shows waterbird populations during migration along 14 big and unregulated rivers spanning Europe and Asia, documenting a total of 63,383 birds across 112 species. Analysis revealed significant associations between species richness and bird abundance and geographical proximity, with neighboring rivers displaying greater similarity in species composition and density. The presence of sand banks and islands emerged as critical factors influencing species richness and bird abundance, while forested river segments negatively impacted species richness compared to open landscapes like fields. Unexpectedly, river width showed no significant effect on avian assemblages. The study was conducted during the autumn migration of birds. Through a combination of ecological assessments and statistical analyses, we identified the primary drivers influencing migratory bird distribution, species richness, and abundance.河流是众多水鸟物种的重要栖息地，在迁徙过程中为其提供觅食、休憩等关键生存资源。该类水鸟的迁徙模式受多种因素影响，包括地理位置、栖息地可获得性以及环境条件。尽管河流具有极高的生态重要性，但目前针对河滨生境在大地理尺度范围内如何支撑迁徙水鸟种群的研究仍较为匮乏。本研究针对横跨欧亚大陆的14条大型且未受人工调控的河流的迁徙期水鸟种群开展调查，累计记录到112个物种、共计63383只水鸟。分析结果显示，物种丰富度（species richness）与鸟类多度（bird abundance）均与地理邻近性存在显著关联：相邻河流的物种组成与种群密度均具有更高的相似性。沙洲与岛屿的存在成为影响物种丰富度和鸟类多度的关键因素，相较于农田等开阔景观，沿河森林区段会对物种丰富度产生负面影响。出乎意料的是，河宽并未对鸟类群落（avian assemblages）造成显著影响。 本研究的调查时段为鸟类秋季迁徙期。通过生态评估与统计分析相结合的研究方法，本研究明确了影响迁徙水鸟分布、物种丰富度及种群多度的核心驱动因子。