Abstract: Seven transects were set up on the mangrove wetland of Qi’ao Island to study the characteristics of avian communities in January, 2005-2007. 63 species of birds were recorded, which belonged to 12 orders and 23 families. Passerine was most abundant in species. Among 63 species, the proportions of resident, winter migratory, and summer migratory birds were 66.7%, 31.7% and 1.6%, and waterfowls and terrestrial birds occupied 28.6% and 71.4%, respectively. The overall α diversity index (H) and evenness (J) of the avian communities were 3.171 and 0.765, with a variation of 0.602-2.853 and 0.336-0.919, respectively. Among the 7 habitats tested, mudflat and mangrove had the lowest H and J. The β diversity showed that there was a greater difference in the avian communities among mudflat, mangrove-pond wetland, and villages. Based on hierarchical clustering analysis, the avian communities on Qi’ao Island in wintertime were grouped into three types, i.e., mudflat waterfowls, mangrove-pond wetland birds, and farmland-forest birds.

Key words: Cone picking, Korean pine, Seed resource, Animal, Natural regeneration