Non-Breeding Season Habitat Selection of Three Commonly Occurring Bird Species in a Patchy Habitat in SE China
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIt is an interesting study about the habitat selection of three abundant passerines in a yew ecological garden in China. The authors searched discern the factors influencing habitat selection and found interspecific differences. However, I think it is necessary to improve and complete especially the introduction and methods, and clarify some issues.
Abstract
-I would mention that the study was carried out in a yew ecological garden in China.
-I think that the methods and result could help to discern the factors influencing habitat selection and interspecific differences within a yew ecological garden, but I’m not sure what you mean by impact of habitat environmental factors (see below).
Keywords: “habitat selection” and “patchy habitat” are in the title, so I would suggest taking advantage and putting some other words.
Introduction
1) The introduction is a bit short, it would be necessary to mention more specifically the effects of habitat fragmentation on birds in the first paragraph. Also, add examples of habitat strategies among sympatric birds and particularly in the selection of habitat characteristics among bird species.
2) Explain the concept of sympatric species because although it is mentioned in the title, abstract and first paragraphs of the introduction, nothing is mentioned when the study species are named (line 44-45).
3) The first part of the question (2) is very similar than question (1) and I am not sure how you evaluate environmental factors impact. Do you refer to human disturbance data? Or the impact of clearing during 2021 mentioned in the discussion? In the latter case, it should be studied more specifically by including the clearing sites as another treatment with their replicas. Revise this part.
Materials and Methods
Study Area
4) Although it is mentioned that “Surrounding the yew ecological garden, bamboo forests and farmland contribute to the patchy distribution characteristics of the area”, I understand that all quadrant were in yew ecological garden, so you do not study the patchy habitat but an habitat (yew ecological garden) within an patchy habitat or fragmented area. I think that mentioned “patchy habitat” in the study title and abstract can lead to confusion. Perhaps it should be clarified and include an image or diagram of the area with study sites.
Data Collection
5) Explain why the bird observations were carried out in autumn and winter.
It could be clarified that “the use of the habitat be evaluated during the non-reproductive season because…”
6) More should be specified about how the bird observations were made (sampling type, time of day, number of observers, etc.)
7) Line 75: add the distance between quadrants and how were they distributed over the area (15 hm²?).
8) Add an explanation of how each of the habitat variables studied were taken (material and methods used), especially those that are not in the reference (Fang et al. 2009).
Data Analysis
9) Line 90: How did you determine that there were no differences between years? Explain in the text.
Results
Bird habitat characteristics and inter-species differences
10) Table 1: In the title, add that they are the results of the ANOVA, and next to the mean and standard error, the letters to identify which values ​​differed significantly.
The factors influencing avian habitat selection
11) It would be good to include a figure with the 3 PCA graphs since it helps to better visualize these results. Table 2 could go to appendix.
12) The name of species already appears in full above, the genus can be abbreviated from materials and methods on.
Discussion
13) Line 221: Urocissa erythrorhyncha, Hypsipetes leucocephalus, and Chloropsis hardwickii. The name already appears in full above, the genus can be abbreviated from here on.
14) Include more current references (24 and 25 are very old) and, if possible, some from the region of study. Mention and compare the results obtained with other studies on frugivorous species.
15) Line 263: “During the study period, it was observed that in the autumn and winter of 2021, low shrubbery within certain areas of the park's patch habitats was cleared.” This may need to be mentioned in the 2.1 Study area and clarified if these cleared areas coincided with the quadrants studied in this work because it would be an additional factor.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors present an interesting study dealing with habitat selection in three sympatric bird species located in a patchy habitat of a yew ecological garden located in the western part of Fujinan Province (China). After four seasons of field observations, the authors analyze up to eleven habitat characteristics used by the selected species in order to grasp environmental factors that condition habitat selection.
The study is well designed, the statistical analysis is proper and the discussion connect with the proposed objectives. The presentation of the results is correct.
Anyway, in order to become a paper for Land I’ll suggest some changes.
Title: I’m not sure but could be that “…passerine species in a patchy habitat” sounds better?
Title: I like that the titles be more concise. In that sense maybe is better to indicate that the study is done in the patchy habitat of a yew ecological garden of China.
Introduction: In the last paragraph the reader found the species description. Here I’d add some basic ecology of them such as breeding ecology and phenology and, important, feeding and diet. So, the reader, specifically the one who could be bird specialist, will be more comfortable to have a general view of the habitat selection.
Material and Methods: Line 57, a point after “China”. New sentence.
Results: The information of the table 2 is interesting but not informative. There is a summary of the data on the text that is enough for the reader. I would take it off.
Discussion: As I have suggested in previous section, something about basic ecology of the selected species is needed in order to have a good approach of the whole study. Then is this section this information is also necessary.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis paper contributes to the knowledge of the ecology of three understudied bird species and provide important information on thier protection. The study was properly designed and statistical analysis correctly applied. The major problem with this paper is the misuse of the term 'sympatric' In ecological studies (especially in ornithology) the term refers only to closely-related species, i.e. congeneric or at most species belonging to closely-related genera within the same family. In the presented study the tree species are not only congeneric, but they belong to different families within the order Passeriformes. It is therefore too distant ralation to use a term sympatric. If not sypatric, the value of this comparison is of cause much lower than intended, but it is not useless. The other point is the season: habitat selection is normally applied to habitat in breeding season, much less so to non-breeding habitat.
The authors are, therefore, recommended to changes the term 'sympatric' to 'commonly occurring' in the title and througout the text and tables. They shoul also emphesize (especially in discussion section) that the selection refers to non-breeding season. The suggested title: NON-BREEDING SEASON HABITAT SELECTION IN THREE COMMONLY OCCURRING BIRDS SPECIES IN A PATCHY HABITAT IN SE CHINA.
In the 'Introduction' section more information should be given on these three species: their common names, taxonomic position (family affinities), geographical range, occupied habitats, and conservation status.
In the 'key words' the scietific names of these three species should be given, as they are not in the title. In the abstract, more information on the location of the study plot should be provided.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
