Sleeping in a noisy world: Roosting sites of large aggregations of White Wagtails Motacilla alba in a tropical city, China

Abstract

From December 2018 to December 2019, four nocturnal roosting sites with large aggregations of White Wagtails Motacilla alba were found in Haikou, Hainan, southern China. Three of them were located near road intersections in the city center of Haikou, and one was located at an airport terminal. Numbers of individuals exceeded 1,250 individuals at each roost. Characteristics of the environment and the nocturnal roosting trees were measured to elucidate the nocturnal roost preferences of white wagtails in urban areas, and some assistance was provided to the issues of urban greening and wildlife problems in cities.