Effects of birdwatching tourism on breeding behaviour and reproductive success of hornbills

Birdwatching tourism, as a form of sustainable ecotourism, has gained increasing attention and popularity. While bringing significant economic benefits to local areas, it may also impact on local wildlife. Yingjiang County, located in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, leverages its abundant avian resources to develop the birdwatching industry vigorously. Three hornbill species—Anthracoceros albirostris, Rhyticeros undulatus, and Buceros bicornis—form stable breeding populations there and have become focal species for birdwatching tourism. However, research on the impacts of birdwatching tourism on the behavior and breeding ecology of hornbills remains scarce.

This study investigated the effects of birdwatching activities at birdwatching hides on the behavioral expressions of these three hornbill species during the breeding period, using Number of birdwatchers, HidingCover, and Distance as key factors. Results showed that anthropogenic disturbances from birdwatching did not significantly impact hornbills, breeding success rates, nor did they affect locomotor, preening, or social behaviors. However, they significantly influenced breeding behaviors, particularly during the pre-nesting period, with weaker effects observed during the nesting period. Overall, the impacts of birdwatching at birdwatching hides are complex and multifaceted, with disturbances and protective effects coexisting in a non-mutually exclusive manner during the breeding period.

This study aims to reveal the impacts of birdwatching activities on hornbills' behaviors and breeding performance while exploring hornbills' response processes to anthropogenic disturbances. The findings will help establish rational birdwatching practices and standardize the planning and design of birdwatching sites, providing a scientific basis for sustainable birdwatching tourism and effective species conservation.