Ecological restoration is a traditional option for recovering biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Birds perform pollination, seed dispersal, and pest-control services, which catalyze increases in habitat structure. Habitat complexity changes bird composition, but there is little evidence of its effects on bird functional diversity in Neotropical restorations. We tested whether bird functional diversity and composition respond to increased habitat complexity. Point-counts were performed (January-December 2015) in an area undergoing restoration (536 ha) in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, in restorations with less and more structured vegetation and pastures and forest-fragments. The functional bird traits considered were diet, habitat, biomass, environmental sensitivity, and foraging strata. Increased habitat complexity was evaluated using plant characteristics (exotic grass, canopy, herbaceous cover, and diameter at breast height). A total of 172 bird species (5% endemic; 12% migratory) were recorded. Increased vegetation structure in both restored sites and forest-fragments drove a reorganization and addition of functional bird traits, which positively influenced functional richness, dispersion, and evenness. Shifts in plant-characteristics rearranged bird functional traits (diet-forest-dependence and diet-strata-foraging). The rapid development of vegetation structure is a key factor for restoration because it provides additional habitat for semi-dependent forest birds and enhances resilience and sustainability in new man-made forests.

Our primary objective was to compile a comprehensive dataset on bird–window collisions throughout the Neotropical region, including both published and unpublished sources. On May 12, 2020, we extensively disseminated invitations to provide data via email and social media platforms. By providing a template worksheet, we required standardized information from collaborators to complete and register their data. To better understand how these data were acquired (e.g., incidental observations and systematic procedures), we sent out a survey to all collaborators. We established rigorous validation criteria for data inclusion and conducted thorough curation procedures to ensure accuracy. After the filtering process, we compiled a total of 4103 bird–window collision reports. These came from 11 Neotropical countries, dating from 1946 to 2020, and revealing distinct regional patterns and potential seasonal patterns. The five most frequent orders were Passeriformes (2451), Columbiformes (520), Apodiformes (377), Psittaciformes (202), and Piciformes (186). Data on bird–window collisions were collected through a local specific systematic protocol (1419), by chance (1252), by government agencies (742), and by other approaches (632), while a few reports were collected by unknown procedures (58). The volume of records across months in our dataset suggests that there may be temporal patterns, with peaks: the first one in March–April and the second one in October–November, which seem to align with the major migration and reproduction seasons. This dataset represents the first comprehensive effort in the Neotropical region focused on bird–window collision data, providing valuable insights for further scientific advancements and conservation policies. The data are free from copyright or proprietary restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications or scientific presentations.

Mist netting is the most popular method for capturing birds, but it can increase the predation rates of individuals trapped in the nets. From 2008 to 2017, we recorded eight instances of opportunistic bird predation from mist nets (MNs) in a matrix mixing restored forest and fragments of semideciduous seasonal forest in southeastern Brazil, three times (37.5%) by exotic primates and five times (62.5%) by birds of prey. Overall predation rates (1.17–1.20%) at these two sites were considered high but were lower than in other Brazilian studies. Placing MNs near the edges of forest fragments may have allowed attacks by either forest predators or marmosets, which are exotic edge species. Some previously described precautions may decrease the predation rates of birds in MNs, such as shorter observation intervals, greater attention to given site selection and maintaining a safe distance between the MNs and the ground.