Assessing waterbird population dynamics and community diversity in response to climate and habitat factors in Moe Yun Gyi Wetland, Myanmar

• Waterbird diversity and climate change responses in Moe Yun Gyi Wetland, Myanmar were examined based on a 10-year dataset (2014–2023). • The highest values of species richness and diversity were recorded during cold season, while the rainy and summer seasons exhibited the greatest interannual variability. • A complementary multivariate approach also showed that community composition was strongly correlated with climate variables (SMT, SCTD, AP). • Beta diversity in years with extreme climate events (e.g., 2015, 2020) is high, suggesting environmental instability. • Results further indicate the potential of waterbirds for serving as global environmental indicators and the relevance of forming a responsive wetland conservation strategy to on-going global change in climate. Waterbirds are relevant bio-indicators for changes in ecology at the international scale and, especially, in wetland ecosystems threatened by climate variability. In this analysis, we examine the dynamics of waterbird community in the Moe Yun Gyi Wetland, Myanmar, a major wetland area on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, over a decade (2014–2023). Forty-eight species in seven orders were found, against a backdrop of a consistently dominant waterbird group (Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes and Anseriformes) in seasonal abundance. Richness and diversity of species were highest in the cold season, whereas the rainy and summer season of the year showed more interannual variability. The relationship of waterbird community composition with climatic variable including seasonal sum of the average daily, annual sum of precipitation and the number of days of daily mean temperature ≥18 °C were significant (P < 0.05) by using multivariate analyses. Community dissimilarity was particularly high during extreme climatic years (e.g., 2015, 2020), suggesting increased ecological instability. Habitat-wise analysis revealed that natural vegetation supported higher diversity and evenness than the disturbed area (cropland). These results highlight the importance of Moe Yun Gyi as an essential habitat for migratory birds and the influence of climate drivers on the biodiversity of tropical wetland. The ecological indices developed in this study provide a useful framework for the long-term biodiversity monitoring and adaptive wetland restoration in ecologically sensitive areas worldwide.