Authors: Zielonka, Natalia; Muñoz-Sáez, Andrés ;Arellano, Eduardo;Oliveira da Silva, Fabiana ;Rebouças, Patricia;Silva Ferreira, Vinina ;Butler, Simon J.;Dicks, Lynn V.;

There is no hiding from the fact that much of the world’s food is produced unsustainably and agricultural expansion threatens many species with extinction. To bend the biodiversity loss curve, we need evidence-based solutions that help us conserve species, whilst promoting sustainable and fruitful production. Here, we take a closer look at the bird communities within intensive fruit farms in one of the most diverse but understudied dry tropical forest regions of the world, Caatinga in North-eastern Brazil. This region has been undergoing rapid agricultural expansion and intensification, largely producing fresh fruit for export to global markets. Whilst this has improved local livelihoods, what price is biodiversity paying? We present an analysis of bird communities monitored over two years in and around intensive grape and mango farms in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco. We explore how farming impacts these bird communities and identify winners and losers from agricultural expansion at field scale. We consider how the altered bird communities may affect production and how evidence-informed farm practices could be used to promote species beneficial for production and help manage those that come into conflict with farmers.