India, Sept. 29 -- In northwest Spain, two patches of forest can look equally green from a distance. One is native forest. The other is a eucalyptus plantation. Yet a 2025 study in Forest Ecology and Management found they are homes to very different levels of birdlife. Researchers counted birds at 240 spots in and around Fragas do Eume Natural Park in Galicia. The park is one of the few remaining examples of Atlantic coastal forest in the Iberian Peninsula.

The surveys took place during the 2022 breeding season. In total, 130 locations were sampled in the natural deciduous forests and 110 in eucalyptus plantations. During the survey, one person observed the number of birds seen or heard within 10 minutes at every location. The method did...