Seasonal effects of farmer‐managed livestock grazing exclusions on bird communities in Burkina Faso

Livestock grazing and deforestation are major drivers of land degradation across the Sahel, threatening biodiversity and rural livelihoods. We assessed whether small-scale (3ha) farmer-managed livestock grazing exclusions (areas protected from grazing that allow natural vegetation regeneration) benefit bird communities in Burkina Faso. Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring across dry and wet seasons, we found higher bird species richness and occurrence inside grazing exclusions than in surrounding grazed areas. Positive effects were strongest during the dry season, suggesting that regenerating vegetation provides important refuges when resources are scarce. While some open-habitatspecialists avoided these denser restored habitats, woodland-associated, insectivorous, frugivorous, and migratory birds benefited from these small-scale restoration efforts.