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Recent studies have indicated that conditions of surrounding landscape matrix around a habitat patch can influence avian community in the patch. This fact suggests the importance of the permeability of habitat boundaries for bird individuals. In this study species composition of birds in and around woodland patches and that of birds crossing over the woodland boundaries were surveyed in urban or suburban landscapes in central Japan. The results were as follows. 1) In suburban landscapes urban avoider species are not likely to cross woodland patch boundaries while urban adapter species are. 2) In urban landscapes urban exploiter species and two corbid species tend to cross woodland boundaries while the other species do not. 3) Species composition of birds crossing a woodland boundary varies with vegetation structure and abundance of buildings outside the boundary. We conclude that land cover outside a woodland patch can influence the movement of bird individuals across the boundary and therefore the utility of landscape matrix for them. If we want to improve biodiversity within a landscape through increasing of habitat connectivity we should also consider permeability of habitat boundaries.
