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说起鸟类，人们常想到美丽的羽毛或清晨的鸣叫，但一项新综述指出，它们还在默默“搬运养分”。康奈尔大学等六家机构的研究者回顾了近400篇科学论文，10月19日在《当代生物学》（Current Biology）发表综述，说明鸟类如何通过粪便和身体，把氮（nitrogen）、磷（phosphorus）等养分在陆地、湖泊和海洋之间转移。文章大致按“发现—原因—证据—影响”展开：先介绍综述结论，再解释飞行能力和高进食量为何让鸟类成为高效的搬运者；接着用海鸟聚集地、珊瑚礁和海草修复的例子说明养分的作用，并补充作者在安大略湖对鸣禽群落粪便季节变化的另一项研究；最后联系候鸟种群下降，说明生态系统可能受到的影响。阅读时可留意 because、so、if 等词如何串起因果关系，以及 may、could 等词如何为预测保留分寸。

正文

When people think about why birds matter, they often picture bright feathers or morning songs. A new review suggests that birds also do a quieter job: they move food for plants and animals around the planet. Researchers from Cornell University and five other institutions studied nearly 400 scientific papers on how birds carry nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus between land, lakes and the sea. The review was published on October 19 in Current Biology.

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说起鸟类为什么重要，人们常常会想到鲜艳的羽毛或清晨的鸣叫。一项新的综述表明，鸟类还在做一件不那么引人注意的工作：它们在全球范围内为植物和动物搬运“食物”。来自康奈尔大学和另外五家机构的研究人员研究了近400篇科学论文，探讨鸟类如何在陆地、湖泊和海洋之间搬运氮、磷等养分。这篇综述于10月19日发表在《当代生物学》上。

The main reason is flight. Birds can cross oceans and mountains that stop many other animals. They also eat a lot. According to lead author Ethan Duvall, birds eat about 30 percent more food than mammals of a similar size. They feed on seeds, insects and fruits that are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, and then release these nutrients in their waste, often far from where they found the food. Duvall describes birds as efficient “nutrient processing machines”.

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主要原因在于飞行。鸟类能够飞越阻挡许多其他动物的海洋和山脉。它们的食量也很大。据第一作者伊森·杜瓦尔介绍，鸟类的进食量比体型相近的哺乳动物高出约30%。它们以富含氮和磷的种子、昆虫和果实为食，然后通过粪便释放这些养分，而释放地点往往离觅食处很远。杜瓦尔把鸟类形容为高效的“养分加工机器”。

The effect is strongest where many birds gather. Seabirds that nest together leave large amounts of waste in small areas. This can help plants and algae grow, and animals that eat those plants then get a richer diet. Duvall calls such places “islands of fertility”. Some nutrients also wash into nearby coastal waters, where, according to the studies reviewed, they support coral reefs and reef fish.

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在大量鸟类聚集的地方，这种作用最为明显。集体筑巢的海鸟会在小片区域留下大量粪便。这有助于植物和藻类生长，而以这些植物为食的动物也随之获得更丰富的营养。杜瓦尔把这样的地方称为“肥力之岛”。据所综述的研究，一部分养分还会被冲入附近的沿海水域，为珊瑚礁和礁区鱼类提供支持。

The opposite is also true. Where seabird colonies have disappeared, nutrient levels drop. Plants and algae grow less, there are fewer reef fish, and coral reefs become less able to deal with stress. Bird waste can also help with repair work. In one study, seabird perches were put up where seagrass was being restored. The birds that came left large amounts of phosphorus, and the seagrass recovered.

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反过来也是如此。在海鸟群落消失的地方，养分水平会下降。植物和藻类长得更少，礁区鱼类减少，珊瑚礁应对压力的能力也会变弱。鸟粪还可以帮助生态修复。在一项研究中，人们在正在恢复海草的区域设置了供海鸟停歇的栖木。飞来的鸟留下了大量的磷，海草随之得到恢复。

Most earlier papers looked at a single species, so Duvall and two colleagues also studied a whole community of songbirds on Lake Ontario in New York. That study, published in March, showed that the birds’ waste changed with the seasons. In spring, when the birds ate more insects, it was richer in nitrogen. In autumn, when they ate more fruits and seeds, it contained more carbon. Body size, behavior and diet all affected how much the birds released.

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此前的大多数论文只关注单一物种，因此杜瓦尔和两名同事还研究了纽约州安大略湖畔的一个完整鸣禽群落。这项于3月发表的研究显示，鸟粪的成分会随季节变化。春季鸟类吃更多昆虫，粪便中的氮含量更高；秋季它们吃更多果实和种子，粪便中的碳含量更高。体型、行为和食性都会影响鸟类释放养分的多少。

Such details matter because many bird populations are falling. Citing the State of the World’s Birds report, the researchers note that 45 percent of migratory bird species are declining. If fewer birds carry nutrients, some ecosystems may become less fertile and less productive, and their ability to store carbon could also suffer.

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这些细节之所以重要，是因为许多鸟类的种群数量正在下降。研究人员援引《世界鸟类状况》报告指出，45%的候鸟物种数量在减少。如果搬运养分的鸟类变少，一些生态系统可能会变得不那么肥沃、生产力下降，其储存碳的能力也可能受到影响。

新闻来源

• Cornell Chronicle · Birds are among Earth’s most important nutrient-movers (19 Oct 2026)
• Current Biology · Birds shape biogeochemistry and ecosystem function globally (issue of 19 Oct 2026)

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