Abstract
Urbanization adjacent to coastal wetlands is one of the major drivers of habitat degradation worldwide, frequently altering shoreline landscape and water depth. Such changes directly influence the community composition, distribution and abundance of waterbirds, particularly species rely on shallow habitats. Juliana Lake, situated in Benghazi, Libya, has experienced substantial urban development over the past two decades, resulting in modifications of its shoreline and shallow-water parts. Using data collected through the International Waterbird Census (IWC) between 2005 and 2026, this study investigated the influence of shallow-water availability on two functional groups of waterbirds: waders (Charadriiformes) and divers. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare bird abundance between areas with and without shallow-water. Wader abundance differed significantly between habitat types (U = 0.00, Z = −2.928, P = 0.003), with substantially higher abundances in shallow-water areas. In contrast, diver abundance showed no significant difference (U = 17.00, Z = −0.439, P = 0.661). Temporal variation in the diver-to-wader ratio suggested significant changes in habitat suitability over the study period, including a noticeable increase in the ratio during 2023. These findings indicate that shoreline urbanization and associated reductions in shallow-water environments have disproportionately affected wader birds while exerting comparatively low influence on diving birds. Conservation efforts should prioritize the preservation and restoration of shallow shoreline zones to sustain waterbird diversity in Juliana Lake.