Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island

On oceanic islands, strong human impacts on habitats, combined with introductions of exotic species, modify the composition of terrestrial bird assemblages and threaten their ecological functions. In La Réunion, an oceanic island located in the Madagascan region, a national park was established in 2007 to counter the ecosystem‐level effects of three centuries of habitat conversion, native species destruction and exotic species introductions. Here, we investigated how bird assemblages were structured in these human‐modified landscapes, 10 years before the national park set out its first conservation measures. We used a combination of multivariate statistics and generalized additive models to describe variations in the taxonomic and functional composition and diversity of 372 local bird assemblages, encompassing 20 species, along gradients of habitat composition and configuration. We found that native species were tied to native habitats while exotic species were associated with urban areas and man‐modified landscape mosaics, with some overlap at mid‐elevations. Species' trophic preferences were segregated along habitat gradients, but ecological traits had an overall weak role in explaining the composition of species assemblages. Hence, at the time of the survey, native and exotic species in La Réunion formed two spatially distinct species assemblages with contrasting ecological trait suites that benefited from antagonistic habitat compositions and dynamics. We conclude that our results support the analysis of historical data sets to establish reference points to monitor human impacts on insular ecosystems. We investigated bird assemblages in La Réunion island, Mascarenes. We showed how habitat separates native and introduced exotic bird species independently from their ecological traits. This study stands as a landmark for species‐habitat relationships prior to the establishment of a major protected area intended to the conservation of endemic ecosystems.