Within the RIPIDURABLE Project*, birds were used to characterize ecosystems*, to monitor
environmental changes and to assess results of restoration measures. Bird surveys were carried out at
different space and time scales using standardised point count methods on 8 watercourses in Portugal and
France. Several aspects of riparian breeding bird community variation were assessed: along a decreasing
gradient of vegetation complexity, along and upstream-downstream gradient, with different surrounding
landscapes, with time, with management status, with time and management status, before and after river
rehabilitation. Birds appear to be new and reliable indicators for assessing restoration of riparian
ecosystems, complementary to those traditionally used