For birds in the Alps, avalanches are preferable to ski slopes: their tracks have a greater diversity of vegetation, ideal habitat for different species. Ski slopes, on the other hand, are too homogeneous; on the other hand, they may offer refuge to some species threatened by vegetation advancement caused by climate change, such as the water pipit and whinchat. The authors of this study, based on analysis of 440 sites in the Italian Alps, recommend the adoption of sustainable management practices to mitigate the negative impact of ski slopes on bird communities.