Biodiversity change in response to human-induced environmental alteration is rarely assessed in sub-tropical terrestrial regions. We assessed the population status change of 127 terrestrial breeding birds in Taiwan between the agricultural era (1863–1945) and industrial era (1990– present). We acquired population status from historical and current literatures. Traits reflecting species’ preference for natural environments, ability to adapt anthropogenic environments, and distribution along elevation gradient were used as explaining factors to infer the driver of population change. The number of species that declined after industrialization (30) is close to those that increased (27). Habitat generalists that inhabit multiple anthropogenic environments and elevation zones were suggested to have a higher chance to increase in population status. Overall, considerable loss of species richness is not observed in our study region. The trend towards more generalists in the terrestrial breeding avifauna reflects a process towards biotic homogenization. Effect of community structure change to ecosystem function may be a more important environmental issue than species loss in sub-tropical regions.