Land use change is one of the most prevalent threats to tropical forests. Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is the largest area of coastal forest remaining in East Africa and a major important bird area in mainland Kenya. It could be reduced to a mere “conservation island” due to ongoing land use changes in the surrounding areas. This study examines the effects of land use on the bird community and feeding guilds, in three land use systems: intact primary forest (Arabuko Sokoke Forest), plantation forest, and neighboring farmlands. Bird species diversity and abundance were compared using multivariate analysis to determine the response of different feeding guilds to land use characteristics. Species diversity at each sampling point was calculated based on the Shannon diversity index and general linear mixed models to test the mixed effect of habitat factors on richness of birds based on Akaike’s Information Criterion. Surveys were conducted from May 2012 to September 2013 and a total of 2600 bird observations were recorded representing 97 bird species. Land use had a significant effect on overall avian diversity and abundance. The effect of land use on frugivores was not statistically significant; distribution of nectarivores was significantly dependent on both land use and vegetation type. Bird communities of farmlands and plantation forest were more similar than that of plantation and primary forest. The natural habitat, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, has maximum avian diversity and a distinctive community compared to plantation and farmlands. Patterns of habitat use by birds in the area suggest that vertical vegetation heterogeneity is especially significant in sustaining diverse and abundant bird populations, while pure stand plantations with high levels of disturbance attract fewer bird species even if they are in close proximity to native forests. Mixed forests tend to maximise bird diversity even within the natural habitats. Habitats with a high number of fruiting trees and large trees will ensure a diverse bird community and utilization by many feeding guilds. Arabuko Sokoke Forest has a bird community distinct from the neighboring plantation forest and farmlands, which suggest that improving the structural diversity of plantations and farmlands could increase utilization of these habitats by many bird species. This study also highlights the tools to assist in conservation management and land use planning for sustainable biodiversity conservation in areas where local communities claim ownership and use. Such tools can then be used to organize and standardize biodiversity and conservation data for monitoring and evaluating performance of community managed conservation areas and projects.