Abstract Urbanization poses a considerable threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services, particularly affecting fauna through loss of connectivity, habitat reduction, and limited green spaces. In response, the concept of eco-urbanism has emerged, introducing contrasting urbanization models advocating either a compact city with intensive land use and limited green spaces, coupled with conservation in peri-urban natural areas, or a dispersed city with a large, occupied area, coexisting with natural/green areas. Focusing on predatory birds in Bogotá, a Latin American mega-city, this study evaluates their response to urban variables along a forest (peri-urban)-urban gradient. We evaluated how gray urban variables (e.g. construction index, occupancy index, urban compactness) and green urban variables influence predatory bird diversity and guild structure. Our findings revealed contrasting impacts of gray infrastructure, with construction and occupancy indexes negatively affecting bird communities. Positive influences on diversity and abundance were associated with native plant species richness, herbaceous vegetation, and less impervious surface, particularly in green areas. Interestingly, migratory species exhibited positive associations with gray urban variables, potentially attracted by warmer urban temperatures and increased artificial lighting. The study highlights the contrasting impacts of the "land sparing" and "land sharing" models, indicating that neither inherently supports predatory bird communities. Instead, the effective influence and management of specific variables will be crucial for sustaining predatory bird communities within urban landscapes. This research contributes valuable insights into urban planning practices to support diverse predatory bird communities in megacities, highlighting the significance of studying trophic guilds as sensitive indicators of environmental changes.