The intensification of global climate change and human activities exposes urbanized areas to highly uncertain and complex ecological risks. Developing an adaptable ecological security framework is essential for effectively addressing these risks. Integrate the theory of ecological adaptation into the identification process of ecological network elements. Based on the three-dimensional framework of "potential-connectedness-resilience", respectively characterize the multifunctionality of ecological network elements, the connectivity of ecosystem service flows, the continuity of ecosystem processes, as well as the buffering capacity and recovery ability to cope with ecological risks. Using the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a case study, an ecological security pattern is constructed from an adaptive perspective. The results show that there are a total of 396 ecological source areas and mainly distributed in the western and northeastern regions. Their total area is 22,223km2, accounting for 40.03% of the region. A total of 227 ecological corridors have been identified, with a total length of 4,034.61km. These corridors radiate outward from the central built-up area, including circular-distributed corridors on the periphery and long-distance corridors that run through the central urban built-up area. The total length is 4034.61km. There are 24 ecological pinch points, which are distributed in the river network in the central part and the medium-and long-distance corridors of the southern coastal zone (33.33% of them are distributed in water bodies). There are 51 ecological obstacle points, which are distributed in the long-distance corridors in the central part (56.86% of them are distributed in construction land). Based on this, this study constructs the ecological security pattern of the “Northern mountainous-Southern marine-Three rivers water corridor network” in the Greater Bay Area, which focuses on the ecological conservation of the northern mountainous and southern marine ecological barrier, as well as the ecological connectivity of the Dongjiang River, the Xijiang River, the Beijiang River, and the corridors and harbors that run through the central human activity-intensive area. The distribution, categorization, and ecological functions of the elements are further elaborated, and additional suggestions for the current planning and ecological spatial control policies are proposed. By introducing a comprehensive consideration of ecosystem adaptation, an identification system for constructing a more adaptable ecological security pattern was proposed. This system improves the identification accuracy of corridors in built-up areas, clarifies the specific approaches and goals for ensuring ecological security, and provides theoretical and methodological support for subsequent ecological protection and restoration, spatial pattern optimization, and environmental policy adjustment.