Spatial variation in bird community composition in relation to topographic gradient and forest heterogeneity in a central amazonian rainforest

We investigated the effects of landscape features and forest structure on the avian community at the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke near Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon. We sampled the landscape and forest in 72 50 × 50m plots systematically distributed in the reserve, covering an area of 6,400ha. The avifauna was sampled using mist nets and acoustic surveys near the plots. We found no significant relationships between landscape features and forest components in the plots and the number of bird species and individuals sampled. Results of Principal Coordinate Analyses, however, showed that bird species composition changes along a topographic gradient (plateau-slope-valley), and also in relation to leaf litter depth and distance to forest streams. We also found compositional differences in the avian community on the eastern and western water basins that compose the reserve. Our results suggest that although most bird species occur throughout the reserve, many species track differences in the landscape and the forest structure. Copyright © 2012 Renato Cintra and Luciano N. Naka

Bird conservation on Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazil

The island of Santa Catarina lies in the Atlantic Forest Domain of southern Brazil, one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. It holds a wide variety of habitats, ranging from sand dune 'restingas' to mature rain forest. We report, for the first time, a survey of the bird species and their conservation status for the different habitats present on the island. We recorded 269 bird species of 54 families (25 species were seabirds). More than 50% (140) of the total number of species were residents or probable residents, 20% (58) were visitors and a relatively high number of species (61, 23%) had indeterminate residential status. Nearly 15% (35 species) of the 244 landbird species observed were endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Habitat specificity was recorded for 40% (97 species). We recorded one Endangered (Solitary Tinamou Tinamus solitarius), one Vulnerable (White-necked Hawk Leucopternis lacernulata), and three Near-threatened species (Azure Jay Cyanocorax caeruleus, Azure-shouldered Tanager Thraupis cyanoptera, Black-backed Tanager Tangara peruviana). We also recorded six locally threatened species that we predict will become extinct in the near future. The future for the birds of the island is uncertain, especially for habitat specialists, due to habitat loss for resort developments, and a lack of concern by the government and local people

The avifauna of the Brazilian state of Roraima: Bird distribution and biogeography in the Rio Branco basin

The Brazilian state of Roraima represents a meaningful biogeographical unit, enclosing the entire basin of the Rio Branco, a major river in the Amazon basin. Roraima is also an area of high habitat diversity where terra fi rme forest, seasonally fl ooded forest, white-sand forest, savanna, gallery and dry forest, and the vegetation associated with the tepuis, all occur within a relatively small area (225,000km2) by Amazonian standards. We provide the fi rst comprehensive compilation of the avifauna of the state in forty years. We integrated the results of our own fi eld work, where we recorded 512 bird species, with data gathered from museum specimens and from published sources. We present a list of 741 bird species for the state of Roraima, 38 of which are mentioned for the fi rst time for the state. We also provide a list of 15 species previously cited for Roraima that we consider hypothetical, and predict the presence of another 69 species that we consider likely to be recorded in the state with further fi eld work. We also present details on some of our most interesting records, which include the fi rst Brazilian specimen of Atalotriccus pilaris, and the second locality for Brazil of Myrmeciza disjuncta. We conclude that habitat heterogeneity (beta-diversity) is responsible for 60% of the avian diversity of Roraima, whereas regional endemism (gamma-diversity) accounts for about one third of the bird species occurring exclusively in terra fi rme forests. We analyze the biogeographical patterns of avian distributions within the state, in relation to the different habitats present in Roraima, and discuss some of the main conservation problems in the state of Roraima, driven by the expansion of monocultures such as soybean, acacia, and rice plantations which are putting at risk large expanses of savannas, wetlands, dry and gallery forests

Three bird species new to Brazil from the serra da mocidade, a remote mountain in Roraima

From 15 January to 06 February 2016, we conducted an expedition to the Serra da Mocidade, a remote and previously unexplored mountain range in extreme northern Amazonian Brazil. There we encountered three bird species never before documented in Brazilian territory: Grallaria guatimalensis (Grallariidae) was photographed, audio recorded, video recorded and a single specimen collected; Catharus aurantiirostris (Turdidae) was similarly documented and a series of specimens collected; and a single individual of Parkesia motacilla (Parulidae) was photographed. All were found in the understory of montane forest at 1000–1550 m elevation. We interpret each of these as most likely representing a regularly occurring population on Mocidade. However, each had probably been overlooked in Brazil for a different reason and represents a distinct distributional pattern. Adding these novelties to Brazil's previously published total of 1919 species clearly expresses the country's position among the most bird-rich in the world, perhaps the richest, and suggests that further exploration of Brazil's Amazonian mountains will yield more discoveries. © 2019, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia. All rights reserved

Lista comentada das aves do Brasil pelo comite Brasileiro de registros ornitologicos

Since 2005, the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee (CBRO) has published updated checklists of Brazilian birds almost every year. Herein, we present a completely new and annotated version of our checklist. For the first time, we list all bird subspecies known from Brazil that are currently accepted by at least one key ornithological reference work. The inclusion of the subspecies should be seen as a synthesis, and not as a taxonomic endorsement. As such, we include in the new checklist 1919 avian species, 910 of which are treated as polytypic in reference works (2042 subspecies), totaling 3051 taxa at the species and subspecies level. We anticipate that several of the subspecies included in our list may be subject to future taxonomic upgrades to species status, while others will probably be shown to be invalid in the light of future taxonomic studies. The results highlight Brazil as a megadiverse country and reinforce the need for proper enforcement of political tools, laws and international commitments assumed by the country to preserve its biodiversity. © 2015, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia. All rights reserved

ATLANTIC BIRDS: a data set of bird species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

South America holds 30% of the world's avifauna, with the Atlantic Forest representing one of the richest regions of the Neotropics. Here we have compiled a data set on Brazilian Atlantic Forest bird occurrence (150,423) and abundance samples (N = 832 bird species; 33,119 bird individuals) using multiple methods, including qualitative surveys, mist nets, point counts, and line transects). We used four main sources of data: museum collections, on-line databases, literature sources, and unpublished reports. The data set comprises 4,122 localities and data from 1815 to 2017. Most studies were conducted in the Florestas de Interior (1,510 localities) and Serra do Mar (1,280 localities) biogeographic sub-regions. Considering the three main quantitative methods (mist net, point count, and line transect), we compiled abundance data for 745 species in 576 communities. In the data set, the most frequent species were Basileuterus culicivorus, Cyclaris gujanensis, and Conophaga lineata. There were 71 singletons, such as Lipaugus conditus and Calyptura cristata. We suggest that this small number of records reinforces the critical situation of these taxa in the Atlantic Forest. The information provided in this data set can be used for macroecological studies and to foster conservation strategies in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Data Paper if data are used in publications and teaching events. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of Americ

Structure and organization of canopy bird assemblages in Central Amazonia

I analyzed the species composition, structure, and trophic organization of bird assemblages in the forest canopy around Manaus, Brazil. Using three canopy towers located in primary terra firme forests, I conducted 117 censuses over a 13 month period, recording 160 bird species. The three study sites had similar species richness (between 126 and 128 species), sharing 95 species in common, which accounted for >90% of all individual records. Most species recorded in the canopy (110) belonged to the core canopy avifauna. The other 50 species included migrants (13), species that feed overhead (8), species from lower strata (15), night birds (3), and vagrants or visitors from open areas and second-growth forests (11). Most of those species, however, appeared in very low numbers in the forest canopy, except understory frugivores, which regularly fed on canopy fruits. Among the migratory species were some Nearctic (6), Austral (3), and species probably holding both migratory and resident populations in the area (4). Additionally, I found evidence that two species of parrots perform seasonal movements, leaving the forest canopy around Manaus during the dry season. Frugivores dominated the canopy avifauna in abundance, but contradicting results reported from other Neotropical forest canopies, insectivores and frugivores had equal species richness. The canopy avifauna was highly homogeneous among sites in terms of species richness, distribution among abundance classes, and number of species in each feeding guild, habitat, and microhabitat. As in Costa Rica, the canopy avifauna of Manaus was mostly composed by typical canopy bird species, and not by edge-living species as reported from Panama. I suggest that habitat fragmentation may affect the bird community composition in the forest canopy, allowing a higher influx of opportunistic species

Using river color to predict Amazonian floodplain forest avifaunas in the world's largest blackwater river basin

Despite the importance of rivers in Amazonian biogeography, avian distribution patterns in river-created habitats (i.e., floodplain forests) have been sparsely addressed. Here, we explore geographic variation in floodplain forest avifaunas, specifically regarding one of the most striking aspects of the Amazon: the diversity of river “colors” (i.e., types, based on the color of the water). We sampled the avifauna at 30 sites, located in 17 different rivers (nine black- and eight whitewater), in the Rio Negro basin, northwestern Brazil. Our sampling comprised ten 15-min point-counts per site, distributed every 500–1000 m along the river. We recorded a total of 352 bird species, many of which occurred in both river types. Although bird species richness was similar among rivers, we found significant differences in species composition. Nearly 14 percent of the species were significantly associated with one or the other river type. Most floodplain forest specialists occurred predominantly in whitewater rivers, whereas species that are typically associated with white-sand habitats occurred in blackwater. Despite significant distinctions between river types, occurrence patterns and levels of habitat association differed among indicator species and may vary in the same species throughout its global distribution. There were also “intermediate” avifauna in some of our sites, suggesting that continuous parameters characterizing river types structure species turnover. The water color-based classification of Amazonian rivers represents a simple and powerful predictor of the floodplain forest avifauna, offering a stimulating starting point for understanding patterns of floodplain bird distributions and for prioritizing conservation efforts in these overlooked habitats. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material. © 2019 The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservatio

Twenty years of understorey bird extinctions from Amazonian rain forest fragments: Consistent trends and landscape-mediated dynamics

Aim: We analysed presence/absence data for understorey bird species in rain forest fragments sampled from 1979 through 2001. Here we consider extinctions between 1992, when most fragments had been isolated for at least 8 years, and 2001. Our objectives were to determine whether high extinction rates documented soon after isolation continued through up to 20 years after isolation, and to examine fragment size and landscape effects on extinction. Location: Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, near Manaus, Brazil. Methods: Through 1992, birds were surveyed with standardized mist net sampling in ten 1- to 100-ha fragments. We repeated the mist net protocol in 2000-01. We also added remote taping of the dawn chorus and tape playback surveys for species captured in 1991-92 but not in 2000-01. Results: Between 1992 and 2001, 37 species went extinct in at least one fragment. As expected, extinction rate decreased with increasing fragment size. Over 30% of species went extinct in 1-ha fragments, compared to about 5% in 100-ha fragments. Extinction followed a predictable pattern: most species lost from 100-ha fragments between 1992 and 2001 had already gone extinct in smaller fragments before 1992. Despite extinctions, fragments gained species between 1992 and 2001, apparently due to species moving through the developing second growth matrix. Fragments surrounded by old second growth had lower extinction rates than predicted based on fragment size alone. Main conclusions: Sequential extinctions occurred for at least 20 years. Some additional species previously lost from smaller fragments may continue to go extinct in 100-ha fragments. At the same time, species assemblages in 1- and 10-ha fragments mostly reflect second-growth dynamics by 20 years after isolation. High species loss predicted from the first few years after isolation has not occurred, almost certainly because of recolonization. © 2008 The Authors

Conducting rigorous avian inventories: Amazonian case studies and a roadmap for improvement

Site-based avian inventories are ubiquitous in Neotropical ornithology but are prone to error if fieldworkers are not familiar with the regional species pool, particularly in species-rich regions such as the Amazon basin. Here, we review recent species lists from the Brazilian Amazon in both the primary ornithological literature and in protected area management plans to assess the level of putative errors in terms of bird species recorded in site-based inventories that are biogeographically unlikely in the sampled region. We found errors to be frequent across all inventory types. Failure to recognize recent taxonomic modifications in a cited taxonomy was a common error in many inventories. We outline a series of steps to follow to improve the utility and accuracy of avian inventories, and stress the importance of both obtaining and archiving documentary material, which should be included in the publications as digital vouchers to facilitate detailed peer review