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Two centuries of ornithological exploration of the Rio Doce Basin, southeastern Brazil. Part II—A catalogue of its birds and a gazetteer
Abstract
The Rio Doce Hydrographic Basin (RDB) lies almost completely in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a highly threatened tropical rainforest. The RDB has suffered dramatic anthropogenic impacts during the last two centuries and is currently one of the most degraded regions in southeastern Brazil. In this paper, we gathered 140,742 bird records collected since the early 19th by more than two thousand naturalists, professional scientists, and citizen scientists. This vast database was compiled from several sources, including published literature, unpublished technical reports, natural history museums, and citizen science platforms. After checking and standardizing the database, we found high species richness in the RDB, with 689 species recorded to date, from which 675 (98%) were documented by specimens or digital vouchers. This database is presented as a detailed catalogue, including maps containing all localities in which each species has been recorded. We present text accounts for 40 noteworthy species recorded in the RDB, and a complete gazetteer for the 636 localities sampled. Preliminary analyses reveal that the RDB avifauna suffered a dramatic change in its species composition during the last two centuries, mostly due to human activity. Highly sensitive species associated to pristine forests vanished, while species associated to dry and open habitat expanded their ranges in the RDB. Finally, in addition to thoroughly characterization of the RDB avifauna, this paper provides the basis for a series of studies about the avifauna of one of the hottest hotspots of biodiversity in the entire Neotropical region.
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Em confronto com os vizinhos Estados do este-meridiao bra- «ileiro, acha-se ainda o de Minas Gerais em situa^ao de grande desvantagem no que respeita a ornitologia. Decorre isso da vastidao e desigualdade de sen territorio, que nunca fora objeto de exploracao metodica sob esse ponto de vista, e ainda do fato de se encontrarem os informes sobre a materia disseminados em contribui- ^oes fragmentarias, e fontes de dificil acesso. Estas e outras razoes nos levaram anos atras a mna tentativa de recenseamento avifaunistico dos diferentes distritos zoogeograficos compreendidos nos limites politicos do Estado em questao, como ponto de partida para estudo mais largo sobre a sua ornitologia. Circunstancias de varia ordem vieram infelizmente se opor a que fosse dado pleno desenvolvimento ao nosso projeto, de que todavia foi passo inicial a expedição zoologica ao trecho mineiro do vale do Rio Doce, por nos realizada em 1940, sob os auspicios do Departamento de Zoolbgia, da Secretaria da Agricultura de São Paulo. Ao esboçar o interrompido piano, nosso primeiro cuidado foi inventariar as espécies ornitológicas de cuja ocorrência em Minas Gerais tem-se a prova através dos exemplares ao nosso alcance, onda literatura técnica do assunto. A lista que hoje resolvemos publicar, resultado desse trabalho preparatório, quando para mais não sirva, ira facilitar a outros o estudo mais completo que não temos muita esperança de poder realizar algum dia. Antes, porém, tanto quanto no-lo permitem os recursos bibliográficos disponíveis, e de utilidade uma vista d'olhos sobre a historia das explorações ornitológicas realizadas em solo mineiro. E o que faremos a seguir.
Não se decepcionem os que ao compulsarem o presente trabalho, e os outros que por ventura Ihe venham a seguir a esteira, nada encontrem capaz de lembrar as grandes monografias que a intervalos vemos enriquecer a literatura ornitológica, abrindo às vezes perspectivas imprevistas ao estudo cientifico das Aves, ou trançando novos rumos ao progresso dos conhecimentos relacionados com o seu domínio. Verdade é que, inicialmente, prendeu-se ele a ideia, longo tempo acarinhada, de um tratado descritivo das Aves do Brasil, do qual o Catálogo por nos publicado anos atrás seria o arcabouço e alicerce. Mas, a vista da manifesta impossibilidade, criada pelas circunstancias, de levar avante a tentadora empresa, imaginamos imprimir aos nossos trabalhos orientação nova, apresentando em forma singela, e sem grandes compromissos com as praxes rigidamente seguidas pelos especialistas, o compendio da historia natural de alguns grupos, cingindo-nos a sua representação no solo pátrio e escolhendo-os entre os que a experiência. demonstra interessarem mais particularmente, por este ou aquele motivo, os amantes de nossa natureza e os poucos entre nos afeiçoados ao seu estudo. Neste sentido e este esboço da fauna brasileira de Columbidas a primeira tentativa; tentativa ainda assim algo frusta, porque entre os fatores a conspirar contra o seu melhor acabamento esteve sempre à hostilidade constante de estranhas preocupa?6es, e a escassez de tempo para uma aplicação continuada.
The ever-increasing human footprint even in very remote places on Earth has inspired efforts to document biodiversity vigorously in case organisms go extinct. However, the data commonly gathered come from either primary voucher specimens in a natural history collection or from direct field observations that are not traceable to tangible material in a museum or herbarium. Although both datasets are crucial for assessing how anthropogenic drivers affect biodiversity, they have widespread coverage gaps and biases that may render them inefficient in representing patterns of biodiversity. Using a large global dataset of around 1.9 billion occurrence records of terrestrial plants, butterflies, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals, we quantify coverage and biases of expected biodiversity patterns by voucher and observation records. We show that the mass production of observation records does not lead to higher coverage of expected biodiversity patterns but is disproportionately biased toward certain regions, clades, functional traits and time periods. Such coverage patterns are driven by the ease of accessibility to air and ground transportation, level of security and extent of human modification at each sampling site. Conversely, voucher records are vastly infrequent in occurrence data but in the few places where they are sampled, showed relative congruence with expected biodiversity patterns for all dimensions. The differences in coverage and bias by voucher and observation records have important implications on the utility of these records for research in ecology, evolution and conservation research.
O gênero Embernagra Lesson, 1831 com as espécies E. platensis e E. longicauda é endêmico da América do Sul. E. platensis ocorre no sudeste do Brasil, desde o Estado de Minas Gerais até o Rio Grande do Sul, Uruguai, leste da Argentina e Paraguai, enquanto E. longicauda era conhecida apenas da sua localidade tipo, Morro do Chapéu, Bahia. Desde 1971, o Departamento de Zoologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) iniciou um programa de levantamento ornitológico no Estado de Minas Gerais. Nesse levantamento, E. longicauda foi registrado para onze novas localidades, distribuídas ao longo da Serra do Espinhaço, que cruza o Estado de Minas gerais de Norte para o Sul.
Dando prosseguimento ao nosso programa de estudar a avifauna da "Grande-BH", a área da Represa da Pampulha nos chamou atenção por apresentar condições ambientais e ecológicas diversificadas sendo algumas delas diferentes daquelas preferidas pelas aves. A área estudada foi subdividida em três subáreas cada uma delas com características ecológicas bem distintas, onde foram feitas 200 horas de observações. Como resultado temos uma lista sistemática geral, e comentários sobre a presença e o número de aves em cada uma das subáreas.
Com a expansão demográfica da Grande BH, seus limites se estenderam desordenadamente, reduzindo assim, cada vez mais os espaços verdes; desta maneira, o "Campus-UFMG" se constitui em uma das poucas áreas verdes. Com seus 4.500.000 m2, possui biótopos bastante caracterizados, que nos permitiram, durante 30 meses fazer um estudo comparativo da avifauna nesses biótopos. O presente trabalho, além de mostrar o número de espécies características de cada biótopo, e daquelas que frequentam mais de um deles, traz também uma check-list das aves do "Campus-UFMG".
· Habitat loss and fragmentation is recognized as one of the main causes of global biodiversity declines. Birds of prey are considered good environmental bioindicators because they are sensitive to changes in the environment and can suffer local extinctions due to habitat fragmentation. In this study, we aimed to determine whether forest fragment area is correlated with the richness and abundance of owl species, and whether owl species recorded exhibit preferences for fragment edge or interior. The study was undertaken in six remnants of southeastern Atlantic Forest located in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Six species of owls were recorded: Buff-fronted Owl (Aegolius harrisii), Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba), Tawny-browed Owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana), Striped Owl (Asio clamator), Mottled Owl (Strix virgata), and Rusty-barred Owl (Strix hylophila). Megascops choliba was the most abundant species. The richness and abundance of species were higher at the edge when compared to the interior of the fragments. The owl species recorded did not seem to prefer the forest interior, while M. choliba had a preference for forest edges. This study adds new empirical knowledge on the effects of fragmentation on Neotropical owl communities.Resumen · Comunidades de lechuzas y búhos en fragmentos de bosque Atlántico en Brasil El proceso de pérdida y fragmentación del hábitat se identifica como una de las principales causas del declive de la biodiversidad mundial. Las aves de presa se consideran un buen bioindicador ambiental porque son sensibles a los cambios en el medio ambiente y pueden extinguirse localmente con la fragmentación del bosque. El objetivo del estudio fue responder a las siguientes preguntas: ¿La fragmentación de los bosques influyen en la riqueza y abundancia de las especies de búhos? ¿Las especies de búho tienen preferencia por el borde o el interior de los fragmentos del bosque? El estudio se llevó a cabo de octubre de 2011 a septiembre de 2012 en seis localidades de la Mata Atlántica suroriental, ubicadas en el estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Seis especies de búhos fueron registradas: Lechucita Acanelada (Aegolius harrisii), Currucutú Común (Megascops choliba), Lechuzón Mocho Chico (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana), Búho Gritón (Asio clamator), Mocho Carijó (Strix virgata) y Rusty-barred Owl (Strix hylophila). M. choliba fue la especie más abundante. La riqueza y abundancia de especies fue mayor en el borde comparado con el interior de los fragmentos. La comunidad de búhos en nuestra área de estudio no parece tener preferencia por el interior del bosque, sin embargo, M. choliba es más abundante en los bordes del bosque. Este estudio aporta nuevos conocimientos sobre la riqueza y abundancia de los búhos Neotropicales y su respuesta a la fragmentación de la Mata Atlántica.
Citizen science data is a useful tool for the study of bird migration, especially in the tropics, where more traditional sources
of biological data are scarce. In this paper, we studied the seasonal migration of the rufous-tailed attila Attila phoenicurus,
a migratory Neotropical passerine that is supposed to breed in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We (1) compared the relative
contribution of diferent sources of data (citizen science and traditional sources) to unravel the migratory patterns of the
rufous-tailed attila, and (2) tested the hypothesis that the species is an austral migrant that breeds in the Atlantic Forest and
winters in Amazonia. We used data from citizen science, literature, museum specimens, and traditional sound archives to
investigate the seasonal distribution of the species. Vouchered records were checked for identifcation mistakes. We found
that citizen science allowed the collection of a huge amount of data in a short period of time, providing in two decades almost
eight times the number of occurrences of the rufous-tailed attila that have been obtained during two centuries of ornithological studies by the scientifc community. Our results confrmed that the rufous-tailed attila is an austral migrant that breeds
in a comparatively narrow area in the southern portion of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Contrastingly, the winter grounds of
the species are spread across a vast area in Amazonia. Citizen science data is a powerful tool for the development of tropical ornithology, but its use requires the understanding of the specifc virtues and limitations of each major online database.
The Chaco Eagle (Buteogallus coronatus) is a globally “Endangered” raptor with little known about its biology. In this work, we provide data on the reproductive biology of the Chaco Eagle collected between 2007 and 2018 with the discovery of nine nests in five areas of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Clutch size is one egg (n = 6 nests) with incubation occurring between August and November and fledging between January and February. The species showed plasticity in the characteristics of the occupied trees and nesting sites, nesting in both conserved and disturbed areas. Monitoring of some pairs indicated a reproductive reproduction event every 2 to 3 years. Only 33% of the observed breeding attempts generated successful fledglings. Most of the 20 dietary items collected were reptiles and armadillos. Despite presenting environmental plasticity, data from this study suggest low reproductive success for the Chaco Eagle and thus reinforce the importance of long-term monitoring of reproductive sites for planning strategies for its conservation in Brazil.
A Serra do Cipó está localizada na porção meridional da Cadeia do Espinhaço, maciço montanhoso que percorre o Estado de Minas Gerais no sentido norte-sul e representa, localmente, uma barreira biogeográfica entre o Cerrado e a Mata Atlântica 1,16,37 , característica já ressaltada pelos primeiros naturalistas que percorreram a região no século XIX 16,19,54. Entre esses biomas e nas porções mais elevadas, geralmente acima de 900 m de altitude, ocorrem os campos rupestres, formação vegetal desenvolvida sobre solos predominantemente quartzíticos considerada um centro de endemismo e especiação para diversos grupos da flora 13,14,35. Os campos rupestres da Serra do Cipó apresentam grande heterogeneidade climática, altitudinal, edáfica e fitofisionômica 16,37 , aspectos que resultam na flora mais diversificada de toda Cadeia do Espinhaço 12,13 com composição florística distinta mesmo em sítios próximos 35. Apesar de inseridos oficialmente no Cerrado 20-23,45,47,48,52,53 , várias pesquisas indicam que os campos rupestres apresentam características únicas, justificando sua categorização como bioma independente 16,34,43,58. O panorama se torna ainda mais complexo quando se consideram as florestas montanas da Cadeia do Espinhaço, formações praticamente desconhecidas pela comunidade científica, lacuna alarmante considerando o grau de devastação em função da intensa exploração mineral e carvoeira 28. Estudos recentes 25,33,43,63 demonstraram a presença de exclusividades de Mata Atlântica nessas formações florestais, indicando que a classificação oficial da região como Cerrado deve ser reavaliada. Em virtude desses fatos, foi conduzido um estudo detalhado em um dos maiores remanescentes de floresta montana da Serra do Cipó, região categorizada como de importância biológica especial e prioritária para a conservação e pesquisa de Minas Gerais 9. Relatamos aqui a composição da avifauna em uma área de transição entre campos rupestres e floresta montana enquadrada oficialmente como Cerrado, buscando dimensionar a influência de cada bioma e reportar a riqueza de espécies das florestas montanas da Serra do Cipó.
An updated version of the checklist of birds of Brazil is presented, along with a summary of the changes approved by the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee’s Taxonomy Subcommittee since the first edition, published in 2015. In total, 1971 bird species occurring in Brazil are supported by documentary evidence and are admitted to the Primary List, 4.3% more than in the previous edition. Eleven additional species are known only from undocumented records (Secondary List). For each species on the Primary List, status of occurrence in the country is provided and, in the case of polytypic species, the respective subspecies present in Brazilian territory are listed. Explanatory notes cover taxonomic changes, nomenclatural corrections, new occurrences, and other changes implemented since the last edition. Ninety species are added to the Primary List as a result of species descriptions, new occurrences, taxonomic splits, and transfers from the Secondary List due to the availability of documentation. In contrast, eight species are synonymized or assigned subspecific status and thus removed from the Primary List. In all, 293 species are endemic to Brazil, ranked third among the countries with the highest rate of bird endemism. The Brazilian avifauna currently consists of 1742 residents or breeding migrants, 126 seasonal non-breeding visitors, and 103 vagrants. The category of vagrants showed the greatest increase (56%) compared to the previous list, mainly due to new occurrences documented in recent years by citizen scientists. The list updates the diversity, systematics, taxonomy, scientific and vernacular nomenclature, and occurrence status of birds in Brazil.
The continued loss, fragmentation, and degradation of forest habitats are driving an extinction crisis for tropical and subtropical bird species. This loss is particularly acute in the Atlantic Forest of South America, where it is unclear whether several endemic bird species are extinct or extant. We collate and model spatiotemporal distributional data for one such “lost” species, the Purple-winged Ground Dove Paraclaravis geoffroyi, a Critically Endangered endemic of the Atlantic Forest biome, which is nomadic and apparently dependent on masting bamboo stands. We compared its patterns of occurrence with that of a rare “control” forest pigeon, the Violaceous Quail-Dove Geotrygon violacea, which occurs in regional sympatry. We also solicit information from aviculturists who formerly kept the species. We find that the two species share a similar historical recording rate but can find no documentary evidence (i.e., specimens, photos, video, sound recordings) for the persistence of Purple-winged Ground Dove in the wild after the 1980s, despite periodic sighting records, and after which time citizen scientists frequently documented the control species in the wild. Assessments of the probability that the species is extant are sensitive to the method of analysis, and whether records lacking documentary evidence are considered credible. Analysis of the temporal sequence of past records reveals the extent of the historical range contraction of the Purple-winged Ground Dove, while our species distribution model highlights the geographic search priorities for field ornithologists hoping to rediscover the species—aided by the first recording of the species vocalizations which we obtained from interviews with aviculturists. Our interviews also revealed that the species persisted in captivity from the 1970s until the 1990s (up to 150 birds), until a law was passed obstructing captive breeding efforts by private individuals, putting an end to perhaps the best chance we had to save the species from extinction.
O objetivo geral desse estudo foi o de contribuir para um melhor conhecimento dos jacuguaçus (Penelope obscura bronzina), assim como da situação em que ela se encontra na área, um fragmento de 75 ha de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual (conhecido como Mata da Biologia) inserido no Campus da Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV). Este foi percorrido de forma aleatória em toda a sua extensão pela manhã e à tarde, entre os meses de julho de 2004 e maio de 2005, sendo os aspectos comportamentais dos jacuguaçus registrados em fichas de campo. Indivíduos solitários até grandes agregações de cerca de 60 jacuguaçus foram registrados. A estação reprodutiva compreendeu os meses de setembro a dezembro de 2004 (coincidindo com a estação chuvosa), caracterizado pelos displays de vôo (rufar de asas dos machos) e pela presença de filhotes novos. Foram registrados dois ninhos em oitis (Licania tomentosa) na calçada que margeia a mata (próximo ao horto), pertencentes a um mesmo casal que realizou postura de reposição após ter perdido a primeira ninhada. Ambos adultos cuidam da prole. Os filhotes são bastante ativos já na primeira semana de vida. Outro casal com dois filhotes e uma fêmea com um filhote foram registrados na área, além de indivíduos imaturos acompanhados dos adultos nos meses seguintes à estação reprodutiva. Os jacuguaçus tiveram a maior parte de sua dieta composta por frutos de 12 famílias de espécies vegetais. Consumiram frutos disponíveis na mata e visitaram com freqüência árvores frutíferas nos quintais das casas das vilas Sete Casas e Gianetti, marginais ao fragmento. Realizaram pequenos deslocamentos na mata seguindo a frutificação das plantas, concentrando-se nestes locais de alimentação. São bastante oportunistas, se alimentando na horta das casas, de milho e canjiquinha e frutas colocadas por moradores e funcionários (fato constante e corriqueiro). Além disso, consumiram a relva que cresce em alguns trechos ao longo das vias, folhas novas e brotos das plantas do subosque, e flores. Foi possível determinar sete condições favoráveis e 11 condições desfavoráveis para a espécie na área. Para as condições favoráveis foram traçadas 13 medidas potencializadoras e para as condições desfavoráveis 23 medidas mitigadoras. A maioria das medidas pode ser realizada pela própria instituição (UFV), auxiliada pelos resultados deste estudo e pelos professores e estagiários dos cursos afins. A disponibilização de alimentos pelos moradores e pelos funcionários parece ser o fator principal da concentração dos jacuguaçus em determinadas áreas, atraídos pela oferta fácil e regular de alimento, aliado ao ambiente propício - fonte de água, sombra, poleiros seguros nas araucárias e mangueiras - nos arredores da represa e à abundante frutificação de duas espécies de palmeiras exóticas. A oferta de alimento somada à mansidão que os jacuguaçus já apresentam pode estar ocasionando uma crescente domesticação das aves no local.
Para maiores informações, acesse: https://www.locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/9530
Juan Mazar Barnett was an Argentinean scientist, considered by many as one of the most talented ornithologists of his generation. His untimely death at the early age of 37 shocked the Neotropical ornithological community. Here, I briefy present highlights of his ornithological career, from his early days in Argentina to his last research interests in NE Brazil. Juan’s areas of research included fve South American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Chile, where he visited and conducted research in more than 300 localities. He was a prolifc writer, having published 51 peer-reviewed articles and short communications, 12 book reviews, 2 audio guides, a book, and a bird identifcation guide. I present a list of all his publications organized in chronological order, and comment on his most important ornithological fndings. Most of his research was conducted in Brazil (23 publications), followed by Argentina (19), and Paraguay (10). Most of his published research was conducted in the Atlantic Forest (13 publications), followed by the Andes and the Cerrado (7 publications each), the Caatinga (6), Patagonia and the Yungas (5 publications each). His preferred topics of research were: i) biogeography and avian distributions (17 publications); ii) breeding biology and natural history (9); iii) new country records for Argentina, Brazil, or Paraguay (8 publications); iv) taxonomy, including the description of a species new to science (7); v) conservation (5), and vi) rediscoveries of species thought to be extinct or lost to science (4). Since his death in 2012, he has been a co-author on 7 publications (fve of them as first author), showing that his legacy cannot be fully appraised yet. I hope this work will show the amazing legacy left by Juan to other Neotropical ornithologists, particularly for his many friends, who through different initiatives are keeping his memory alive. Hopefully, the new generations will see that conducting feldwork in the Neotropics is among the most rewarding experiences a biologist can have.
Scytalopus speluncae was described from a specimen taken at São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ménétriés described it as having the throat and the central breast evidently whitish, but since then this name has been rather surprisingly attributed to the uniformly slate gray Mouse-colored Tapaculo of the eastern coastal Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Contrary to previous findings, our analysis of the holotype, two new specimens from the type locality (topotypes) and original description of Scytalopus speluncae indicates that this name must be applied to the pale gray form with rufous-barred thighs that is found in Minas Gerais. This species is apparently very common in São João del Rei. This paper redescribes Scytalopus speluncae, correcting this name application, and describing, as a new species, populations from the Serra do Mar and vicinity, previously misidentified as S. speluncae.
Several evolutionary processes seem to have influenced the Atlantic Forest (AF) biogeographic history, as suggested by phylogeographic studies that have shown a multitude of patterns. Here, we use approximate Bayesian computation to test alternative historical hypotheses to investigate the phylogeographic pattern, historical demography, and palaeodistribution of the Grey-hooded Flycatcher Mionectes rufiventris, an endemic AF bird, distributed mainly in southern areas of the biome. Our goal was to integrate molecular and ecological data to test diversification hypotheses available for the AF. Our investigation revealed two mitochondrial phylogroups, geographically structured around the Doce River. Coalescence analyses revealed that these groups shared a common ancestor in the Late Pleistocene, between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, and that divergence was probably associated with climatic fluctuations during this period. Demographic analyses suggested recent demographic expansion in both groups. Ecological niche modelling suggested larger ranges during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) than in the present, not in agreement with the genetic pattern recovered. We simulated alternative historical models to test these competing scenarios. Our findings support the existence of small populations during the LGM which expanded afterwards from putative refuges. Thus, these results suggest that the Pleistocene climate shaped patterns of diversification and demographic history of this species in accordance with the classical forest refuge hypothesis.
Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra‐ and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820–2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities.
Seed-finches are small-sized Neotropical granivorous birds characterized by extremely strong and thick beaks. Among these birds, the Great-billed Seed-Finch Sporophila maximiliani has been selectively and intensively trapped to the extent that has become one of the most endangered bird species in South America, yet its taxonomy remains complex and controversial. Two subspecies have been recognized: S. m. maximiliani (Cabanis, 1851), mainly from the Cerrado of central South America, and S. m. parkesi Olson (= Oryzoborus m. magnirostris), from northeastern South America. Originally, S. m. parkesi was diagnosed as being larger than the Large-billed Seed-Finch, S. c. crassirostris (Gmelin, 1789), but proper comparisons with S. m. maximiliani, which is larger than S. c. crassirostris, were never performed. Here we provide a review of the taxonomic and nomenclatural history of S. maximiliani, reevaluate the validity and taxonomic status of the subspecies based on morphological characters, and significantly revise its geographic distribution. Analyses based on plumage patterns and a Principal Component Analysis of morphometric characters indicated that S. m. parkesi is most appropriately treated as a synonym of the nominate taxon, which results in a monotypic S. maximiliani comprising two disjunct populations. Further, we conducted systematic searches for S. maximiliani in Brazil, in an attempt to obtain natural history information. After more than 6,000 hours of fieldwork in 45 areas of potential and historical occurrence, S. maximiliani was located only in two sites, in marshy environments called veredas, confirming the critical conservation status of this species, at least in Brazil. We discuss the conservation potential for, and the problems involved with, captive breeding of S. maximiliani for reintroduction into the wild.
The Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus) is a diurnal raptor species that is widely distributed across the Neotropics, but some aspects of its social and ecological behavior are poorly understood. Here, we review and report records of flocking behavior of this species at various locations in South America, mainly in Brazil. We report eight new observations of such behavior, mainly in northern Brazil. It is possible that flocking behavior in this species is more common in northern South America than in the southern part of the continent, but it is perhaps overlooked or goes unreported by observers in these places.
We report the expansion of the known range of the eared pygmy-tyrant Myiornis auricularis, which had not been previously recorded in the state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. The present records expand the known distribution of the species to the northeast, by at least 400 km from central Bahia to Sergipe, and approximately 700 km further northeast to Pernambuco. We discuss the possible existence of a new subspecies, or even a new species, due to the isolation of this population by major rivers. © 2018, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. All rights reserved.
O método ponto de escuta foi utilizado com o objetivo de avaliar a comunidade de aves em um pequeno trecho de 1 ha de floresta restaurada com mais de 40 anos de implantação, no município de Viçosa - MG. Um total de 20 pontos foi amostrado no período reprodutivo das aves no ano de 2011. Foram registrados 31 espécies de aves e 160 contatos, sendo a maioria das espécies típicas da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual e cinco espécies endêmicas do Bioma Mata Atlântica. No presente estudo, a presença de aves consumidora de frutos e de aves insetívoras de sub-bosque que apresentam pouca tolerância a ambientes abertos e de forte insolação, sugere a boa qualidade do habitat amostrado, confirmando que a floresta restaurada se encontra em estádio avançado de sucessão, conforme estudos anteriores. Os resultados do presente estudo também demonstram que mesmo em uma área pequena e com poucos dias de amostragens foi possível obter uma rápida caracterização da comunidade de aves e, a partir dessa composição, relacioná-la com as condições do habitat, permitindo uma avaliação segura do sucesso de um projeto de restauração florestal.
We reviewed the occurrences and distributional patterns of migratory species of birds in Brazil. A species was classified as migratory when at least part of its population performs cyclical, seasonal movements with high fidelity to its breeding grounds. Of the 1,919 species of birds recorded in Brazil, 198 (10.3%) are migratory. Of these, 127 (64%) were classified as Migratory and 71 (36%) as Partially Migratory. A few species (83; 4.3%) were classified as Vagrant and eight (0,4%) species could not be defined due to limited information available, or due to conflicting data.
South America holds 30% of the world's avifauna, with the Atlantic Forest representing one of the richest region of the Neotropics. Here we compiled a dataset on Brazilian Atlantic Forest bird occurrence (150,423) and abundance samples (N=832 bird species; 33,119) 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 dataset comprises 4,122 localities and data from 1815 to 2017. Most studies were conducted in the “Florestas de Interior” (N=1510 localities) and “Serra do Mar” (1280) 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 dataset, 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 these small number of records reinforce the critical situation of these taxa in the Atlantic Forest. The information provided in this dataset 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. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The principal aim of this study was to infer the phylogeographic pattern of the antwrens of the Formicivora serrana complex, an endemic faunal component of the semi-deciduous forests and restinga formations of the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil. We combined niche-based modeling and phylogeographic approaches in describing the genetic spatial structure of the taxon, inferring the phylogenetic hypothesis of lineage diversification, and providing estimates of population growth, timing of coalescence, and gene flow. We also modeled the species potential distribution to examine the putative consequences of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (21,000 years ago) and Holocene climate variability. To perform this, we analyzed a dataset composed of two mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2) and four nuclear (anonymous loci) DNA regions from 35 specimens. Genealogical analyses were performed using phylogenetic maximum likelihood and coalescent Bayesian approaches; genetic diversity was assessed using analysis of molecular variance and network analysis; ages of coalescent events were estimated using a relaxed molecular clock model. Ecological niche modeling of current and LGM ranges were performed using six algorithms (Bioclim, general additive model, general linear model, Maxent, support vector machine and Random forest) based on 178 occurrence localities and 19 bioclimatic variables. Limited genetic divergence among recognized forms of the F. serrana complex was evidenced in the low mitochondrial nucleotide divergence among populations (Jukes–Cantor distance between subspecies varied from 0.17 to 0.21%), unresolved phylogenetic trees, star-shaped haplotype networks, and overall lack of population genetic structure. Fixation index analyses, however, suggested an incipient geographic structure. Ecological niche modeling suggested expansion of the distribution range since the LGM. Our results provide the first evidence that bird taxa of xerophytic and semi-deciduous habitats of the AF were also affected by Quaternary climatic fluctuations. The recovered genealogical pattern indicates that F. serrana should be regarded as a single evolutionary unit, corroborating current taxonomic hypotheses.
The Long-tailed Reed Finch Donacospiza albifrons of south-central South America is patchily distributed in a variety of open habitats, usually near water. I present a detailed study of morphological variation based on 141 specimens, describing its plumage sequence and presenting notes on its molt and breeding. The Long-tailed Reed Finch shows no sexual dichromatism, but males average longer-winged than females. The species shows three distinct age-related plumages, which are redescribed here. It also shows marked individual variation in plumage and size, also showing marked plumage variation due to feather wear. Geographic variation is also marked, with birds from dry grasslands in northern highlands typically being larger, paler, and less streaked than birds from wet grasslands in southern lowlands, but there at some exceptions to this geographic pattern. I conclude that there is no solid basis for splitting the species into two or more taxa, and suggest considering the Long-tailed Reed Finch as a single, highly polymorphic species.
The Rio Doce Hydrographic Basin (RDB) was once covered by magnificent tropical forest, which remained untouched by Europeans for three centuries after the arrival of the Portuguese colonists in the Brazilian coast in 1500. Nevertheless, a dramatic change in land use occurred throughout the entire RDB after the turn of the 19th century. Currently, the RDB is one of the most degraded regions in southeastern Brazil and, recently, it was the scenario of the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history. In this series of papers, we aim to construct a baseline biodiversity assessment that documents the changes in bird communities within the RDB throughout the last two centuries. In this first part, we present the history of the RDB landscape, its explorers, and their collections based on an extensive literature review and museum data. Early biological surveys in the RDB only started at the beginning of the 19th century and were conducted mostly by German and French naturalists. During the first eight decades of ornithological exploration, foreign field naturalists conducted expeditions to the RDB and collected hundreds of bird specimens. Unfortunately, labelling and curatorial procedures were often poor and despite the prodigious efforts of those naturalists, results obtained were often meagre. The second phase of exploration occurred from the 1900s to the 1960s and was dominated by expeditions conducted by Brazilian natural history museums. During this phase, labelling and curatorial procedures improved considerably and the material collected significantly advanced our knowledge about the RDB avifauna The third phase occurred from the 1970s to the first decade of the 21st century, when collection of specimens decreased sharply and the research activity slowly shifted from museums to universities, with a focus on ecology and natural history. We are now in a fourth, more pluralistic phase, in which research continues to be done by universities, Brazilian natural history museums have resumed their collection activity, and birdwatching has emerged as a popular activity in Brazil, producing a tremendous amount of data in a short period of time.
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Despite being one of the most diverse biomes in the world, the Atlantic Forest is currently restricted to small isolated fragments and, therefore, the majority of its fauna is declining or threatened. This is mainly due to habitat loss, edge effects, and other patch-level negative effects. Here we study whether the type of matrix surrounding Atlantic forest fragments affects patterns of bird diversity. We hypothesize that fragments in contact with a matrix dominated by Eucalyptus plantations would have more diverse bird communities compared to matrices dominated by pastures. We assessed the richness, abundance, and functional diversity of birds at the edge and in the interior of fragments of Atlantic Forest surrounded by pastures and by plantations of Eucalyptus trees. Even though all the studied fragments showed relatively low values of species richness, those surrounded by the Eucalyptus matrix had higher species richness and evenness at the edge of the fragments compared to those surrounded by pasture. Furthermore, the bird community in contact with the Eucalyptus matrix had higher functional diversity and higher abundance of bird groups generally sensitive to disturbances. Our data illustrate the importance of the matrix composition surrounding fragments. While replacing Atlantic forests with Eucalyptus plantations will lead to a reduction in bird diversity, our data suggest that nevertheless Eucalyptus plantations can buffer edge effects for forest birds compared to more abrupt transitions, such as with pastures. Resumo ∙ Efeito da matriz envolvente sobre comunidades de pássaros em fragmentos da Mata Atlântica do Brasil Apesar de ser um dos biomas mais ricos em biodiversidade do mundo, a Mata Atlântica encontra-se majoritariamente restrita a pequenos fragmentos isolados e, portanto, grande parte de sua fauna está em declínio e sob risco de extinção. Isso se deve principalmente à perda de habitat, efeitos de borda e outros efeitos negativos relacionados a fragmentação. Nossa hipótese é que fragmentos florestais em contato com uma matriz formada principalmente por eucalipto apresentariam comunidades de aves mais diversas quanto à riqueza e papéis funcionais. Avaliamos a riqueza, abundância e diversidade funcional de aves na borda e no interior de fragmentos de Mata Atlântica cercadas por pastagens e por eucaliptos. Apesar de todos os fragmentos terem apresentado baixos valores de riqueza de espécies, aqueles cercados por uma matriz de eucalipto apresentam maior riqueza e uniformidade de espécies na borda comparado com fragmentos circundados por pasto. Além disso, a comunidade em contato com a matriz de eucalipto apresentou maior diversidade funcional e maior abundância de grupos geralmente sensíveis a distúrbios. Nossos dados ilustram a importância da composição da matriz em torno dos fragmentos. Embora a substituição da Mata Atlântica por plantações de eucaliptos leve a uma redução significativa da diversidade de aves, nossos dados sugerem que as plantações de eucalipto podem amortecer os efeitos de borda para as aves florestais nos fragmentos, em comparação com transições mais abruptas, como as pastagens.
Studies of territorial and courtship behavior are lacking for many tropical raptors. From 2006 to 2009, using observations that were not time-limited, we studied the territorial and courtship behaviors of the White-necked Hawk (Buteogallus lacernulatus) and the Mantled Hawk (Pseudastur polionotus) in Rio Doce State Park in eastern Brazil. We observed White-necked Hawks and Mantled Hawks engaged in aerial displays on 67 and 13 occasions, respectively. Display behaviors performed by White-necked Hawks were characterized by 1–4 undulations followed by aerial swoops and spirals. Territorial and/or courtship behaviors of Mantled Hawks were characterized by the male and female performing thermal or horizontal gliding together and diving in spirals while frequently emitting a series of long and short whistles. This study presents the first formal descriptions of the aerial territorial/courtship displays of these rare forest-dwelling raptors.
The Mariana's dam collapse was the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history and one of the biggest worldwide. This perverse disaster resulted in the release of a contaminated mud tsunami that greatly impacted both aquatic and terrestrial biota. The aim of this study was to track environmental impacts resulting from Mariana's disaster using trace-element accumulation in avian blood and feathers as monitoring tool. For this, animals were collected at Doce River mouth (Regência), origin of the contaminated mud, and at southern (Aracruz) and northern (São Mateus) coastal areas. There were two sampling events (2018–2019), one during the winter period (first collection) and another during the summer period (second collection). Trace-element assessed were As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Mn and Zn. Findings show that inorganic contamination in birds followed a strong spatial and temporal behavior. In terms of time patterns, blood and feather contamination levels were markedly elevated in samples from the first collection event in comparison to the second. In terms of space, bioaccumulation was greater in Doce River mouth (Regência) and southern area (Aracruz). Additionally, levels found for Pb, Hg, As and Cd in birds from the first expedition were above proposed threshold levels, indicating possible health impacts. Finally, it is concluded that avian from areas impacted by Mariana's disaster still presents elevated levels of inorganic contamination even after 5 years following the event. Additionally, local climatic factors might pose as major drivers for bioaccumulation patterns in these animals, resulting in marked spatial and temporal fluctuations.
We describe a new species of Aratinga—A. pintoi (Sulfur-breasted Parakeet)—from open areas on the northern bank of the lower Amazon River in the state of Pará, Brazil. It was for a long time misidentified as a juvenile of A. solstitialis or a hybrid between that species and A. jandaya. It can be distinguished from other Aratinga species by the combination of the following characters: mantle and wing coverts green, suffused with pale yellow; underparts pale yellow, with pale orange restricted to belly and flanks; and feathers on the underparts with a dark rachis. On the basis of color characters and general morphology, we suggest that this new species should be a member of a group composed of A. solstitialis, A. jandaya, A. auricapillus, and, possibly, Nandayus nenday. A review of taxonomy and distribution of the group is also presented.
Uma nova espécie de Aratinga (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae) do Brasil, com comentários sobre a taxonomia do complexo de espécies Aratinga solstitialis
The currently best-known ornithological citizen-science platform is Cornell’s eBird, which provides crucial information for bird migration studies. Considering the solid validity of eBird data, and after a validation process, we comparatively explored the data available in the Brazilian-wide platform WikiAves for bird migration studies. We selected five migratory and four resident species as models, controlling for likely sampling biases derived from efforts by the platform collaborators. If data in WikiAves were adequate for migration studies, we respectively expected, after a between-platform comparison, similar yearlong seasonal and non-seasonal occurrence records of all migratory and resident species. Data analysis supported our expectations: eBird and WikiAves data showed consistent temporal occurrence patterns for all evaluated species. Therefore, we selected another six model-species showing literature inconsistency on their migratory behaviour, demonstrating for the first time the potential of a Brazilian citizen-science database – WikiAves – in unveiling geographically seasonal occurrence patterns of the understudied migratory bird species in Brazil. Our study highlights the general public relevance on reducing knowledge gaps about bird migration in Brazil, revealing a feasible strategy to overcome some current logistic barriers that preclude advances in South American bird migration studies, a currently underexplored research area, especially by Brazilian researchers.
Journal: Journal of Biogeography
Aim: The Brazilian campo rupestre is a vegetation associated to ancient mountaintops in eastern South America, spread mainly over disjunct areas of the Espinhaço Range and the Chapada dos Veadeiros. These areas hold outstanding levels of plant diversity and endemism, but despite their uniqueness they have been neglected in recent bioregionalisations for the Neotropical region. Given their particular levels of species richness and endemism, we here test the recognition of these as distinct bioregions within the Chacoan Domain.
Location: Mountaintops of eastern South America.
Methods: We listed 1,748 angiosperm species endemic to the campo rupestre of the Espinhaço Range and Chapada dos Veadeiros regions, based on the data gathered from the Brazilian Flora 2020 Project. We extracted all occurrence information available from GBIF for such list and also for a polygon gathering all the study area, including information from adjacent vegetations. Data went through standard cleaning procedures and a network clustering analysis was performed to delimitate the boundaries of the new bioregions.
Results: Our data strongly support the recognition of two distinct bioregions along the Espinhaço Range, but none in the Chapada dos Veadeiros. Given their high levels of endemism and singularity from the Cerrado and Caatinga provinces, we formalise two provinces associated to campo rupestre in the Espinhaço Range, naming them as “Chapada Diamantina” and “Southern Espinhaço” provinces. Within the latter province, three districts are also recognised, based on this and previous studies: “Diamantina Plateau”, “Grão-Mogol” and “Iron Quadrangle” districts.
Main conclusions: The formalisation of new and previously described bioregions highlights the campo rupestre as a vegetation harbouring outstanding levels of species richness and endemism in South America, contributing to a better understanding of biogeographical patterns in the Neotropics. Also, as we follow the International Code of Area Nomenclature as a device to standardize recognition of bioregions, this shall facilitate further biogeographical and conservation studies in these areas. Further assessments with new and revisited data are encouraged to enable minor scale bioregionalisation within the Chacoan dominion.
Intraspecific aggressive behavior usually mediates competition for breeding and non-breeding resources among females and for mating opportunities among males. Variation in intrasexual aggressive levels across social and breeding contexts might then differ between sexes or converge due to different reasons. We studied three colonies of the polygynous Red-rumped cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous) during one breeding season. We evaluated whether the frequency of female-female and male-male aggressive interactions (number of interactions corrected by total number of individuals of the focal sex) varied with social context (total number of individuals of each sex in the colony) and breeding stage (number of nests under construction and nests with offspring) at each colony. We also tested for the occurrence (linearity and steepness) of a dominance hierarchy among banded males in one colony. We predicted positive correlations between female-female aggression and nests under construction (i.e. competition for nest sites) and between male-male aggression and nests under construction (a proxy for fertile females) and also male-male aggression and number of males (i.e. disputes for dominance rank) in the colony. We observed 533 female-female and 608 male-male aggressive interactions. Female-female aggressive interactions increased with the number of nests under construction in the colony, and decreased during incubation and nestling stages. Male-male aggressive interactions increased with the number of nests under construction, but not with the number of males in the colony. However, we found a steep and linear dominance hierarchy among males shaped by aggressive interactions. Our results suggest that (i) females behave aggressively when competing during the nest-building stage, probably for nest sites and materials; and (ii) male aggression determines the dominance hierarchy and is related to mating opportunities.
HIGHLIGHTS
● We observed intrasexual aggressive interactions across breeding stages in a blackbird with female-only parental care.● Female-female and male-male aggressive interactions increased when nests were under construction in the colony.● Dominance hierarchy was evaluated for males and it was linear and steep.● Results suggest females compete for nest sites and male aggression shapes dominance and is associated with mating opportunities.
Context: Population estimation and monitoring are important tools for the support of programs and actions of conservation for most wildlife species, including birds. For validation of such support, a set of reliable, consistent and comparable parameter estimates is essential (through systematic monitoring over time), in addition to studies on ecological aspects of the species.
Aims: In this study, our aim was to analyse the population of Penelope superciliaris in the Vale Natural Reserve (VNR), located in northeastern Espírito Santo, Brazil, providing estimates of density, population size and activity. We also analysed occupancy and detectability of the species, relating them to six covariates (distance from forest edge, water and road, as well as poaching intensity, canopy cover and understorey cover) based on previous knowledge of the ecology of rusty-margined guan.
Methods: We used line-transect surveys to estimate density and abundance, and camera traps to estimate habitat use by P. superciliaris, using the occupancy modelling approach. Key results: Estimated density for P. superciliaris was 2.5 AE 1.0 groups per km 2 with a group size of 6.0 AE 2.0 individuals, and estimated population size for the entire VNR was 3544 AE 495 individuals. Occupancy by P. superciliaris was best described by three covariates: (1) distance to road; (2) distance to water; and (3) poaching intensity. Detectability was affected by two covariates: (1) understorey cover; and (2) poaching intensity.
Conclusions: Our results provide the first information on density, habitat use and activity of P. superciliaris in the VNR. We concluded that P. superciliaris is active diurnally, especially during morning and late afternoon, prefers areas near water sources in denser forests and tends to avoid areas with habitat modification and intense poaching activity.
Implications: Our data highlight the impact of poaching on the species and can be useful as a baseline for future studies and Cracid conservation plans.