Bird diversity in the Serra do Aracá region, northwestern Brazilian Amazon: preliminary check-list with considerations on biogeography and conservation

Abstract

Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia | www.sbzoologia.org.br | www.scielo.br/zool All content of the journal, except where identified, is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-type BY-NC.ABSTRACT. We inventoried the birds from Serra do Aracá region, state of Amazonas. The region encompasses a high diversity of vegetation types, including white sand forests and campinas, terra firme and flooded forests, montane forests and tepuis. We recorded 416 bird taxa in 69 families through captures with mist nets, tape recording of bird voices, and collection of voucher specimens. A large proportion of them (61%) were recorded in a single vegetation type. Qualitative estimates suggest that approximately 580 bird species occur in the region. The avifauna of the Aracá region has a mixed biogeographic composition, with species typical of both margins of the Rio Negro occurring sympatrically. Additionally, species whose distributions are restricted to three areas of endemism for Amazonian birds (Imeri, Guiana and Pantepui) were recorded in the region. Rare landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon are found in the Serra do Aracá region. Additionally, we recorded endemic and rare birds, highlighting the value of the region for conservation.The Serra do Aracá State Park officially protects montane forests, terra firme forests and tepuis. We suggest that the large extension of white sand campinas and igapó forests at the southern portion of Serra do Aracá should be also preserved in order to improve the representation of the rich natural heritage of the region.

Bird Communities in Amazonian White‐Sand Vegetation Patches: Effects of Landscape Configuration and Biogeographic Context

“…Data reported in previous studies (Borges , Borges et al . ) were also included in some analyses to increase sample size.…”

“…Most data were collected in the dry season from 2010 to 2013. Data reported in previous studies (Borges 2004, Borges et al 2014 were also included in some analyses to increase sample size.…”

Avian Communities in the Amazonian Cangas Vegetation: Biogeographic Affinities, Components of Beta-Diversity and Conservation

“…The bird lists were compiled from ( Fig. 1 (Borges 2004), Aracá river white sand campinas (Borges et al 2014), and Viruá National Park white sand campinas (Naka et al 2006). We compiled a master list of 339 non-forest/edge species distributed in the eight regions and for comparative analysis only the species that were recorded in at least two regions were selected.…”

First record of the Yellowish Pipit in Acre with notes on other grassland birds in southwestern Amazônia

“…Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia, Figure 3) -Originally absent from forested Amazonian habitats (Holt et al, 1999), the natural populations of this species were only found in enclaves of open vegetation in the northern and northwestern Amazon basin (Borges et al, 2014;. Recently, Athene cunicularia populations have expanded into areas that were once covered by tropical rainforest (Aleixo and Polleto, 2007;Gomes et al, 2013 Figure 5) -This species occurs throughout most of South America, but was originally absent from much of the Amazon region (Piersma and Wiersma, 1996).…”

“…Black-faced Tanager (Schistochlamys melanopis, Figure 7) -This species is widely distributed in South America (Hilty, 2011), but was originally almost totally absent in the Amazon rainforest (Ridgely and Tudor, 1994). Even in the recent past, the only records of Black-faced Tanager were scant and restricted to enclaves of savanna-like vegetation on sandy soils, known locally as campina, campinarana or cerrado (Borges et al, 2001;Aleixo and Polleto, 2007;Vasconcelos et al, 2011;Borges et al, 2014). On 10 March 2004, a road-killed Blackfaced Tanager was found on the Interoceanic highway (BR-317) near the town of Brasiléia (Figure 1).…”