The Central Espinhaço Range forms a large biogeographical barrier that contains areas of ecological transition between two important conservation hotspots in Brazil: the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. This research aims to present the first consolidated list of bird species from Parque Estadual do Biribiri (PEBI) located in the Central Espinhaço Range at Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. We recorded 172 bird species between August/November 2018 and January/April 2019, of which 15 are associated with the surrounding biomes (Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest) and three species restricted to the southeastern Brazilian mountain tops. Among those species, four are considered globally Near Threatened and 41 species are listed under wildlife trafficking species, indicating the importance of conserving this area. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of PEBI and stress the importance of such transitional areas for maintaining diversity of birds in the Espinhaço Range.

Three individuals of the endangered Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) were sighted in a small river in the municipality of Buriticupu, Maranhão state, Brazil. Information on the distribution of this species is contradictory, with some authors ignoring while others confirming the presence of this species in this state, but only in the Rebio do Gurupi region. We document the presence of this species in Maranhão state, outside the Rebio do Gurupi area. Our record of P. brasiliensis expands the known regional distribution 290 km eastwards from the closest previously known occurrence.