Owl Assemblages in Fragments of Atlantic Forest in Brazil

Abstract

· 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.

Habitat and species segregation of Strigiformes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…Among the recorded species, M. atricapilla, S. virgata, and P. koeniswaldiana are forest species and have some degree of sensitivity to human disturbances (Stotz et al 1996, Sick 1997, while M. choliba are habitat generalist (Sick 1997). Studies on Strigiformes in South America, especially in Brazil, are scarce (but see, Borges et al 2004, Amaral 2007, Zorzin et al 2008, Esclarski et al 2011, Fink et al 2012, Menq and Delariva 2015, Menq and Anjos 2015, Claudino et al 2018. Results of these studies are similar to ours in relation to owls that occur in inner forest areas.…”

“…Strigiformes are bioindicators of environmental quality, and their conservation, along with forest fragments, is necessary to maintain the biodiversity of tropical forests (Terborgh 1992, Motta-Junior et al 2004. Although knowledge about Neotropical owls has advanced in recent decades (Esclarski et al 2011, Fink et al 2012, Menq and Anjos 2015, Enríquez 2017, Claudino et al 2018, studies that analyze the owl community, especially in forest environments, are still important.…”

A food interaction network between psittacines and plants in an urban area in the city of São Carlos – SP, southeastern Brazil

“…Most of the other studies published on the diet of psittacines in Brazil have presented low similarity of plant species, because they were developed in natural environments with native vegetation [e.g., Francisco et al (2002); Galetti and Rodrigues (1992); Galetti (1997); Marcondes-Machado and Oliveira (1987); Nunes and Santos Junior (2011); Pizo et al (1995); Ragusa-Netto (2022)], this corroborates the results of the literature review by Bahia et al (2022), which points to the low amount of research conducted in urbanized environments and the need to better understand the networks of food interactions in anthropic landscapes. However, in these studies, the same psittacines species and/or species of the same genus, morphologically similar, were recorded, replacing the species observed here in other regions, such as B. tirica, as well as species of the genus Aratinga, the former genus of E. aurea and P. leucophthalmus before recent changes in taxonomic nomenclature.…”