Richness, composition and trophic groups of an avian community in the Pernambuco Endemism Centre, Alagoas, Brazil

Abstract

In northeastern Brazil, the reduction of the natural forest cover to a series of small, isolated fragments has had negative consequences for the local avian fauna, in particular, a loss of the more specialized species, while the populations of some generalists have tended to increase. The present study focuses on the composition and trophic groups of a bird community on a farm in the northeastern Brazilian state of Alagoas. Monthly surveys were conducted between November 2008 and October 2009, based on mistnetting and systematic observations. Overall, 112 species were recorded, of which 76 were associated with the two forest fragments surveyed, while all the others were observed exclusively in the surrounding matrix of pasture and orchards. The bird community presented a predominance of insectivorous species, followed by omnivores. However, specialized trunk-creeping and understory insectivores accounted for only around 15% of the species in this feeding category. The reduced diversity of other guilds and species with more specialized diets, and the complete absence of sensitive species such as large parrots and raptors, reflects the severe fragmentation and degradation of the local forests, which has greatly reduced the availability of dietary resources and breeding sites.

Water-level controlled reservoir as refugia for waterbirds in an urban landscape

“…Due to the mosaic distribution and seasonal variation of wetland resources, waterbird communities tend to exhibit both spatial and temporal variation (Alves and Pereira 1998;Branco 2007). The role of reservoirs as alternative habitats for waterbirds has been demonstrated through studies on community structure, as changes in population patterns and trophic groups may indicate gradients of anthropogenic impacts (Goldsmith 1991;Toledo-Lima et al 2014).…”

Avifauna of the Serra de Itabaiana National Park revisited: additions and deletions in a period of 15 years

“…The taxonomic and systematic sequence of bird species follows the recommendations of the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee (Pacheco et al, 2021). The species diet was determined through literature searches (Motta Junior, 1990;Sick, 1997;Toledo-Lima et al, 2004;Telino-Júnior, Dias, Azevedo Júnior, Lyra-Neves, & Larrazábal, 2005). The diets considered were: Carnivorous (CAR): the bird feeds mainly on vertebrate animals (e.g., rodents, birds, lizards, snakes); Detritivorous (DET): the bird feeds mainly on carrion; Frugivorous (FRU): the bird feeds mainly on fruits; Granivorous (GRA): the bird feeds mainly on seeds; Frugivorous/Granivorous (FRU/GRA): the bird feeds mainly on fruits and/or seeds; Insectivorous (INS): the bird feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates, except snails; Nectarivorous (NEC): the bird feeds mainly on nectar; Omnivorous (ONI): the bird feeds on a wide variety of foods; Malacophagous (MAL): the bird feeds mainly on snails; Piscivorous (PIS): the bird feeds mainly on fish.…”

Recording of relict ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and South American coati (Nasua nasua) populations in the biodiversity hotspot Pernambuco Endemism Center, Northern Atlantic Forest, Brazil

“…The northern portion of the Atlantic Forest has experienced continued deforestation over the last 500 years since the early stage of the colonization of Brazil. Since the 1970s, a large and rapid expansion of sugarcane plantation has further reduced the remaining PEC' fragments to only 2% of its original area (Tabarelli et al 2003, Toledo-Lima et al 2014, which contributed to the accentuated decline of the ocelot and coati populations, as well as that of other carnivores in the region (Mendes Pontes et al 2016). Such a defaunation scenario (Silva Jr. andMendes Pontes 2008, Canale et al 2012) may also be related to the historical and still common practice of hunting in the region (Souza and Alves 2014).…”

“…This biome spans over 3000 km from 30°S to 7°S and has been regionalized in up to eight biogeographical sub-regions (Ribeiro et al 2009). Its northernmost portion, namely the Pernambuco Endemism Center (hereafter PEC), shows the highest level of forest loss, with only 2% of its original forest remaining (Silva and Tabarelli 2000, Tabarelli et al 2003, Toledo-Lima et al 2014. Deforestation was mainly caused by historical continued sugarcane plantations over the last 500 years since the colonization of Brazil (Coimbra-Filho andCâmara 1996, Vivo 1997).…”