Here I present the first documented record of the Red-billed Scythebill Campylorhamphus trochilirostris in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Despite its wide distribution, there was only one record in ...the extreme west of the state. This new locality also represents an extension from its previously known geographic distribution.
The rising number of aircraft collisions with birds requires the development of appropriate mitigation measures to control their populations in the vicinity of airports. The black vulture (Coragyps ...atratus; vultures) is considered one of the most dangerous species for aviation in Brazil. To better understand the spatial distribution patterns of flying vultures and the risks they may pose to aviation, we studied natural and anthropogenic superficial factors and then numerically estimated and mapped the risk of collision with birds over the Airport Safety Area (ASA) for the Amarais Airport and Presidente Prudente Airport in the southeast part of Brazil. To conduct our research, we surveyed soaring black vultures monthly between September 2012 and August 2013 from 26 points within 20-km ASA zones. We obtained the environmental parameters (i.e., relief, surface temperature, surface covering type, and anthropogenic pressure) from satellite imagery and georeferenced them with our vulture survey. The tabulated data were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation and principal component analysis to determine if any the relationships existed between vulture flight patterns and ASA environmental characteristics. We found that the contrast in surface temperatures correlated well with the intensity of vulture soaring flights. Vultures tend to soar using the strongest thermals in their surroundings. Relief parameters, including altitude above sea level, slope exposure, and inclination, were not related with the vulture soaring activity. Water bodies and roadways were the most attractive landscapes for soaring vultures. We recorded the least number of soaring vultures over the uninterrupted urbanized lands. However, the scattered enclaves of urban settlement surrounded by natural and rural landscapes were selected by soaring birds. To mitigate the bird strike risk in ASA zones, we propose that managers should plot the objects generating thermals that attract vultures on risk assessment maps and reroute aviation to avoid them.
Adult individuals of the island pitviper Bothrops insularis have a diet based on birds. We analysed bird species recorded in the gut of this snake and found that it relies on two out of 41 bird ...species recorded on the island. When present, these two prey species were among the most abundant passerine birds on the island. A few other migrant birds were very occasionally recorded as prey. A resident bird species (Troglodytes musculus) is the most abundant passerine on the island, but seems able to avoid predation by the viper. Bothrops insularis is most commonly found on the ground. However, during the abundance peak of the tyrannid passerine Elaenia chilensis on the island, more snakes were found on vegetation than on the ground. We suggest that one cause may be that these birds forage mostly on vegetation, and thus cause the snakes to search for prey on this arboreal substratum.
This note presents the first documented record of Least Nighthawk,
Chordeiles pusillus
(Gould, 1861), in São Paulo state, Brazil. The species was observed on four occasions (January 31, April 25, and ...July 27, 2016; April 27, 2017) in a sandy-rocky habitat on the left bank of Grande river, Mira Estrela municipality. This record is at least 300 km from the previously known occurrences of the species.
This note presents the first documented record of Least Nighthawk, Chordeiles pusillus (Gould, 1861), in São Paulo state, Brazil. The species was observed on four occasions (January 31, April ...25, and July 27, 2016; April 27, 2017) in a sandy-rocky habitat on the left bank of Grande river, Mira Estrela municipality. This record is at least 300 km from the previously known occurrences of the species.
Recordings of cougar (Puma concolor) vocalizations are rare in the wild. We made two night recordings from the same individual. The first recording was spontaneous whereas the second was made after a ...playback emission (using a third party recording) allowing for comparisons. We measured the calls before and after playback stimuli using Raven software and noted that only the minimum fundamental frequency presented differences between calls. As fundamental frequency is closely related to body size, a frequency reduction may indicate territoriality engagement. Our recording seems to be the first held in the Brazilian wild. Little is known about cougar natural history and behavior, and our data suggest that acoustic communication may have an important role on the species intraspecific interactions.
Recordings of cougar (Puma concolor) vocalizations are rare in the wild. We made two night recordings from the same individual. The first recording was spontaneous whereas the second was made after a ...playback emission (using a third party recording) allowing for comparisons. We measured the calls before and after playback stimuli using Raven software and noted that only the minimum fundamental frequency presented differences between calls. As fundamental frequency is closely related to body size, a frequency reduction may indicate territoriality engagement. Our recording seems to be the first held in the Brazilian wild. Little is known about cougar natural history and behavior, and our data suggest that acoustic communication may have an important role on the species intraspecific interactions. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
Pouco se sabe sobre comunidades em ilhas, mas a Teoria de Equilíbrio de Biogeografia de Ilhas tem sido utilizada para interpretar a organização das mesmas. No Brasil, são escassos os estudos com aves em ilhas, sendo em sua maioria voltados às aves marinhas e usualmente restritos a levantamentos. A Ilha da Queimada Grande já foi alvo de diversos estudos, principalmente sobre a jararaca-ilhoa (Bothrops insularis) espécie endêmica e que se alimenta basicamente de aves. Entretanto, há poucas informações sobre a avifauna que ocorre na ilha. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram: (1) descrever a riqueza de espécies e estrutura trófica da comunidade de aves presentes na ilha; (2) verificar se existem variações sazonais na riqueza e abundância de aves e (3) comparar a diferença na composição e abundância relativa de espécies na ilha em relação ao continente. Foram realizadas seis expedições a campo com duração de cinco dias cada. A amostragem foi feita em pontos fixos ao longo de um transecto em trilha que atravessa a ilha. Um total de 63 espécies foi registrado. Houve variação no número de espécies, número de registros e diversidade entre as campanhas, sendo que riqueza foi maior nas campanhas do período seco. Isso ocorreu principalmente em função das espécies migratórias, sendo que estas são quase ausentes no período chuvoso, que corresponde ao período reprodutivo das aves da região. A guilda dos onívoros foi a mais representativa em número de espécies, ao passo que os insetívoros foram os mais abundantes. As espécies de Turdus foram as que apresentaram sazonalidade mais marcante. A diversidade no continente (região da Juréia) foi bem maior do que na ilha. Troglodytes musculus não é predado por Bothrops insularis, o que indica a capacidade da espécie ou da população...
Little is known about communities on islands, but the Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography has been used to interpret the organization of these communities. In Brazil, studies of birds on islands are scarce, which are mainly focused on seabirds and are restrict to list of species. The Queimada Grande Island has been subject of several studies, mainly on Golden Lancehead (Bothrops insularis), an endemic pitviper which feed mainly on birds. However, there are few data on the avifauna of this island. The aim of this study were: (1) describe the richness and trophic structure of bird communities on the Queimada Grande Island, (2) to verify if occurs seasonal variations in richness and abundance of birds in the island, and (3) to compare the difference in the composition and relative abundance of species between island and mainland. We made six field expeditions during five days each one. The sampling was done by transects and count points. Birds were sampled with use of fixed points along a trail that crosses the island in the North-South. A total of 63 species were recorded. The most abundant species was Troglodytes musculus, which is a resident. There were variation in the number of species among the expeditions, and more species were recorded in the dry season. This variation occurs mainly due to migratory species, because these are almost absent in the rainy season, considered the reproductive period of the birds. The guild of omnivores was the most representative in number of species, while insectivores were the most abundant. The Turdus spp. showed more seasonality than other species. The diversity in the continent (Juréia region) was higher than the island. Troglodytes musculus were never recorded as prey of Bothrops insularis, which indicate an ability of the species or this population... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)
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