Conservação de aves migratórias neárticas no Brasil

Abstract

This book is the result of the generous support of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), through the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act initiative, to Conservation International Brazil (CI-Brazil). It marks a collaborative effort between 90 specialists in the ornithological sciences in the country who have contributed valuable information about the Nearctic Migratory Birds in Brazil, and of CI-Brazil for organizing this book. It represents a great step forward in the conservation of migratory birds. Brazil has 1,832 species of bird species registered within its territorial boundaries, distributed in 31 orders and 97 families, representing 18% of all bird species in the world. Furthermore, about 15% of the species are endemic to Brazil, meaning that they do not occur anywhere else in the world. One reason for the great diversity of birds in Brazil is the diversity of habitats found in the country. Brazil has two of the largest tropical forest regions in the world, the Atlantic Rain Forest and the Amazon, one of the largest savannah regions, the Cerrado, the largest wetland, the Pantanal, one of the largest dry forests, the Caatinga, and some of the best preserved mangroves in the world, as well as a highly diversified marine environment with oceanic islands and coral reefs. However, not all bird species registered in Brazil are permanent residents. There is a significant number of species that reproduce in other parts of the world and use Brazilian habitats only during the non-reproductive period. The best known species in this group are the Nearctic migrants, which are those that reproduce in North America and spend the non-reproductive period in the Neotropical region, after completing long migratory journeys. Since these birds’ migratory movements are not limited by political boundaries, the effective conservation of these species requires a great collaborative effort among many countries. This book is a contribution to the ongoing efforts for the conservation of migratory birds, through the organization of the best available knowledge about Nearctic birds’ distribution and conservation in Brazil. The main goal was to develop the first catalog of important areas for the conservation of Nearctic migratory birds in Brazil, through the contribution of the Brazilian ornithological scientific community. The book is organized by political regions, North, Northeast, Mid-West, Southeast, and South. Seventy-four synthesis chapters are distributed among the five regions and each one represents an important area for the conservation of Nearctic bird species. Each chapter starts with an identification sheet of the area with general information such as location, altitude, and total area (General Information), followed by a section with a general description (General Description). The third section presents details about the Nearctic migratory birds (Migratory Species), and the last one provides information on threats and recommendations (Threats and Recommendations). Of the 74 areas described in this book, 24 were in the North region, 17 in the Northeast, six in the Mid-West, six in the Southeast, and 21 in the South. Some of these areas represent large metropolitan regions (e.g. Belem and Santarem in the North region, and the Federal District - DF – in the Mid-West). The majority of the areas described however, are formally protected areas in two different categories, sustainable use and strict protection, or they are representative of larger regions that encompass multiple protected areas. The list of the Nearctic Migratory Birds was based on the USFWS birdlist available at http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/Birdlist.shtm. Please refer to the end of this publication for maps with localities where nearctic migratory birds were recorded, as well as for a photographic guide for all species.