Variação temporal e ocupação do periquito-de-asa-branca Brotogeris versicolurus na área urbana de Manaus, AM

Abstract

The White-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus) caught the attention of inhabitants of the city of Manaus, where every afternoon they gather on an avenue in the urban area to spend the night, and every morning they leave to feed in the city. The objective of this study was to investigate the temporal variation of B. versicolurus and relate it to food availability, breeding period, and roost shelters. The study was carried out in Manaus, including the urban area, and a single point on Careiro Island, on the floodplain, where counts of individuals were made. The city was searched for places occupied, whether the parakeets used the places as a roost or as a breeding site, as well as quantifying the total number of mango trees and mango trees with fruits, and the roost trees were mapped and measured. I found that there is temporal variation in the abundance of B. versicolurus and that it is related to the availability of mangoes and to the breeding period. During the breeding period, the abundance of B. versicolurus in the urban area is lower. After this period, abundance is greater, coinciding with the crop of mangoes available in the city during this time. In addition, there is no evidence of breeding in the urban area, only in the floodplain, which reinforces the idea that breeding sites are far from the seasonal roost. This roost accommodates large numbers of individuals that tend to be grouped, preferring to occupy more clustered trees and greater heights and larger canopies, besides being close to places that are a source of food, which benefits in relation to foraging. In addition to this roost, another was discovered in the urban area, but with a much smaller number of individuals. The probable cause for the temporal variation of the species is the breeding season, when abundance is lower in the urban area. The probable best explanation for the formation of a roost is the need to be grouped and closer to the food source.