Abstract
We reviewed the occurrences and distributional patterns of migratory species of birds in Brazil. A species was classified as migratory when at least part of its population performs cyclical, seasonal movements with high fidelity to its breeding grounds. Of the 1,919 species of birds recorded in Brazil, 198 (10.3%) are migratory. Of these, 127 (64%) were classified as Migratory and 71 (36%) as Partially Migratory. A few species (83; 4.3%) were classified as Vagrant and eight (0,4%) species could not be defined due to limited information available, or due to conflicting data.
Highlights
Bird migration – the cyclic and seasonal movement of individuals between their breeding and non-breeding sites (Webster et al, 2002) – is a phenomenon that has been captivating and fascinating mankind for centuries (Lincoln, 1979)
Through revision of the current state of knowledge and by setting clear criteria to support our judgments and reviewing the current state of knowledge, including data held in an open access digital database, we present the first annotated list of migratory species of birds in Brazil
In a field of study as incipient as it is the case of migratory bird ecology in Brazil, these results should be interpreted with caution, and subject to frequent revision
Summary
Bird migration – the cyclic and seasonal movement of individuals between their breeding and non-breeding sites (Webster et al, 2002) – is a phenomenon that has been captivating and fascinating mankind for centuries (Lincoln, 1979). This literature reveals that most studies are biased towards migration patterns of North American species, whereas migratory patterns in the Southern Hemisphere are relatively poorly studied (Faaborg et al, 2010b).
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