Avifauna of North-western Peru Biosphere Reserve and its environs

Abstract

SummaryThe avifauna of the environs of North-western Peru Biosphere Reserve (NPBR) is herein catalogued. This reserve embraces the largest example of protected Neotropical Pacific xeric forests, a habitat complex much scarcer than rainforests. NPBR is very important conservationally because much of the adjoining dry-forest region of south-western Ecuador has been denuded. Exact locality records and their specific literature sources are furnished for North American migrants and those species which have inhabited the vicinity of NPBR but have not been reported there by the authors of reference books that address avian geography. For each tabulated avian species, the earliest attribution or one of the earliest attributions for a specific record of that taxon in the environs of NPBR is provided. Also, 16 species that are threatened, or are endemic to a short strip of extreme south-western Ecuador and north-western Peru, are noted.