Abstract
The Northern Central American Highlands have been recognized as endemic bird area, but little is known about bird communities in Guatemalan cloud forests. From 1997 to 2001 a total of 142 bird species were recorded between 2000 and 2400 masl in cloud forest and agricultural clearings on Montaña Caquipec (Alta Verapaz, Guatemala). The bird community is described based on line transect counts within the forest. Pooling census data from undisturbed and disturbed forest, the Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) was found to be the most abundant species, followed in descending order by the Common Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus), the Paltry Tyrannulet (Zimmerius vilissimus), the Yellowish Flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens), the Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus frantzi), and the Amethyst-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis amethystinus). Bird communities in undisturbed and disturbed forest were found to be similar (Serensen similarity index 0.85), indicating low human impact. Of all recorded species, approximately 27% were Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds. The most abundant one was the Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). The Montaña Caquipec is an important area for bird conservation, which is indicated by the presence of four species listed in the IUCN Red List (Highland Guan Penelopina nigra, Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno, Pink-headed Warbler Ergaticus versicolor, Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia), and 42 Mesoamerican endemics, of which 14 species are endemic to the Central American Highlands. The results presented here will be useful as baseline data for a long-term monitoring.
Highlights
Tropical rainforests have been labeled as some of the most endangered biomes on a global scale (Dobson 1996)
The Northern Central American Highlands have been recognized as endemic bird area, but little is known about bird communities in Guatemalan cloud forests
The Montaña Caquipec is an important area for bird conservation, which is indicated by the presence of four species listed in the IUCN Red List (Highland Guan Penelopina nigra, Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno, Pink-headed Warbler Ergaticus versicolor, Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia), and 42 Mesoamerican endemics, of which 14 species are endemic to the Central American Highlands
Summary
Tropical rainforests have been labeled as some of the most endangered biomes on a global scale (Dobson 1996). While public interest is mainly focused on lowland rainforests (Wilson 1992, Primack 1993, Dobson 1996, Primack and Corlett 2005), the overall area of cloud forests in the world has been more greatly reduced than lowland forests in the last few decades (Doumenge et al 1995, Hamilton et al 1995). High species turnover rates have been observed along an altitudinal transect in the Sierra Madre (Navarro 1992), and there is almost no similarity in bird species composition between lowland broadleaf forests and cloud forests above 2 000 m This study was carried out as a thesis research (Eisermann 1999) and aims to increase the knowledge on the structure of bird communities in high-altitude cloud forests in Guatemala. In order to measure the impact of the efforts of several conservation institutions at Caquipec, a long-term monitoring program of the avifauna will be implemented based on the results of this study
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