Birds of Universidad de los Llanos (Villavicencio, Colombia): a rich community at the andean foothills-savanna transition

Jorge Enrique Avendaño,Andrea Morales Rozo,Nattaly Tejeiro M,Natalie Gamboa,José Salcedo Sarmiento,Yoliver Esmeralda,Jhon Jairo Amaya Burgos,Andrés Felipe Aponte,Jessica Díaz Cárdenas,Álvaro Javier Velásquez Suárez

doi:10.17151/bccm.2018.22.2.5

Abstract

Objectives: To conduct a bird inventory at the Barcelona campus of Universidad de los Llanos Villavicencio, Colombia, with the aim of estimating species richness, abundance and habitat associations of the local avifauna. Scope: Characterization of the local avian diversity and its association with different types of natural and transformed ecosystems. Methodology: We inventoried birds using sight and auditory records made weekly between August 2013 and August 2014, plus opportunistic observations made between 2013 and 2018. We estimated species richness using non-parametric estimates, and categorized local abundances and habitat associations based upon encounter frequencies. Main results: We recorded a total of 210 species (189 species through systematic observations, plus 21 recorded non-systematically). The list includes one Colombian near-endemic, 20 migrant species, and four range extensions for the Orinoco basin. The heterogeneous vegetation sustains a rich community composed mainly by species associated with urban zones, gallery forest and artificial lakes. Most species were rare and occasional, which suggests that they are visitors or maintain small populations within the campus. Conclusions: This study provides basic data on bird diversity of transformed ecosystems in the Orinoco basin, and highlights the importance of mosaics of savanna, forest and transformed ecosystems as refuges and stopover areas of resident and migratory birds.

Highlights

The Orinoco basin covers c. 981,000 km2 between Colombia and Venezuela, from which 343,350 km2 (35%) are found in Colombia, representing c. 30% of the country terrestrial area (LASSO et al, 2010)
Some areas like the Andean foothills in the Meta department and surroundings of Villavicencio city have historically received more attention by ornithologists, most data correspond to non-systematic observations, sporadic collection of specimens and low-sampling effort studies focused on punctual localities (MEYER DE SCHAUENSEE, 194852; NICÉFORO, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1955; SULLIVAN et al, 2009; MURILLOPACHECO & BONILLA-ROJAS, 2016), which restrict our understanding of the species richness and composition at smaller geographical scales
Our inventory of the Unillanos campus is instrumental in filling the knowledge gap on the regional bird species diversity, as well as contributing to understanding the effects of landscape transformation in the avifauna of ecosystems located on the Andean foothills-savanna transition

Summary

Introduction

The Orinoco basin covers c. 981,000 km between Colombia and Venezuela, from which 343,350 km (35%) are found in Colombia, representing c. 30% of the country terrestrial area (LASSO et al, 2010). To date there are records of 4347 species of vascular and 471 species of non-vascular plants, 685 fish species, 122 species of reptiles, 71 species of amphibians, 761 species of birds and 196 species of mammals (LASSO et al, 2010; ACEVEDO-CHARRY et al, 2014; MINORTA-CELY & RANGEL-CH., 2014; PARDO-MARTÍNEZ & RANGELCH., 2014; RINCÓN-E. et al, 2014; ROMERO et al, 2014; TRUJILLO-P. et al, 2014). Despite this high biological diversity, knowledge of particular.

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Conclusion