Composition and Structure of the Lacustrine Bird Communities of Seasonally Flooded Wetlands of Western Brazilian Amazonia at High Water

Abstract

Abstract We describe and analyze the bird community composition of the lacustrine water bodies of the seasonally flooded wetlands of the Mamiraua and Amana Reserves, Amazonas, Brazil. Bird surveys were conducted in 54 water bodies within four water body systems aboard a speedboat, in July 2003, at the peak of the high water season. We recorded 2,823 individuals representing 79 bird species associated with aquatic environments, mostly resident; of these, 34 were aquatic (exclusively associated with aquatic environments), and 19 were primarily piscivorous. The aquatic bird communities of Mamiraua and Amana comprise a few abundant species and a higher number of rare species. Seven species accounted for 71.7% of all 34 aquatic birds recorded. In general, the more elongated the water bodies, the lower the aquatic and piscivorous bird species richness, and the lower the bird abundance. Piscivorous bird abundance was not significantly related to water body shape. Matrices of bird species by water body were subje...