DIVERSITY OF NOCTURNAL BIRDS IN FOREST FRAGMENTS IN THE PAMPA BIOME, SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Studies on nocturnal birds in the Neotropical region are still considered scarce in the literature, lacking bioecological approaches to this group in the wild. The present study aimed to obtain information on the abundance, richness, and composition of nocturnal birds found in forest fragments in the Central Region, the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection was conducted between 2015 and 2016 through listening points, in three fragments in the region (defined as A, B, and C). Seven species of nocturnal birds were recorded and the most abundant were Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) and Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba). Summer was the most representative season in abundance and species richness. In terms of composition, fragment (A) presented a distinction, with an exclusive species, the bacurau-chintã (Hydropsalis parvula). The feeding guilds are composed of carnivorous and insectivorous individuals, most of which are annual residents of the state. The assemblage of nocturnal birds recorded in the fragments of deciduous seasonal forest in the central region reports information about this group, which seems to be locally adapted to live in these altered forest environments, which in a way, still provide resources to meet their trophic needs.