Notes On The Avifauna Of The Floodplain Forest Of The Rio Mamoré, Beni, Bolivia, With A Description Of The Juvenile Plumage Of Unicolored Thrush (Turdus Haplochrous) (Aves: Turdidae)

Abstract

Notes on the avifauna of the floodplain forest of the Rio Mamoré, Beni, Bolivia, with a description of the Juvenile plumage of Unicolored Thrush (Turdus haplochrous) – The floodplain forest along the Rio Mamoré is an isolated stretch of riverine forest in the matrix of flooded grassland and gallery forest of the Llanos de Moxos in the department of Beni, Bolivia and contains an understudied avifauna. This habitat potentially represents a stronghold for certain bird taxa. During Dec 2010-Jan 2011, we conducted daily audiovisual censuses, targeted collecting with shotguns, and general collecting with mist-nets for birds at a site in the floodplain forest north of Trinidad, dpto Beni, prov. Cercado, Bolivia. We found a mix of birds typical of Amazonian Varzea habitats and Gallery forest, and found three range-restricted taxa (Turdus haplochrous, Lampropsar tanagrinus bolivienses, and Thripophaga fusciceps fusciceps) to be fairly common. We also detected large numbers of widespread but low-density species such as Neochen jubata , Ara ararauna and Ara chloropterus. Here describe the juvenile plumage of Turdus haplochrous, which appears to be an endemic to floodplaind and gallery forests within the Beni; as well as observations and abundance estimates of 193 species of birds. We estimate this habitat to be particularly important for the world populations of at least ten taxa of birds.