Using MacKinnon lists and mist-netting simultaneously: maximizing the efficiency of rapid surveys of bird populations in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has been transformed into a mosaic of forest fragments that impacts local populations of vertebrates, in particular birds. In the state of Sergipe, Brazil, while only approximately 10% of the original forest remains, ornithological research is still incipient, and basic data are still lacking. In this context, the present study investigated the bird community of a remnant of Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Japoatã using complementary methods in a rapid survey approach. The composition of the community and its trophic guilds was defined and compared with other localities in Sergipe, and Atlantic Forest sites in other Brazilian states. Data were collected in October 2016, by mist-netting and the compilation of MacKinnon lists. A total of 118 bird species were recorded during 1088 net-h and in 60 MacKinnon lists. Four of these species are under some risk of extinction, and one of these is endemic to the region. The most diverse families were Thraupidae, Tyrannidae, Trochilidae, and Thamnophilidae, with the relative contribution of each family varying according to the the sampling method used. The most common species were Manacus manacus (Linnaeus, 1766) and Coereba flaveola (Linnaeus, 1758). The omnivores were the largest guild (n = 301 individuals), followed by the insectivores (n = 236) and the frugivores n = 146). The combined survey approach proved effective, increasing the number of bird species known to occur in the study area to 165, with an increase of more than 40% in comparison with previous surveys in the same area. Overall, the results of the present study reinforce the need for further ornithological surveys in the region, and the value of combining complementary approaches for a more comprehensive inventory during rapid surveys.