Dinâmica reprodutiva de aves da caatinga em uma área próxima ao rio São Francisco

• Autor(a) principal: Vilas-bôas, Marcelo de Menezes
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFS
• Texto Completo: https://ri.ufs.br/handle/riufs/4411
• topic: Aves; Ecologia animal; Comportamento animal; Caatinga; Bacia do Rio São Francisco; Animal behavior; Animal ecology; Birds; CNPQ::CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::ECOLOGIA

The reproductive period of a bird species begins with the selection of conspecific partners and terminates once the offspring have become independent. While many bird species are found in the Caatinga, little ornithological research has been conducted in this semi-arid biome, in particular with regard to reproductive patterns. The objective of the present study was to characterize the reproductive dynamics of the bird populations of two caatinga sites at different distances from the São Francisco River, with the aim of evaluated the influence on the river on breeding patterns. A total of 250 nests built by 30 bird species were monitored within the study area between November, 2011, and October, 2012. The nests were active between March and October. A total of 54 species were collected using mist-nets, with only 35% similarity in species composition being found between the two areas. The nesting birds preferred arboreal substrates to build their nests, and also the river margin, which presented a significantly different type of vegetation from that found on the plateau. Mean clutch size was 2.2±0.1 per female, and was significantly higher in the plateau area. Overall, 23 different types of nest were identified, with a marked preference for those of the basic basket type, which were found in agglomerations on the margin of the river, but with a more random distribution on the plateau. Nest predation was significantly higher on the margin, especially at the beginning of the breeding season, decreasing over time. The proximity to the São Francisco River, and the differences between the study plots appeared to be the principal factors determining the choice of nest site by the local birds. The study area was considered to be fundamentally important for the reproduction of the local bird populations, and studies that contribute to the conservation of this area must be given priority.