OBSERVATIONS OF SOME UNUSUAL RAINFOREST AND MARSH BIRDS IN SOUTHEASTERN PERU
1982; Wilson Ornithological Society; Volume: 94; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1938-5447
Autores Tópico(s)Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
ResumoThis paper provides information on the behavior, distribution, and taxonomy of 36 species of rainforest and marsh birds found in the tropical lowlands of southeastern Peru. Most species discussed are little-known forest residents, but some are widespread and common in other regions, occurring in Peru only as migrants or vagrants. Observations reported here were made intermittently from June 1977 to October 1981, during which time I spent about 6 months in the Dpto. Madre de Dios. The most frequently mentioned locality herein is the Tambopata Reserve, a government protected area of 5000 ha on the south bank of the Rio Tambopata some 30 km southwest of Puerto Maldonado (12”5O’S, 69”16’W). A tourist lodge, the Explorer’s Inn, is situated on the reserve at the confluence of the Tambopata and its tributary, the Rio La Torre. In recent years this area has attracted many naturalists, particularly ornithologists, who have found an amazing diversity of animals and plants. Within 10 km of the lodge clearing more than 515 bird species have been recorded, of which 90% are residents and 10% are migrants from north or south. An annotated species list for the reserve has been prepared (Donahue et al., unpubl.). To my knowledge this locality supports the richest avifauna in the world. The Tambopata Reserve lies on generally flat, forested land at an average elevation of about 250 m. Two main types of rainforest exist within the reserve. “Transitional forest” occurs in low-lying, poorly-drained areas not far from the rivers. Much of this habitat is seasonally inundated by overflow from the rivers, or during the wet months of November to April, by heavy rainfall; annual precipitation has been estimated at 1500-2000 mm, and mean annual temperature falls between 18 and 24°C (G. Hartshorn, unpubl.). The canopy here is uneven, averaging about 30 m. Wooded swamps and thickets of bamboo occur in this terrain. Upland or terra firme forest stands on extensive alluvial terraces that rise to 10 m above the seasonally flooded areas. The canopy of upland forest is more continuous than that of transitional forest, but equally high. There is a welldeveloped understory of short trees and palms in both forest types. One study plot of 1.0 ha in “average forest” on the reserve held 584 trees 10 cm or more in diameter at breast height, representing 153 species, of which only seven were lianas (G. Hartshorn, unpubl.). Other important habitats on the reserve include shrubby second growth
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