Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Results of The Carnegie Museum of Natural History Expeditions to Belize. III.Distributional notes on the birds of Belize.

1987; Volume: 56; Linguagem: Inglês

10.5962/p.330583

1943-6300

D. Scott Wood, Robert C. Leberman,

Avian ecology and behavior

Much new information on the temporal and geographic distributions of the birds of Belize (Central America) has been gathered since the publication of Russell's (1964) monograph.We present here our data on bird distributions gathered during five expeditions to Belize from 1971Belize from to 1985.138 .138 Annals of Carnegie Museum vol.56191 species in alcohol and 839 specimens of 188 species as skeletons.For most of the skeletal preparations a spread feathered wing was also saved.In addition, we preserved 96 specimens of 73 species as traditional study skins; most of this latter group were either specimens in molt or species unusual to Belize.Also, our records include field observations of more than 350 species.The purpose of this report is to comment on the distributions of the birds of Belize, especially where our observations supplement or modify Russell's (1964) findings.Thus, the accounts are presented below only for those species for which our information adds to or significantly changes what has already been reported in the literature. Gazetteer of LocalitiesRussell's (1964) monograph provided an extensive ornithological gazetteer for Belize, many sites of which were visited during the course of our own fieldwork.However, we also visited and collected at a number of sites not listed by him.The locations listed below are mentioned in the individual species comments (with one exception, Cubetas, which is a previously unidentified Russell location).Each site is identified by latitude and longitude and referenced to a location on a major world atlas (National Geographic Society, 1981), to identified sites on both the 1:750,000 Belize map (Directorate of Overseas Surveys, United Kingdom, 1981) and on the 1:50,000 topographic map series (quadrangles numbered 1-42; Directorate of Overseas Surveys, United Kingdom, 1966Kingdom, -1980)), and to one of Russell's (1964) numbered gazetteer localities.These maps are referred to in the locality descriptions as NG Atlas, Belize map, Topo map (number), and Russell (number), respectively.Three sites are of camps set up by Carnegie Museum teams away from any named locality; each is identified as a CM camp.Altun Ha: Belize District; 17°45'N, 88°21'W; marked on Topo map 11 and NG Atlas; 2 km W of Cowhead Creek (on old Northern Highway) on Belize map; 14 km S of Maskall (Russell 6); same location as Rockstone Pond (Barlow et al. 1969(Barlow et al. , 1970)).This is an excavated Mayan min maintained as an archaeological preserve.The habitat is primarily heavy second growth forest with several large stands of cohune palms ( Orbignya cohune).The area around the main temples is kept cleared of heavy vegetation.A small pond (cenote) surrounded by forest is situated near the excavated sites.Big Fall: Toledo District; 16°15'N, 88°52'W; indicated on Belize map and Topo maps 38 and 42; 18 km N, 8 km W of Punta Gorda (NG Atlas); village at the crossing of the Southern Highway over the Rio Grande.Our collecting locality was 3 km SE of the bridge and on the south side of the river.This site is gallery forest along the river with mixed cultivation, milpa, huamil, and second growth forest away from the flood plain.This site should not be confused with another important birding locality, Big Falls, Belize District, a rice plantation 40 km W of Belize City on the Belize River, referred to by Barlow et al. (1972);Hallchurch (1982); Jenkins [1983], and others.Chaa Creek: Cayo District; 17°07'N, 89°04'W; a private resort 5 km S of San Ignacio on the western bank of the Macal River (= Eastern Branch of the Belize River [Belize map]).The area is very hilly and much of the land has been cleared for pasture.A large stand of cohune palms is located just west of the resort property.Uncleared land is primarily young second growth forest.Chan Laguna: Orange Walk District; 18°07'N, 88°29'W; a small fresh water lagoon and cattail marsh marked on Topo map 5; 3 km S, 1 km E of San Estevan (Belize map); 7 km E, 3 km N of Orange Walk Town (NG Atlas, Russell 2).The area was originally scrub forest but has largely been cleared for the growth of sugar cane.CM Bladen Camp: Toledo District; 1 6°33'N, 88°43'W; point at which the Bladen Branch of the Monkey River exits the foothills of the Maya Mountains; 2 km NW of Chun Bank (Topo map 35); 12 km N, 1 km E of Medina Bank (Belize map); 26 km W, 22 km N of Monkey River Town (NG Atlas, Russell 85).This point is in the ecotone between the low savanna and the steep forested foothills.The elevation of the river at this site is approximately 40 m with the immediately adjacent hills rising to 140 m.Most of the forest is high second growth with a few very large trees remaining, especially around the site of an old sawmill.