Birds of rural landscape in the Midwest region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

In the Cerrado biome the areas are predominantly private. Most legally protected environments are in rural landscapes, thus implying changes in the use of these environments and conservation of biological groups, such as avifauna. In this paper we investigate bird assemblages from a rural landscape, based on samplings in private properties located in the Cerrado, Midwest region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We report a total of 143 bird species, about 65% of them being classified as less frequent or infrequent. The most representative trophic guilds were Insectivorous and Omnivorous. One species (Aratinga auricapillus) is classified in the category near threatened. Three species are endemic to the Cerrado, such as Antilophia galeata, which is restricted to Riparian Forests. Two species, namely Baryphthengus ruficapillus and Hemithraupis ruficapilla, are endemic to the Atlantic Forest. We observed that the most sensitive species recorded during the study use the environments present in the protection area. Private areas legally protected in altered environments become unique refuges for species dependent on natural areas. However, these environments suffer strong anthropogenic pressure. Our results underscore the importance of legally protected areas in private properties for the maintenance of several bird species.

Keywords: private protected areas, permanent preservation area, legal reserve, community structure, ornithological inventory, hotspot.