Birds species composition of the Vila Rica do Espírito Santo State Park, Fênix, Paraná

Abstract

The avifauna of Vila Rica do Espírito Santo State Park (PV) was studied from 1982 until 2007 in order to obtain the bird species composition. This protected area is located in in Fênix, a Parana state municipality that is inserted in a region whose landscape is a mosaic of patches of semideciduous forest and extensive areas of grain crops, sugar cane and pasture. It has an area of 354 ha covered mostly by second growth with mature characteristics and some places with primary sucession. The inventory was conducted using the methods of visual and aural recognition of bird species together captures with mist nets, during four periods. First, in 1982 with one expedition, the second period with 40 field expeditions between 1986 and 1999 and the third and fourth periods conducted respectively, from 2002 to 2003 and 2006, totaling in more 16 expeditions. This research has results in the record of 259 species of birds belonging to 55 families and 22 orders. The predominance of species of the Passeriformes order and Suboscines suborder suggests that the bird assemblage of the PV is characterized by forest elements. This environment is the most representative in the study area and has the largest number of species, 189 species, which are branches species (164 spp.), trunk species (14 spp.) and ground species (11 spp.). The PV has 14 endangered species and high species richness and this way present an important role on the regional landscape as a protected area. This landscape composed by some patches is fundamental to maintenance of local diversity, especially when these forest are protected in some way, as the case Vila Rica do Espírito Santo State Park which is a protected area with restricted use.