Implications of bare-eyed thrush (Turdus

Implications of bare-eyed thrush (Turdus nudigenis) records in
southern Amazonia
1,2
3
4
5
Carlos Eduardo R. T. Benfica , Helder P. F. de Araújo , Luiz G. Mazzoni , Marco Aurélio Silva
5
and Mariana Tolentino
1 - SOS Falconiformes, Centro de Pesquisas para a Conservação das Aves de Rapina
Neotropicais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. 2 - Laboratorio de Ecologia de Aves, Dep. de
Ecologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-SP), Brasil. 3 - Dep. Ciências
Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Brasil. 4 - Programa de Pós-graduação em
Zoologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Univ. Católica de Minas Gerais, Brasil. 5 - Instituto Nacional de
Pesquisas Amazônicas (INPA), Manaus-AM, Brasil.
The bare-eyed thrush (Turdus nudigenis) is similar to the creamy-bellied thrush (T.
amaurochalinus), but easily distinguished by its conspicuous yellowish eye-ring.
Considered as an uncommon to a fairly common species, the bare-eyed thrush
inhabits semi-open and scrubby areas, border of forests, woodland, and gardens.
Its range is known to occupy South America’s northern portion, from northeastern
Colombia to northeastern Brazil, but also found in Trinidad and Tobago. During
field researches in Xinguara municipality (06°58’S, 49°23’W), Araguaia river basin,
and Carajás National Forest (06°02’S, 50°17’W), both located in Pará State, Brazil,
03 bare-eyed thrush were mist-netted, documented and collected. One in 09/02/08
(Xinguara) and the other two in 15/12/10 (FLONA Carajás). The study areas are
separated about 140km apart, located within the Amazonian domain, precisely at
its southeastern portion. The Xinguara region is characterized as a mosaic
composed by fragments of dense forest, semi-deciduous forests, secondary
woodlands (juquiras), and pastures. The location where captures were taken at
Carajás is characterized as “canga”, located at the edge of a forest fragment. The
Xinguara individual was collected approximately 315km from the species closest
known distribution area. These records apparently subsidize a hypothesis that the
species is spreading its range. Nevertheless, as Xinguara region supports
fragments of semi-deciduous forests and there are hypothesis suggesting the
presence of this type of habitat in Amazonian domain during climate changes in
Pleistocene, this record could also suggest an old presence of the species in the
region. A consequence of present dry forests relicts originated in Pleistocene in the
region, considering the association of T. nudigenis with similar habitats. To assure
any of these, studies are necessary, especially between the areas here described
and the original southern species range limit and molecular divergence analyses.