Birds of Universidad de los Llanos (Villavicencio, Colombia): a rich community at the andean foothills-savanna transition

Abstract

Objectives: To conduct a bird inventory at the Barcelona campus of Universidad de los Llanos Villavicencio, Colombia, with the aim of estimating species richness, abundance and habitat associations of the local avifauna. Scope: Characterization of the local avian diversity and its association with different types of natural and transformed ecosystems. Methodology: We inventoried birds using sight and auditory records made weekly between August 2013 and August 2014, plus opportunistic observations made between 2013 and 2018. We estimated species richness using non-parametric estimates, and categorized local abundances and habitat associations based upon encounter frequencies. Main results: We recorded a total of 210 species (189 species through systematic observations, plus 21 recorded non-systematically). The list includes one Colombian near-endemic, 20 migrant species, and four range extensions for the Orinoco basin. The heterogeneous vegetation sustains a rich community composed mainly by species associated with urban zones, gallery forest and artificial lakes. Most species were rare and occasional, which suggests that they are visitors or maintain small populations within the campus. Conclusions: This study provides basic data on bird diversity of transformed ecosystems in the Orinoco basin, and highlights the importance of mosaics of savanna, forest and transformed ecosystems as refuges and stopover areas of resident and migratory birds.