Birds of the Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

Management and conservation of natural protected areas depends critically on their biological knowledge. Herein we report a check-list of the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve, Hidalgo, Mexico. We registered 271 species. The families that include more species were Tyrannidae and Parulidae (24 species each one), Emberizidae (19), Icteridae (13) and Trochilidae (12). We recorded 117 resident species, 88 migratory, 34 transient, 6 with residentmigratory populations and 26 with status not clear. We registered 16 abundant species, 67 common, 153 rare, and 35 with undetermined abundance. The richest vegetation types were: submontane shrubland with 113 species, tropical deciduous forest with 97, Juniperus forest with 96, and crasicaule shrubland with Stenocereus dumortieri dominance with 91. The best represented gremials were: insectivorous (235 species), frugivorous (88), and granivorous (85). We found 17 species under some risk category according with the Mexican law, and 32 species possesses some endemic degree. In the reserve inhabit near of the 60% of the birds of the Hidalgo state and 27% of the Mexican birds. This region should be considered as an Important Bird Area in Mexico.