Birds of four communities of western Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

KNOWLEDGE OF RICHNESS AND COMPOSITION OF THE BIRD COMMUNITY CAN BE OF UTILITY IN MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS OF WILD SPECIES AND THEIR HABITATS. I PRESENT A LIST OF THE AVIFAUNA IN FOUR COMMUNITIES OF THE WESTERN JALISCO. MONTHLY MONITORING (MAY/2000 TO AUGUST/2001), BY MEANS TRANSECTS. TOMATLÁN HAD THE GREATEST SPECIES RICHNESS (214), FOLLOWED BY JOCOTLÁN (190), LEY FEDERAL (168) AND CHACALA (159). RESIDENT BIRDS REPRESENTING THE 70% OF TOTAL BIRD SPECIES. RARE SPECIES WERE 86 AND ABUNDANT 15. THE GUILDS BEST REPRESENTED WERE INSECTIVOROUS SPECIES AND THOSE THAT FEED ON VERTEBRATES. TROPICAL DECIDUOUS AND SEMIDECIDUOUS FOREST HAD THE GREATEST SPECIES RICHNESS (135 AND 97 SPECIES, RESPECTIVELY), OF WHICH 46 SPECIES WERE EXCLUSIVELY OF THESE HABITATS. AVIAN RICHNESS AND COMPOSITION ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROPICAL FOREST WERE DIFFERENT OF SOME ASSOCIATED WITH OPEN AND PERTURBED ZONES, PRINCIPALLY DUE TO PROPORTION OF RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY SPECIES. HUMAN ACTIVITIES IN LAND USE WITH AIMS AT CATTLE-RAISING AND AGRICULTURE HAVE CAUSED THE MODIFICATION OF ECOSYSTEMS, TRANSFORMING THE NATURAL HABITAT OF WILD SPECIES.