Different uses of mangrove by birds in São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil

Mangroves are important for many bird species, where they breed, rest and feed, but their habitat use depends on the area and structure of the vegetation. One of the last remnants of mangroves in northern coast of São Paulo State is in São Sebastião municipality. Here we evaluate the avifauna from mangrove vegetation (Ferry’s site) which naturally grew above a landfill close to the São Sebastião port, since 2000. Bird surveys were carried out monthly between June 2014 and May 2015, through direct counting, between 6:00 and 12:00 am, three days per month, totaling 120 hours. Habitat use (foraging, resting or flying) was recorded during the morning surveys. Censuses at sunset were carried out one day per month, one hour before the sunset to record birds that use Ferry’s site as roosting area, totaling 16 hours of observations. Overall 52 bird species (24 families, 11 orders) were detected, being 63% terrestrial, 27% waders and 10% marine. Overall, 35% of the species were frequent, 20% common and 45% occasional. For aquatic birds the site was mainly used for resting (62%) and foraging (21%). Twenty species use Ferry’s site as roosting area. Richness, abundance, diversity and evenness did not vary seasonally. In the summer about 70 herons nest in the mangrove vegetation, probably due to high tree density and height. We highlight the importance of this new mangrove in the bird’s life cycle and their aggregation. Therefore, the protection and restoration of these habitats should be high management and conservation priorities.