Inventory of birds of prey in the valley of São José stream area of caatinga in the agreste of Pernambuco

The objective of this work is to conduct a survey of species of birds of prey in the valley of São José stream, Caetés. Therefore, between August 2016 and May 2017, a total of 19 field trips were undertaken, which occurred during day and night shifts, totaling 115 hours of sample effort. Two ornithological techniques were used: visual and auditory contact. Visual contact was realized with the aid of binoculars and camera. Auditory records were executed based on prior knowledge and through comparisons with specialized material. During the study, 18 species were registered: Buteo nitidus, Elanus leucurus, Geranoaetus melanoleucus, Geranospiza caerulescens, Rupornis magnirostris, Gampsonyx swainsonii, Falco sparverius, F. peregrinus, Herpetotheres cachinnans, F. rufigularis, Caracara plancus, Asio clamator, Athene cunicularia, Megascops choliba, Glaucidium brasillianum, Cathartes burrovianus, C. aura e Coragyps atratus. This number corresponds to 36.7% of the number of birds of prey listed for the Caatinga, and resembles listings made for other areas of this biome, for example the PARNA Catimbau, in Buíque. With 19 species, but exceeding the number of species for the agreste Pernambuco (13 species).The occurrence status of the species was also defined based on the number of observations throughout the study, where 13 species were classified as rare, four species were classified as moderately common and one as uncommon. Thus, the importance of the area in the maintenance of biodiversity is notable, since the preservation of these birds implies the protection of others.