Migratory birds in a wetland area inside the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Migratory species have special requirements to survive, as they require conserved habitats and food resources in disjointed areas. There are species that interrupt their migratory movements to the process of changing feathers and the maintenance of rest and feeding areas between two regions is crucial for survival. Globally about 20% of bird species migrate, and it is believed that 40% of them are suffering from population decline. The present study had as objective to inventory migratory bird species present in a wetland at Fazenda Itapuã. The collections were carried out from September 2015 to August 2016 in a 21 hectare wetland at Fazenda Itapuã, (Gália, SP) using the transect methodology. A total of 54 migratory bird species were recorded, three of which were northern migratory, seven were southern, 22 were migrants in South America and 22 national migrants. Of this total, 13 are forest species, 17 are aquatic and 24 are savannah species. Northern species were richer in the warmer months (boreal winter), while the southern ones were colder (austral winter). The aquatic species were predominantly regional migrants, while the savannah ones, migrants in South America. Conservation of migratory birds is directly related to feeding, resting and breeding sites, and loss of wintering sites may lead to a decrease in population. Studies show the importance of the quality of habitats used as a resting and feeding point for migratory birds. In this way, it is possible to observe the importance of small isolated areas for the maintenance of these species.