Strigiformes of the urban area of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

The order Strigiformes, represented by owls, has species with very characteristic patterns of behavior, morphology and anatomy. These birds provide a number of important ecosystem services, control the prey population, and assist in the stability of ecosystems and, consequently, maintain high levels of biological diversity. Strigiformes are found in the most diverse environments, from dense forests, savannas, to urban wooded areas. The objective of this study was to determine the composition of Strigiformes in the urban area of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, central-western Brazil. The municipality is part of the Cerrado biome, with significant afforestation in the urban area, providing shelter and / or food for different bird species. Night sampling was carried out in the main parks of the municipality: Prosa State Park, Matas do Segredo State Park, Linear Imbirussu Park and Anhanduí Park, as well as random samplings on urban roads. Data were collected between December 2016 and April 2017. To complement the list of species, records were also used available online, from citizen science initiatives. Seven species of owls were recorded in the urban area of the municipality, representing about 50% of the total known for the territory of Mato Grosso. We highlight the record of Pulsatrix perspicillata and Strix huhula, both rare in the State and of forest habits. These records reaffirm the importance of urban green areas for the maintenance and conservation of rare and / or endangered forest species.