ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL 14: 549–552, 2003 © The Neotropical Ornithological Society

POINTS OF VIEW—PUNTOS DE VISTA—PONTOS DE VISTA

Opinions presented in this section are those of their authors and, as such, do not necessarily coincide with the views of the Editor or the Editorial committee of Ornitología Neotropical.

BIRD RECORDS IN THE SOUTHERN NEOTROPICS: ON THE NEED TO CRITICALLY CHECK SPECIMENS, LITERATURE CITATIONS AND FIELD OBSERVATIONS

Edwin O. Willis

Universidade Estadual Paulista, Departamento de Zoologia, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro,SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected].

Registros de aves no Sul dos Neotropicos: sobre a necessidade de verificacão de espécimes, literatura, e observacões no campo. Kew words: Field observations, literature, Neotropics, specimens.

In the last 50 years, studies in the Neo- in southeastern Brazil, I have come tropics have added ecological and other across several uncertain records in the last dimensions to the museum studies common few years, or “new” records for which the earlier. Unfortunately, many people do not authors had not checked the literature. It realize that identification of hundreds of spe- seems that these sorts of errors are increasing cies is difficult, and that literature on many of exponentially, and that a warning is necessary. these birds is scattered. Collecting specimens Also, students can admit occasional mis- is limited by lack of funds and by government takes, especially if they are reporting many and other restrictions. Many museums in the species in various papers. Souza (1995) Neotropics lack resources (finances, person- reported a coastal White-barred nel) to make specimen-based studies possible. (Picumnus cirratus) from interior northern São In the northern hemisphere, ornitholo- Paulo, but when I asked him to check the gists have long known that bird records need record he found that it was the interior constant checking. In the Neotropics, with White-wedged Piculet (P. albosquamatus). I few good field guides or museums, ornitholo- myself have made errors in field identifica- gists have to be even more careful. Pressure tion. I reported Bay-winged Cowbirds (Molo- to “publish or perish,” studies concerning thrus badius) from São Paulo (Willis & Oniki ecological or behavioral factors, and such 1985), before remembering that young other aspects as emphasis on statistics have Screaming Cowbirds (M. rufoaxillaris) are led to scattered errors recently. Working on mimics; it was actually the latter species, as I

549 WILLIS subsequently noted (Willis & Oniki 1993). Further sight records of the Dusky- Here I take the opportunity to correct an capped Flycatcher from the state, mentioned error in this latter paper: the Yellow-breasted in Figueiredo & Lo (2000) and Centro de Flycatcher (Tolmomyias flaviventris) seen near Estudos Ornitológicos (2000), also need Ubatuba was actually a similar looking yellow- checking. L. F. Silveira (pers. com.) checked ish tyrannid, the Rough-legged Tyrannulet with the observer, who only said he had used (Phyllomyias burmeisteri), now that I know the a general reference (Sick 1997). This is a case latter. The Lesser Nothura (Nothura minor) we where museum collecting is desirable, even reported from northern Minas Gerais (Willis though permission for a scientist to collect & Oniki 1991) may have been a Spotted specimens is increasingly difficult. Photo- Nothura (N. maculosa), as it was not heard graphs or recording vocalizations might help. singing and was seen in flight. Also, experienced ornithologists might be A note by Branco et al. (2001) reports the taken to check a record. Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) as In a study of birds visiting a fruit tree near new in São Paulo. However, the species was our campus, my former MS student R. previously reported from the Salto Grande Valente (2001) consulted botanists and ecolo- Reservoir (Ishikawa-Ferreira et al. 1999) and gists but did not check bird identifications had been photographed on the Itanhaem with other ornithologists. The Little Cuckoo beach (Tribuna de Santos, April 1991). J. (Piaya minuta) she reported does not occur in Moojen had found them further north in Rio São Paulo, the Rusty-margined Flycatcher de Janeiro (Pacheco 1996). One hopes that (Myiozetetes cayanensis) not south to Rio Claro these birds had not escaped from captivity. [where the Social Flycatcher (M. similis) often The Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus visits this tree], and the locally unrecorded tuberculifer) was reported by Höfling & Lenci- Grey-fronted Dove (Leptotila rufaxilla) is oni (1992) from eastern São Paulo on the much less likely than the common White- basis of a sight record, but no specimens of tipped Dove (L. verreauxi). this hard-to-identify tyrannid are known from Museum specimens can also require the state. E. Höfling (pers. com.) told me that checking. In the Museu Mello Leitão of Santa she did not see the bird, which Lencioni Teresa, Espírito Santo, founded by A. Ruschi, reported to her. Unfortunately, the authors some “Santa Teresa” specimens are probably had not indicated who did the field work in birds from elsewhere that died in captivity their study, an error also present in the above (Willis & Oniki 2002). In the Museum A. Per- report on flamingos. This type of problem is gola in Atibaia, São Paulo, specimens of A. increasing nowadays, notably when an assis- Olalla that were provided by a commercial tant or thesis advisor becomes the first or bird stuffer often had labels exchanged incor- later author in a publication, due to the fact rectly before ending up at the museum. that professionals are increasingly judged by Recently, a commission of Brazilian orni- numbers of publications. Since a thesis is thologists is verifying ornithological records done by the student, it is sufficient that advi- for the journal “Nattereria,” as do committees sors appear in the acknowledgements. Other in several other countries. For instance, unref- research projects can be multi-authored, but ereed bird lists and field observations of Rus- long author lists are not always best if the chi have raised so many problems (Vanzolini field work was done by one or two persons. 1999, Simon 2000, Pacheco & Bauer 2001, One needs clear statements of the activities of Willis & Oniki 2002) that even many of his each participant in multi-authored papers. observations of hummingbird behavior are

550 POINTS OF VIEW probably false. He studied some species and Höfling, E., & F. Lencioni. 1992. Avifauna da flo- did much to preserve nature and encourage resta Atlântica, região de Salesópolis, Estado de studies, but reported dozens of false São Paulo. Rev. Bras. Biol. 52: 361–378. “records” to complete his papers or attract Ishikawa-Ferreira, L., F. B. Ribeiro-Neto, & J. C. attention. Capturing one hummingbird Höfling. 1999. Avifauna aquática do reser- vatório de Salto Grande e Varjão de Paulínia, banded in Parana later in Espirito Santo and bacias do rio Piracicaba, SP, Brasil: espécies Pará is very improbable, as is a reported nest- principais e variação temporal. Bioikos 13: 7– ing of one-specimen Black-billed Hermit 18. (Phaethornis nigrirostris). Grantsau (1988) and Pacheco, J. F. 1996. Flamingos em plena baía de the “Handbook of birds of the world” Guanabara, ou a singela história de um registro (Schuchmann 1999) become difficult to use que não pegou! Bol. Soc. Bras. Ornitol. 28: 5–8. whenever Ruschi records are hidden in the Pacheco, J. F., & C. Bauer. 2001. A lista de aves do text, for one has to verify all the original cita- Espírito Santo de Augusto Ruschi (1953): uma tions and eliminate possibly false observations análise crítica. Pp. 261–278 in Albuquerque, J. based only on Ruschi.Editors often want gen- L. B., J. F. Cândido, Jr., F. C. Straube, & A. L. eral texts to be free of citations, but this is Roos (eds.). Ornitologia e conservação – Da ciência às estratégias. Editora Unisul, Tubarão, disastrous when somebody like Ruschi has SC, Brazil. falsified a considerable part of research in Schuchmann, K.-L. 1999. Hummingbirds. Pp. 468– the past. It is always better to indicate authors 680 in del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, & J. Sargatal in the text, perhaps with superscripts as in (eds.). Handbook of birds of the world. Volume the magazines “Nature” and “Science.” It is 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, also important for ornithologists outside the Barcelona, Spain. Neotropics to realize that their colleagues in Sick, H. 1997. Ornitologia brasileira. Edição revista that region are willing to check their observa- e ampliada por José Fernando Pacheco. Nova tions. Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Simon, J. E. 2000. Composição da avifauna da ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia, Santa Teresa - ES. Bol. Mus. Biol. Mello Leitão 11/12: 149– 170. I thank Y. Oniki, R. McNeil and F. Souza, F. L. 1995. Avifauna da cidade de Ribeirão Vuilleumier for suggestions. Publication no. Preto, estado de São Paulo. Biotemas 8: 100– 31 of the Institute for Studies of Nature. 109. Valente, R. de M. 2001. Comportamento alimentar REFERENCES de aves em Alchornea glandulosa (Euphorbiaceae) em Rio Claro, São Paulo. Iheringia Ser. Zool. Branco, M. B. C., O. Rocha, & M. M. Dias. 2001. 91: 61–66. The occurrence of Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina Vanzolini, P. 1999. On Anops (Reptilia: Amphis- (Aves, Phoenicopteridae) in São Paulo State baena: Amphisbaenidae). Pap. Avulsos Zool. Reservoirs. Rev. Bras. Biol. 61: 703–704. (São Paulo) 41: 1–37. Centro de Estudos Ornotológicos. 2001. Levanta- Willis, E. O., & Y. Oniki. l985. Bird specimens new mento da avifauna da Estação Experimental de for the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Rev. Bras. Itapetininga. Bol. CEO 14: 62–65. Biol. 45: l05–l08. Figueiredo, L. F. A., & V. K. Lo. 2000. Lista das Willis, E. O., & Y. Oniki. 1991. Avifaunal transects aves do Município de São Paulo. Bol. CEO 14: across the open zones of northern Minas 15–35. Gerais, Brazil. Ararajuba 2: 41–58. Grantsau, R. 1988. Os beija-flores do Brasil. Willis, E. O., & Y. Oniki. 1993. New and recon- Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. firmed birds from the state of São Paulo, Brazil,

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with notes on disappearing species. Bull. Br. subtract species? Pap. Avulsos Zool. ( São Paulo) Ornithol. Club 113: 23–34. 42: 193–264. Willis, E. O., & Y. Oniki. 2002. Birds of Santa Ter- esa, Espírito Santo, Brazil: Do humans add or Accepted 12 February 2003.

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