The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 121(1):54–74, 2009 AVIFAUNA OF THE PONGOS BASIN, AMAZONAS DEPARTMENT, PERU DANIEL M. BROOKS,1,6 JOHN P. O’NEILL,2 MERCEDES S. FOSTER,3 TODD MARK,1 NICO DAUPHINE´ ,4 AND IRMA J. FRANKE5 ABSTRACT.—We provide an inventory of the avifauna of the Pongos Basin, northern Amazonas Department, Peru based on museum specimens collected during expeditions spanning Ͼ60 years within the 20th century. Four hundred and thirty-eight species representing 52 families are reported. Differences between lowland and higher elevation avifaunas were apparent. Species accounts with overviews of specimen data are provided for four species representing distributional records, two threatened species, and 26 species of Nearctic and Austral migrants, of which six are considered probable migrants. Received 25 October 2007. Accepted 7 June 2008. A distinctive feature of the Peruvian Andes gos. The area is occupied primarily by humid- is the frequent presence of ‘pongos’, or water forest species with affinities to Amazonian gaps, which are transverse openings in moun- faunas rather than dry forest species. tain ridges caused by tectonic activity. In This region can be difficult to work in due some instances, rivers cut through sufficiently to territoriality by indigenous Jivaro-speaking high uplifted areas to create valleys of consid- people, represented by the Aguaruna and erable amplitude. The highest concentration of Huambisa Amerindians. More recently, peri- pongos in Peru is in northern Amazonas De- odic armed conflicts between Peru and Ecua- partment (Fig. 1), an area that geologists have dor have also contributed to dangerous work- aptly named the ‘Pongos Basin’ (Cobbing et ing conditions (Palmer 1997, Landmine Mon- al. 1981). The basin consists of a system of itor 2005). Some ornithological work has oc- mesic valleys separated by relatively low curred in the region despite the potential for ridgelines; the valleys are drained by north- adverse working conditions. Some of the most south and south-north flowing rivers that enter successful avian studies were conducted in the Maran˜o´n River as it flows toward the tandem with anthropological studies (e.g., northeast. The basin is continuously bathed by Berlin and O’Neill 1981, Berlin et al. 1981, humidity from the Amazon, and the dominant Berlin and Berlin 1983, Boster et al. 1986). vegetation is humid lowland tropical forest. Ornithological work in this region has pri- The valleys that form the adjacent upper Ma- marily focused on single-species studies, in- ran˜o´n drainage to the southwest, as well as the cluding descriptions of new species (e.g., downstream middle Huallaga-Mayo Valley Lowery and O’Neill 1964) and breeding bi- drainages to the east, are covered with dry for- ology (e.g., Dauphine et al. 2007). Some gen- est. The Pongos Basin serves as a corridor for eral surveys were accomplished for threatened humid forest birds to cross the less restrictive taxa (Davies et al. 1997), but comprehensive narrows of the Maran˜o´n provided by the pon- community-level studies are entirely lacking. Our objectives are to: (1) provide a compre- 1 Houston Museum of Natural Science, Department hensive inventory of the region’s avifauna, (2) of Vertebrate Zoology, 1 Hermann Circle Drive, Hous- compare highland versus lowland avifaunas, ton, TX 77030, USA. and (3) provide natural history accounts for 2 Louisiana State University, Museum of Natural distributional records, threatened taxa, and mi- Science, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, grants, based on museum specimen data. USA. 3 USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Nation- al Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution, METHODS NW, Washington, D.C., 20560, USA. Description of the Study Region.—The 4 Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, study area comprises the entire Pongos Basin. University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. 5 Museo de Historia Natural, Casilla 14-0434, Lima Sixteen pongos exist along the Rı´o Maran˜o´n 14, Peru. between Pongo de Rentama (upstream from 6 Corresponding author; e-mail: [email protected] Pomara´) and Pongo de Manseriche (a short 54 Brooks et al. • AVIFAUNA OF AMAZONAS, PERU 55 distance downstream from the Maran˜o´n/San- Larsen (Lowery and O’Neill 1964). In 1964, tiago confluence). To the west the basin is cir- missionaries Jeanne Grover and Martha Jak- cumscribed by distinct biogeographic bound- way invited JPO and John Farrand Jr. on an aries: Cordillera de Cola´n, a high (3,000ϩ m) expedition to accompany them to find Wet- mountain area to the southwest; Pongo de morethraupis in nature. That effort led JPO to Rentama, which creates a rapid transition undertake additional expeditions there, along from the dry Tumbesian upper Maran˜o´n Val- with Louisiana State University Museum of ley to wet Amazonian forest; Cordillera del Zoology (LSUMZ) staff and graduate students Co´ndor, a high (2,200ϩ m) mountain area that in 1968, 1973 to 1974, and 1977 to 1980. Pe- forms a natural border with Ecuador for most ter Hocking, collecting for the Field Museum of its extension; and Pongo Paute, which sep- of Natural History (FMNH), explored the arates the Cordillera del Co´ndor from the Ec- Santiago Basin during 1965 to 1966, and uadorian Cordillera de Cutucu´, divided by the again during 1972 to 1974. The Museum of Santiago River. The Cordillera Campa´nquiz, a Vertebrate Zoology, University of California– relatively low (1,800 m) mountain chain, Berkeley (MVZ) led an expedition near Naz- forms the eastern border of Amazonas De- areth in 1970, and a joint LSUMZ and MVZ partment and is bisected by the Maran˜o´n Riv- expedition in which MSF participated visited er at Pongo de Manseriche. The Campa´nquiz the Huampami area in 1977. The first all-Pe- Range is less of a biogeographic barrier than ruvian expedition, Museo de Historia Natural, the other ranges, but these mountains may act Lima (MUSM) collected at Falsa Paquisha in as a filter for certain lowland species (e.g., 1987, exploring the area around a newly es- va´rzea specialists) entering the Pongos Basin. tablished military base in the remote upper The principal area studied comprises habi- Cenepa Basin. tats to an upper elevation limit of 900 m, Data Compilation.—Available data (locali- known as the humid tropical zone (Parker et ty, dates, and gender in most cases) for all al. 1982) with lowland terra firme forest cov- specimens from the localities in the Gazetteer ering most of the study region. We also report (Fig. 1) were obtained from the respective on a small collection of bird specimens from museums in which the specimens were the western slope of the Campa´nquiz Range housed; the data were tabularized and con- as a basis for comparing the avifaunal com- densed to an applicable format. Questions that munities of the upper and lower humid trop- arose regarding identification or data were re- ical zones in this region. solved through direct examination of speci- History of Ornithological Fieldwork.—This mens, generally by at least one of the authors. region was the focus of one of the earliest Specimens housed at LSUMZ were partly ex- attempts of exploration and colonization in amined by JPO, TM, and DMB. Specimens at Peru (Ulloa and Ulloa 1806), but our study MVZ were examined by MSF. Specimens at area remained neglected by scientific explor- MUSM were partly examined by IF, JPO, and ers until ϳ80 years ago, mainly due to con- TM. Specimens at AMNH and FMNH were flicts with native Amerindians. The first ex- partly examined by TM. Specimens at Hous- pedition into the area was led by Harry Wat- ton Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) were kins, who collected for the American Museum examined by DMB, ND, and TM. For consis- of Natural History (AMNH) at Pomara´ during tency we follow taxonomy of Gill and Wright 1923 to 1924. Another relatively small collec- (2006) despite some accepted changes since tion was amassed by Jose´ Schunke during that publication. 1928 to 1930 near the mouths of the Cenepa Species Accounts.—We obtained known and Santiago rivers (now part of AMNH’s elevational ranges of the Pongos Basin species Bassler Collection). from Hilty and Brown (1986), Fjeldsa˚ and A new impetus for collecting in the area Krabbe (1990), Stotz et al. (1996), and Schu- was provided in the early 1960s by the dis- lenberg et al. (2007) and compared them to covery of the Orange-throated Tanager (Wet- elevations at collecting sites. Basic biological morethraupis sterrhopteron) among a small information (e.g., mass, breeding condition, collection of bird skins prepared by Aguaruna etc.) was available for some of the specimens. Amerindians and given to missionary Mildred However, because of its magnitude, lack of 56 THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol. 121, No. 1, March 2009 FIG. 1. Pongos Basin of northern Amazonas, Peru showing localities where specimens were collected. Inset shows the location of the Pongos Basin within Peru. Map created by Lars Pomara with elevation and topographic data provided by USGS (2004). Gazetteer: Numbers refer to locations on the map (m asl in parentheses following each site). 1: Falsa Paquisha-PV 22 (810); 2: Calavera (ϳ400), Entsa Maik (ϳ400), Kanam (ϳ400), Shaim (ϳ400), Sua Maik (ϳ400), Sugkas (ϳ400); 3: Cerro Guadalupe—S of Pongo Mori (ϳ300–900); 4: Bashuim (400); 5: Kusu´(ϳ250), Quebrada Achunts (ϳ250), Quebrada Pagkits (ϳ250); 6: Rı´o Kagka headwaters (800– 900); 7: vicinity of Shimpunts (ϳ300); 8: vicinity of Cha´vez Valdivia (250), Chigkanentsa (ϳ250), vicinity of Pongo Sajino (250); Rı´o Kagka—near mouth