Three bird species new to Brazil from the Serra da Mocidade, a remote mountain in Roraima

Abstract

From 15 January to 06 February 2016, we conducted an expedition to the Serra da Mocidade, a remote and previously unexplored mountain range in extreme northern Amazonian Brazil. There we encountered three bird species never before documented in Brazilian territory: Grallaria guatimalensis (Grallariidae) was photographed, audio recorded, video recorded and a single specimen collected; Catharus aurantiirostris (Turdidae) was similarly documented and a series of specimens collected; and a single individual of Parkesia motacilla (Parulidae) was photographed. All were found in the understory of montane forest at 1000–1550 m elevation. We interpret each of these as most likely representing a regularly occurring population on Mocidade. However, each had probably been overlooked in Brazil for a different reason and represents a distinct distributional pattern. Adding these novelties to Brazil's previously published total of 1919 species clearly expresses the country's position among the most bird-rich in the world, perhaps the richest, and suggests that further exploration of Brazil's Amazonian mountains will yield more discoveries.