Habitat Specialization by Birds in Western Amazonian White-sand Forests

In the Peruvian Amazon, white-sand forests are patchily distributed and restricted to a few localities in the North. Although recent studies have documented patterns of habitat specialization by plants in these unique forests, very few studies of the fauna of these habitats have been conducted. The species composition of the avifauna of the white-sand forests at six localities in the region was sampled by conducting transects and point counts. Surrounding habitats were also sampled to compare avifaunal communities and to determine the degree of restriction of bird species to white-sand habitats. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that bird communities of white-sand forests were more similar to each other than they were to terra firme or flooded forest communities. Sites on either side of the Amazon-Maranon barrier were the most similar within habitat type consistent with the hypothesis that these rivers represent a major biogeographic barrier. Twenty-six species, belonging to 13 families, were to some degree specialized to white-sand forests. This is the first comprehensive ornithological assessment carried out on these habitats in Peru. The high degree of habitat specialization found in these 26 bird species highlights the need for conservation and management measures that will protect white-sand forests.