Abstract
Collisions of birds against man-made structures generate high mortality in birds, especially if they are migratory species because they are attracted and disoriented by artificial illumination. Several species of Rallidae carry out nocturne migratory movements which make these birds prone to crash in the cities. Due to that, data of death Rallidae by collisions was collected in Mérida’s city, Venezuela. A total of 32 individuals were recorded, 19 of them were found by chance around man-made structures (buildings, billboards) between 2020–2021, and 13 specimens (collected between 1970–2012) were deposited in the Vertebrate’s Collection of Universidad de Los Andes (CVULA). Four species were identified: the Rufous-necked Wood-Rail Aramides axillaris, the Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica, the Paint-billed Crake Mustelirallus erythrops and the Spotted Rail Pardirallus maculatus. The Purple Gallinule had the highest number of records: 25 individuals, 22 adults and three juveniles. The low height of their flights, and the disorientation caused by artificial light and fog, could be the main cause of the crash and death in locality studied. Because collisions of Rallidae against man-made structures are usually a clue of their migratory movements, the existence of a trans-Andean migratory route that connects the Orinoco basin and the Maracaibo’s Lake is proposed.
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Recommended Citation
Saavedra, Luis A. and Escalona-Cruz, María
(2021)
"Incidencia de muertes por colisión en algunas especies de Rallidae en la ciudad de Mérida, estado Mérida, Venezuela / Death Incidence Due to Collisions in Some Species of Rallidae in the City of Mérida, Mérida State, Venezuela,"
Revista Venezolana de Ornitología: Vol. 11
:
Iss.
1
, Article 10.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/rvo/vol11/iss1/10