The biology and ecology of birds is an important factor for explain the road kill frequencies?

Abstract

The present study investigated the roadkill mortality of birds in a sequential stretch of highways connecting the cities of Maringá and Guarapuava, in state of Paraná, a route characterized by a transition of landscapes. The main objective was to relate the available knowledge about the biology and ecology of the bird species with their frequency of trampling on similar stretches along the highway and in different seasons. The birds were collected from February 2005 to July 2006 and sent to the Laboratory of Zoology, University of Maringá for identification. We recorded 44 species belonging to 26 families and 11 orders, with emphasis on the order Passeriformes, which totaled 59% of the species. Among the biological and ecological characteristics evaluated, body size and habitat use are significantly important for roadkill frequency insites that contained many forest fragments around the highway. The small species with somedegree of dependence on forest were more frequent in areas with many forest fragments surrounding it, while large forestall independent species prevailed in areas surrounded by agriculture and countryside. Despite have not been found a clear pattern of seasonality, a trend of increased frequency of trampling of birds during the harvest of grain were observed.

Key words: avifaunal, road mortality, road ecology, fragmentation.