Campylopterus calcirupicola

Vasconcelos, Marcelo Ferreira de, 2018, First avifaunal survey of a Cerrado dry forest enclave on the right bank of the São Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with insights on geographic variation of some species, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 58, pp. 1-18 : 4

Campylopterus calcirupicola (Dry-forest Sabrewing)

This is a recently described species endemic to dry forests of central Brazil ( Lopes et al., 2017). Curral de Pedras is located 75 km southwest from the type locality, in Montes Claros. Despite being a medium frequent species (IFL = 5.8%), it was recorded predominantly inside dry forest during the dry season (in May and July), where it was observed visiting flowers of Ruellia brevifolia (Acanthaceae) and Gurania sp. ( Cucurbitaceae ). During the rainy season (November), it was observed in the vegetation growing over limestone outcrops, visiting flowers of Tacinga saxatilis (Cactaceae) . On September, one individual was observed bathing among wet leaflets of a shrubby legume ( Fabaceae ).

Three females were collected (MCNA 4977, MCNA 5050, MCNA 5190). Using the identification key provided by Lopes et al. (2017), these specimens match perfectly C. calcirupicola , including rectrices narrow and pointed (in comparison to C. diamantinensis), with bright bronze green basal half ( Fig. 3 ). Measurements and body mass of these specimens are presented on Table 1.

Given the scarcity of records of this species, with only eight known collecting sites ( Lopes et al., 2017), the occurrence of C. calcirupicola in Curral de Pedras is very important to the knowledge of its range, since it is located at its southernmost limits.

Figures

Figure 3. Tails of three female specimens of Campylopterus calcirupicola (from left to right: MCNA 4977, MCNA 5050, MCNA 5190) from Curral de Pedras,Minas Gerais,Brazil.