Abstract

BODRATI, Alejandro; PAGANO, Luis G.  and  SALLO, Facundo G Di. THE MOTTLED PICULET (PICUMNUS NEBULOSUS) IN ARGENTINA: HISTORIC DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT AND CURRENT SITUATION. Hornero [online]. 2021, vol.36, n.2, pp.39-50. ISSN 0073-3407.

The Mottled Piculet (Picumnus nebulosus) is considered near-threatened globally and threatened in Argentina. In Argentina there are a few records on the banks of the Uruguay River in the extreme northeast of the province of Corrientes and in the southeast of Misiones, but the species was practically ignored since its discovery in 1961, and little is known about its demographic situation, distribution, habitat use, and threats. We compiled available information on the species based on bibliographic searches, museum consultations and online databases, and we present data from field campaigns in 11 localities. Based on museum material from individuals collected 60 years ago, we extend the known historic distribution in Argentina, to the south, by a factor of five; however, no new records were obtained in central-eastern Corrientes. Although it was previously suggested that the Mottled Piculet is associated with bamboo (Guadua sp.), we believe that conserved understory/midstory with lianas may be more important than bamboo. The lack of protected areas that include the species, its small range, the constant degradation of its habitat and the construction project of the Garabí-Panambí dam could lead to the extinction of the Mottled Piculet in Argentina during the next decades. It is important to carry out surveys to the south of the modern localities to clarify its current distribution, and study aspects of the species ecology to generate efficient management plans.

Keywords : Argentina; distribution; habitat; museum specimens; Picumnus nebulosus; threats.

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