The role of Amazonian rivers for wintering ospreys (Pandion haliaetus): clues from North American band recoveries in Brazil between 1937 and 2006

Abstract

In this paper we describe band-recovery data from 90 ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), banded in North America and recovered in Brazil between 1937 and 2006. Data were obtained from the Bird Banding Laboratory (US Geological Survey, USA) and from the Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para Conservação das Aves Silvestres (IBAMA, Brazil). The majority of ospreys were banded near the coast in Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. The birds were mainly recovered in Brazilian Amazonian states of Amazonas and Pará, near large rivers. The bulk of recoveries were of birds shot less than one year after banding. Distances from banding and recovery sites were between 4191 and 7722 km. Elapsed time between banding and recapture were between 50 and 9752 days. We described in this study one of the oldest band returns, and we report the first osprey band recoveries for four Brazilian States (Paraíba, Ceará, Rondônia, and Tocantins). The importance of Brazil for ospreys, mainly Amazonian sites, needs to be emphasized in educational programs and considered in international conservation strategies.

Keywords:

• Amazonia
• banding
• Brazil
• North America
• osprey
• recovery

Acknowledgements

We thank Andrei Roos, João Nascimento, and Alan Poole for manuscript suggestions. We also thank Kathy Klimkiewicz (BBL, USGS, USA), and Roberta Rodriguez and Raquel Lacerda (CEMAVE) for the assistance with banding data obtained from institutions. Comments from Anne Zillikens and other reviewers helped to improve this manuscript. This study was supported by the United Nation Development Program in Brazil and CEMAVE, ICMBio.