Abundance and potential impact of granivorous birds on irrigated rice cultivation, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil

ABSTRACT: The assemblage of granivorous birds in the irrigated paddy-fields was evaluated over an annual cultivation cycle by means of 12 monthly samplings undertaken in each of 3 areas (of a total of 90 ha) in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, between August 2010 and July 2011. Of a total of 10 species, distributed among 5 families and 2 orders, Sturnella superciliaris (43.88%) and Sicalis flaveola (36.88%) were the most abundant. The regular species contributed with 45.17%, followed by the occasional (30.37%) and the seasonal (24.43%). Only the abundance of S. flaveola presented significant differences between the months of sampling (F11-33 = 7.1290, p < 0.01) as a result of the lower values recorded in December and January. The diversity and evenness indices showed similar fluctuation, with mean values ranging between 0.47 ± 1.37 and 0.29 ± 0.83, respectively. The average losses per hectare, due to the action of S. superciliaris and S. flaveola , were 8.35 ± 1.66 and 6.10 ± 1.48 kg of rice, equivalent to R$ 49.07 in the 3 areas monitored, giving a total average annual loss of 82.9 kg for the 90 ha of rice monitored