New bird records from the highlands of Serranía de las Quinchas, middle Magdalena valley, Colombia

Abstract

During a brief survey in the highlands of Serranía de las Quinchas on January 2006, we found six bird species new to the Serranía: Anurolimnas viridis, Malacoptila mystacalis, Sclerurus mexicanus, Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus, Coryphospingus pileatus and Cacicus cela. In addition, we reported four species in the highlands that were only known from the nearby lowlands: Herpetotheres cachinnans, Chaetura brachyura, Dryocopus lineatus, and Myrmeciza laemosticta; and confirmed the presence of Odontophorus erythrops and Scytalopus atratus, two species only provisionally identified by previous workers. Because most of these records were gathered by voice detection, we highlight the importance of recognizing and recording vocalizations for avian surveys. The avifauna of highlands of the Serranía de las Quinchas remains incompletely known but this area faces increasing logging activity and lacks any effective protection.