Levantamento de avifauna para elaboração de material de observação de aves comoferramenta de educação ambiental na Trilha Ecológica do Estuário do Rio Pacoti

Abstract

The Rio Pacoti Estuary Ecological Trail, located at the Center for Aquatic and Coastal Studies (CACS), receives guided tours, with groups formed by people of all ages, including children and elderly, in order to raise awareness about the fauna and flora present in the ecosystems of mangrove and tableland forest ecosystems. This is a way for the knowledge produced in the academy to permeate among teachers, students and society, promoting the conservation of a protected environmental area. Analyzing data from the environmental perception forms, developed in previous surveys, filled out by 250 visitors at the end of the guided tours route carried out between the beginning of 2018 and the beginning of 2019, it was possible to notice that the presence of local birdlife is undernoticed during visits, being seen by only 26% of the participants. In contrast, 94.8% claim to have seen crabs during the trail. Birdwatching is an infrequently practiced activity in Brazil, and it is also undervalued, especially when considered within the paradigm of education for purposes of awareness and environmental belonging. The aim of this study was to catalog the avifauna existing around the area of the trail, to produce a photographic guide, both for visitors and future tutors of the trail, promoting the practice of birdwatching in environmental education. Therefore, weekly field trips were carried out, prioritizing the morning time (5:00 to 12:00) where the study group has greater activity, and the afternoon time (14:00 to 17:00) where guided trails were normally held. Species identification was performed through visual and sonant contact with the aid of binoculars, ornithological guides, photographic camera and playback technique. All contacts were registred in field spreadsheets, with a total of 85 species divided into 33 families. The fieldwork was carried out over a 2 month period, not considering the related changes of the seasons or possible occurrences of seasonal or migratory birds. However, the amount of information was enough to compose a booklet for visitors with the record of the occurrence of the main resident birds along the ecological trail. It is expected to continue to develop of the avifauna survey of the area, considering larger coverage area and time observation, including not only an ecological trail, but also the entire Environmental Protection Area Rio Pacoti.