Mapeamento geográfico da espécie Aratinga jandaya no estado do Ceará e sua recolonização em uma das maiores metrópoles brasileiras

Abstract

The continuous expansion of urban areas is a worldwide phenomenon that puts natural ecosystems and their biodiversity at risk. Birds are highly sensitive to anthropogenic changes. However, proper management of the vegetation cover present in cities can mitigate such impacts. Avifauna represents the second most diverse group of vertebrates in Brazil, with 1,979 described species, many of which have adapted to living in cities. The family Psittacidae is among the most threatened due to the capture of individuals for wildlife trafficking, resulting in widespread threats to its species. Within this family is the genus Aratinga (Spix, 1824), with six species in Brazil, including Aratinga jandaya (Gmelin, 1788), the jandaya parakeet (jandaia-verdadeira), which is endemic to Brazil. Due to hunting and habitat loss, the species is considered threatened in the state of Ceará. However, in recent years, several individuals have been observed living freely in the urban area of Fortaleza. The present study aimed to map the current geographic distribution of A.jandaya in Ceará, as well as its recolonization areas in Fortaleza, seeking to identify locations of greatest importance for the species’ survival. Occurrence records were collected by the author of this research and the co-supervisor, supplemented by records provided by collaborators and birdwatchers, and by data stored on WikiAves, iNaturalist, eBird, and the Ceará State Platform of Environmental Spatial Data. Species distribution maps and maps of priority protection areas in Fortaleza were produced using QGIS version 3.22.4. The results demonstrate that the current distribution of A.jandaya in Ceará is relatively restricted and discontinuous, covering ten municipalities predominantly located in the coastal region, with one population in the southern part of the state. There is a gap between records from the coastal region and those from the western and southern parts of Ceará, indicating that the species still occupies little of the state’s territory and could recover vast areas of its original range if adequately protected. In Fortaleza, we identified 27 neighborhoods with records of A.jandaya, two of which presented nesting and roosting areas, confirming that this threatened species is reproducing in remaining native vegetation areas in the city. The neighborhood of Cajazeiras stood out for concentrating the highest number of records, likely harboring the largest population of jandaya parakeet (jandaia-verdadeira) in Ceará. Given the potential of Fortaleza’s remaining vegetation areas to function as reproductive sites, we propose the protection of five green mosaics identified in the city where jandaias occur and that may serve as recolonization areas for the species, among them the Carnaubal of Cajazeiras and the green areas of the State University of Ceará (UECE), which contain established nesting sites. We conclude that such analyses are essential to guide conservation and protection actions for the species and its habitats, especially those located in urban contexts, and that the preservation of remaining forest fragments is crucial to ensuring the resources and habitats necessary for A. jandaya, thereby preventing further population decline.