Abstract
Montane forests in the northern section of Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera harbor more than 360 bird species, but their knowledge is incomplete. During an expedition to the southern sector of Serranía de los Yariguíes, in the municipality of El Guacamayo, Santander (1,985–2,596 MASL), we recorded 142 bird species using four complementary sampling methods. For 101 species, we obtained supporting audio recordings, and for 54, we secured voucher specimens deposited in the Ornithological Collection of the Natural History Museum at Universidad Industrial de Santander. Photographs and field observations, confirmed by at least two of the authors, added 25 species not recorded by the other two methods. We documented 17 species that represent noteworthy records for the region (e.g., Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris, Scytalopus rodriguezi, and Arremon assimilis). We present data suggesting reproductive activity in April for at least eight species and describe a nest of Psarocolius angustifrons included in the collected series. The collection of museum voucher specimens and associated tissue samples allowed us to analyze the genetic diversity of Eutoxeres aquila, Ocreatus underwoodii, Anabacerthia striaticollis, and Syndactyla subalaris, which was low, and we found no differentiation among localities in Santander. Although most of the species recorded during this expedition are largely shared with other montane forests in the region, El Guacamayo in Santander offers an opportunity to observe montane avifauna along a broad altitudinal gradient and within relatively well-preserved ecosystems.
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