Birds of the urban area of Palmas, TO: composition and conservation

Tocantins State’s capital, Palmas, begun its construction in 1990, promoting accelerated alterations to the local landscape, being that the cerrado vegetation was replaced by wide avenues and large residential blocks. In twenty years the city accumulated three Urban Plans. The last one, published on december 2007, created seven conservation units in Palmas’ urban area; however, none has been implemented. Bird inventories performed between 2003 and 2008, found 324 species, verying the presence of 27 species with centers of distribution in the Amazonian Biome and only one characterized as an Atlantic element. Eight are considered endemic in the Amazon, and seven of the Cerrado. Five species are considered near threatened and one endangered, however it is locally extinct. Conservation Units implementation, and new conservation areas creation, together with socialeconomic initiatives like birdwatchng, are suggested alternatives to maintain Palmas’ rich and diverse avifauna. KEy-WORDS: Birds, Palmas, urbanization, conservation, Tocantins. 1. 2.