| Summary: | Litoral birds were censused during eleven consecutive months along the coast of Mehuín with different habitats (coastal, beach, tidal marsh, estuary and adjacent sea) with the main purpose to characterize ecologically the ornithofauna at this latitude of the country. Fourteen different census areas were recognized;habitat preference of bird species was determined there. The order Charadriiformes dominated with species from a total of 39 recognized. A little more than half of those were visitors to Mehuín, being those of septentrional origin more represented than the ones of austral origin. The most representative migratory birds from the north were Calidris alba and Larus pipixcan. Only more than one third of the identified species were detected regularly along the year, evidencing a significant migratory movement on that place. Most individuals were counted at the end of spring and summer, coincident with the biggest migratory activity of birds. The most abundant birds along the year were the residents: Lorus dominicanus and Lorus maculipennis plus the above migrants already mentioned. Most birds tend to prefer the beach area. estuarine swamp and temporal ponds behind the dunes, where they rest, scavengc, prey or c1ean themselves. The local omithocenosis is almost entirely camivorous, being numerically most representcd the species which are offal feeders and scavcngers. The local avifauna is thus influenced mainIy by anthropic activity of thc local fishcrmen and shellfish industry.
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