Hirundinidae, Rafinesque, 1815

Somenzari, Marina, Amaral, Priscilla Prudente do, Cueto, Víctor R., Guaraldo, André de Camargo, Jahn, Alex E., Lima, Diego Mendes, Lima, Pedro Cerqueira, Lugarini, Camile, Machado, Caio Graco, Martinez, Jaime, Nascimento, João Luiz Xavier do, Pacheco, José Fernando, Paludo, Danielle, Prestes, Nêmora Pauletti, Serafini, Patrícia Pereira, Silveira, Luís Fábio, Sousa, Antônio Emanuel Barreto Alves de, Sousa, Nathália Alves de, Souza, Manuella Andrade de, Telino-Júnior, Wallace Rodrigues & Whitney, Bret Myers, 2018, An overview of migratory birds in Brazil, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 58, pp. 1-66 : 19-20

Hirundinidae

Pygochelidon melanoleuca (MGT) : occurs in extreme eastern Colombia, southern and eastern Venezuela, Guianas, Amazon and southern Brazil, and there are occasional records for southeastern BA, upper Paraná River, southern GO and for the border between Brazil and Argentina in Iguazu Falls ( Turner, 2016a). It associates with rivers that have falls and rapids ( Sick, 1997). In RO, forms large flocks, breeds from June to October, uses emerged stony grounds on river channels and vanishes when rainfall starts in mid-November (M. Somenzari, pers. obs.). Records for the Amazonian region in RR, AP, AM, PA, RO, MT and TO are centered in the period between April and November, but there are also records for GO and for MG in almost all months of the year (WikiAves, 2016).

Progne subis (MGT) : breeds in Canada and the USA and overwinters in South America, mainly in Bolivia and Brazil ( Turner, 2004). It migrates south across Central America, gathers in great numbers in the Manaus region/AM, and then flies especially to SP and MT ( Antas, 1987; Sick, 1997). Recorded once in large flocks in interior SP but last seen in 1993 ( Willis & Oniki, 1982). Geolocation data showed breeding in northern Pennsylvania, and that migration south started in late August in a non-stop flight to the Yucatán Peninsula,where individuals remained for 3 to 4 weeks before flying to overwinter in the Amazoni- an region (October to April). Another tracked individual flew even more during winter and reached the Pantanal region (according to a description in Antas et al., 1987. They departed from the wintering site in the first two weeks of April ( Stutchbury et al., 2009). Individuals band- ed in the USA and Canada in June and July were mostly recovered in the Brazilian Amazon, especially in AM between October and April ( Mestre et al., 2010). Large gatherings of the species were recorded for TO, reaching as many as 40,000 individuals ( Olmos & Pacheco, 2008), especially in the regions of the Cantão State Park and in the city of Caseara between November and December in consecutive years ( Pinheiro & Dornas, 2009), as well as in RO in October and from February to April, according to photographic records (WikiAves, 2016). In most Brazilian states (except for SC and RS), it can be observed between August and May (WikiAves, 2016) and in BA it arrives in mid-October and departs in March (P.C. Lima, pers. obs.).

Progne elegans (MGT) : breeds from October to February-March in southern Bolivia and Argentina. After the breeding season, it forms great flocks and migrates to western Amazonia, including southeastern Colombia, northeastern Peru,and western Brazil, where it spends all winter from April to October, and it can even reach as far as eastern Panama. There are also incidental records for the USA (southern Florida) and the Malvinas /Falklands ( Turner,2016c). In Brazil,it has been photographed in AM between June and October, in AC in March and June, in AP in July and in RO in October (WikiAves, 2016). There is just one collected specimen from AM in April (MPEG 54096 [AM, 1997, April]).

Tachycineta leucopyga (MGT) : breeds from central Chile and southwestern Argentina to Tierra del Fuego and migrates north during austral winter to central Bolivia, Paraguay and southern Brazil, which presents records for RS ( Belton, 1985; Turner, 2004), SC, PR, SP and RJ, that are centered in the period between April and October (WikiAves, 2016; MZUSP 98240 [SP, 1968, July).

Riparia riparia (MGT) : breeds in high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and migrates to lower latitudes and to the Southern Hemisphere in boreal winter. The subspecies R. r. riparia breeds in North America (from central and western Alaska to southern central and northeastern Mexico), in Eurasia, and locally in northwestern Africa. During boreal winter, it flies to South America and Africa ( Turner, 2004). The species occurs in almost all of Brazil ( Sick, 1997) and records are centered in the period between September and April ( Belton, 1985; Sick, 1997; Nunes & Tomas, 2008; Cintra, 2011; Costa et al., 2011; Dias, 2011; Dias et al., 2011; Ferreira et al., 2011; Melo et al., 2011; Vasconcelos et al., 2011; Accordi & Hartz, 2013; Silva et al., 2013; WikiAves, 2016). Collected specimen data corroborates this period but are restrited to AM and PA (MPEG).

Hirundo rustica (MGT): breeds in medium and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and migrates during boreal winter to lower latitudes and to the Southern Hemisphere ( Turner, 2004). The subspecies H. r. erythrogaster flies from North America to Tierra del Fuego and occurs in large flocks in virtually all of Brazil from September to March ( Belton, 1985; Sick, 1997). Although it breeds mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, part of its population has settled in eastern Argentina since the early 1980’s ( Azpiroz et al., 2012).The number of pairs has since risen and today there are two different breeding populations: one in North America and another more recent one in South America. Genetic testing of the South American population suggested that there is still a significant genetic flow with the North American population ( Billerman et al., 2011). The South American population is supposed to molt during austral winter (June, July and August) in northeastern South America (specifically in northern Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela), which are areas that become available as soon as swallows from North America migrate to their breeding areas in the Northern Hemisphere ( Garcia-Perez et al., 2013). A recent geolocator study from nine birds has confirmed that the South American population migration goes no further than northern South America in austral winter ( Winkler et al., 2017). Recent data corroborates that the species occurs in almost all of Brazil but are centered in the period between September and April (WikiAves, 2016; MPEG). The records of AM are distributed thoughout the year (WikiAves, 2016), probably due to population overlap. It is important to mention that the differentiation within the populations is complicated owing to the occurrence of migratory individuals from both populations.