Taxonomia integrativa de Streptoprocne biscutata (Sclater, 1866) (Aves:Apodidae) no Brasil

Abstract

Taxonomy is essential for understanding biodiversity, involving the classification and naming of taxa. The concept of species is central in this field of science, but its definition is widely debated. To avoid being confined to just one type of approach to this concept, the integrative taxonomy combines other approaches for a more precise delineation of the term of "species." In this study, we combined ecological and morphological factors to investigate a bird species: Streptoprocne biscutata, which belongs to the family Apodidae, order Apodiformes, which has 92 species of birds commonly known as swifts. In 1991, during an expedition, H. Sick described a new subspecies while studying a population in the northeastern region of the brazilian country: Streptoprocne biscutata seridoensis, based on differences in wing and tail size when compared to other populations occurring in the south and southeast of Brazil. However, these differences were not supported by statistical tests, raising doubts about its validity. Here, we seek to statistically verify whether S. b. seridoensis has smaller measurements than Streptoprocne biscutata biscutata and whether they represent a gradual variation along a latitudinal gradient. Our results showed that there is a size difference between the populations, suggesting that these differences are gradual variations, questioning the classification of subspecies based solely on these criteria. We also considered the distribution area of the both subspecies because it is known that these birds seek hard-to-reach places to roost and nest, such as caves or rocky cliffs, often behind waterfalls; such factors affect distribution and reproduction areas. In an attempt to better investigate the diagnosis of these subspecies, in this work, we examined through ecological niche modeling whether S. biscutata should or should not continue with the subspecific division, based on climate and relief variables for ecological projections.