Home-range size and habitat selection by Hooded Gnateater Conopophaga roberti (Aves, Conopophagidae) in the Brazilian Cerrado savanna

Habitat selection and use are fundamental aspects of the behavior of an animal, whose decision-making is influenced primarily by its survival and reproductive needs. The Hooded Gnateater, Conopophaga roberti is a small-bodied passeriform, which inhabits the understory of well-shaded forests, and depends exclusively on this type of environment to guarantee its foraging and reproductive needs. Here we evaluated the selection of habitats and home-range of Hooded Gnateater in remnants of the Cerrado savanna in the eastern extreme of the Brazilian state of Maranhão. A total of 36 individuals (21 males, 14 females, and one of indeterminate sex) were banded during the study, during which 3,635 point locations were obtained for 28 individuals, with a mean of 129.8 ± 71.8 (range = 31–387) points per individual. The mean home-range (MCP) was 0.68 ± 0.57 ha, and the mean core area was 0.17 ± 0.18 ha. Members of the same pair had a 49% (range = 22–60%) home-range overlaps. Hooded Gnateaters prefer forest habitats with dense understory, vine tangles, a closed canopy, and ground with a dense covering of leaf litter. These findings highlight the importance of forested habitats for this species, and provide valuable insights for its conservation.