Home-range size and habitat selection by Hooded Gnateater <i>Conopophaga roberti</i> (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.