Abstract The Volta Grande region in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais is classified as of “High Biological Importance” for the conservation of birds in the state. Despite this, the avifauna of the region has yet to be adequately sampled, as evidenced by the few papers on the region in ornithological literature. The results of an avifaunal inventory conducted between March 2013 and January 2014 in five sites located throughout the region of the Volta Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant in Southeast Brazil are presented. Point-counts, ad libitum observations and mist-nets recorded 224 species for the region, with insectivorous and omnivorous being the predominant feeding habits. Species that are “independent” of forest habitats comprised 52% of the recorded species. Three species are endemics of the Cerrado, 85 are migratory and 33 are under some degree of threat of extinction. These findings demonstrate that the region of the Volta Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant is important for bird conservation. Additional inventories, adequate management plans and public policies aimed the preserving species are needed for more effective conservation of the biodiversity of the studied region.

Com o objetivo de conhecer as borboletas frugívoras de uma área urbana em Minas Gerais, foi realizado um inventário na Área de Proteção Especial Manacial Cercadinho, localizada na periferia de Belo Horizonte. Foram instaladas 30 armadilhas em dois ambientes: 15 em uma área de Cerrado (campo Cerrado) e 15 na mata ciliar, durante o período de um ano. Foram coletados 1219 indivíduos pertencentes a 45 espécies da família Nymphalidae. A análise de rarefação não indicou diferença entre a riqueza de espécies da mata ciliar e do Cerrado. A curva acumulativa de ocorrência de espécies não resultou em uma assíntota. As quatro espécies mais abundantes pertencem à subfamília Satyrinae. Os resultados em relação à riqueza de espécies no Cercadinho apontam a importância da sua preservação, pois abriga 40% de toda a fauna de borboletas frugívoras estimadas para a região, podendo ser manejada como fonte de colonização de outras áreas urbanas.

Aiming to increase the knowledge of fruit-feeding butterflies in an urban area in Minas Gerais State, a inventory was carried out in the Área de Proteção Especial Manancial Cercadinho, located in the suburban area of Belo Horizonte. Thirty baited traps were arranged in two habitats: 15 in a Cerrado area (Cerrado field) and 15 in a riparian forest. We recorded 1219 individuals belonging to 45 species of Nymphalidae. The rarefaction analyses didn't indicate difference in species richness between the riparian forest and Cerrado. The species accumulation curve did not show an asymptote. The four most abundant species belonged to Satyrinae. Our results about species richness in Cercadinho emphasize the need to protect this area, because it preserves 40% of the whole butterfly fauna estimated for the region, which could be managed as a source of colonization to other urban areas.