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avesperu

The avesperu package provides access to the most up-to-date and comprehensive dataset on Peru’s avian diversity. As of April 5, 2025, the list includes 1,912 bird species, reflecting significant taxonomic changes and updated validations based on recent scientific publications, photographs, and sound recordings deposited in accredited institutions. The classification follows the guidelines set by the South American Checklist Committee (SACC).

Species Categories

Each species in the dataset is classified into one of the following categories, reflecting its status in Peru:

  • X Resident: 1,542 species
  • E Endemic: 119 species
  • NB Migratory (non-breeding): 138 species
  • V Vagrant: 84 species
  • IN Introduced: 3 species
  • EX Extirpated: 0 species
  • H Hypothetical: 26 species

This results in a total of 1,912 species, showcasing Peru’s extraordinary bird diversity and the ongoing refinement of its avifaunal checklist.

Features

The avesperu package is designed to streamline access to this data for researchers, conservationists, and bird enthusiasts alike. It provides:

  • A comprehensive and updated bird species dataset following the latest SACC classification.

  • Taxonomy validation tools, ensuring consistency with international standards.

  • Fuzzy matching capabilities for improved species name retrieval and validation.

The chart shows the steady increase in the number of bird species recorded in Peru from 1968 to 2025, reflecting continuous research and improvements in taxonomic resolution:

  • A substantial jump occurred between 1968 and 1980, with 187 new species recorded.

  • In recent years, updates have slowed but continued to increase steadily, reflecting meticulous reviews of published records and taxonomic refinements.

Categorical Summary

  • Most species are resident (X), accounting for 1,542 species.

  • Endemic species (E) have increased to 119, reinforcing Peru’s status as a center of avian endemism.

  • The hypothetical category (H) includes 26 species, pending stronger evidence for full inclusion.

Suggested citation: 

citation("avesperu")
#> To cite avesperu in publications use:
#> 
#>   Santos - Andrade, PE. (2025). avesperu: Access to the List of Birds
#>   Species of Peru. R package version 0.0.5
#> 
#> A BibTeX entry for LaTeX users is
#> 
#>   @Manual{,
#>     title = {avesperu: Access to the List of Birds Species of Peru},
#>     author = {Paul E. Santos - Andrade},
#>     year = {2025},
#>     note = {R package version 0.0.5},
#>   }
#> 
#> To cite the avesperu dataset, please use: Plenge, M. A. Version
#> [05/04/2025] List of the birds of Peru / Lista de las aves del Perú.
#> Unión de Ornitólogos del Perú:
#> https://sites.google.com/site/boletinunop/checklist

Installation

You can install the avesperu package from CRAN using:

install.packages("avesperu")
# or
pak::pak("avesperu")

Also you can install the development version of avesperu like so:

pak::pak("PaulESantos/avesperu")

Usage

Here’s a quick example of how to use the avesperu package:

library(avesperu)
#> This is avesperu 0.0.5
#> UNOP database is up to date (05 de abril de 2025).

splist <- c("Falco sparverius",
            "Tinamus osgoodi",
            "Crypturellus soui",
            "Thraupis palmarum",
            "Thamnophilus praecox")

search_avesperu(splist = splist)
#>         name_submitted        accepted_name    order_name    family_name
#> 1     Falco sparverius     Falco sparverius Falconiformes     Falconidae
#> 2      Tinamus osgoodi      Tinamus osgoodi  Tinamiformes      Tinamidae
#> 3    Crypturellus soui    Crypturellus soui  Tinamiformes      Tinamidae
#> 4    Thraupis palmarum    Thraupis palmarum    Passeridae     Thraupidae
#> 5 Thamnophilus praecox Thamnophilus praecox Passeriformes Thamnophilidae
#>       english_name        spanish_name    status dist
#> 1 American Kestrel Cernícalo Americano Residente    0
#> 2    Black Tinamou        Perdiz Negra Residente    0
#> 3   Little Tinamou        Perdiz Chica Residente    0
#> 4     Palm Tanager Tangara de Palmeras Residente    0
#> 5  Cocha Antshrike     Batará de Cocha Residente    0
  • The package not only provides access to the list of bird species recorded in Peru but also excels in resolving potential typos or variations in species names through fuzzy matching. It ensures accurate retrieval by intelligently recognizing and accommodating slight discrepancies in the input names, making it a robust tool for working with diverse and sometimes inconsistent datasets.
splist <- c("Falco sparverius",
            "Tinamus osgodi",
            "Crypturellus sooui",
            "Tinamus guttatus",
            "Tinamus guttattus",
            "Thamnophilus praecox")

search_avesperu(splist = splist, max_distance = 0.05)
#>         name_submitted        accepted_name    order_name    family_name
#> 1     Falco sparverius     Falco sparverius Falconiformes     Falconidae
#> 2       Tinamus osgodi      Tinamus osgoodi  Tinamiformes      Tinamidae
#> 3   Crypturellus sooui    Crypturellus soui  Tinamiformes      Tinamidae
#> 4     Tinamus guttatus     Tinamus guttatus  Tinamiformes      Tinamidae
#> 5    Tinamus guttattus     Tinamus guttatus  Tinamiformes      Tinamidae
#> 6 Thamnophilus praecox Thamnophilus praecox Passeriformes Thamnophilidae
#>             english_name              spanish_name    status dist
#> 1       American Kestrel       Cernícalo Americano Residente    0
#> 2          Black Tinamou              Perdiz Negra Residente    1
#> 3         Little Tinamou              Perdiz Chica Residente    1
#> 4 White-throated Tinamou Perdiz de Garganta Blanca Residente    0
#> 5 White-throated Tinamou Perdiz de Garganta Blanca Residente    1
#> 6        Cocha Antshrike           Batará de Cocha Residente    0