New record and expansion of the distribution of the rufous-vented ground cuckoo Neomorphus geoffroyi (Temminck, 1820) in a Caatinga-Cerrado ecotone area of northeastern Brazil

The rufous-vented ground cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi) is an endangered bird with a fragmented distribution that ranges from Central America to southeastern Brazil. Records of this species throughout its distribution in Brazil are scarce, especially in the Caatinga. In this study, we present a new record of N. geoffroyi in a transition area between the Caatinga and the Cerrado, located in the municipality of Caetité, in the central-southern region of Bahia, which was obtained via camera trapping. This new record occurred approximately 360 km from the most recent records of this species in the municipality of Umburanas (northern region of Bahia) and about 265 km from the historical record in the municipality of Jequié (southwestern region of Bahia). The discovery of this new population broadens the knowledge about the distribution of N. geoffroyi in the Caatinga domain and the ecotonal environments of Caatinga and Cerrado in Bahia, expanding its extent of occurrence and its area of occupancy in this state ~ 2,913.625 km² and 4000 km², respectively. In addition, we emphasize the importance of new inventories in the region, as well as effective measures to ensure the conservation of populations of this species at the southern limit of its distribution in the Caatinga.