On January 21, after our short stay in Rio de Janeiro (see previous post), we are heading for the Serra da Mantiqueira, at the OAMa (Observatório de Aves da Mantiqueira). Our program : exploration of the region, birds observation and banding with scientists who carry out research work in the field.
The field station of the OAMa
For your information...
First of all, let's talk about the region! "Serra" in Portuguese means mountain range and Mantiqueira, in Tupi language (Amerindian language), means the mountain that cries. This mountain range is located between three Brazilian states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
The Serra da Mantiqueira is an area of primary importance for the southeast of Brazil regarding several aspects.
The region, where some rivers have their source, such as the Aiuruoca or the Rio Grande, is a supplier of fresh water for many cities in the Southeast. During our stay, we could notice the numerous waterfalls, called "cachoeiras", the watercourses, natural swimming pools... this wealth of water was, in the past, the object of a conservation program rewarded by the UNO!
Water brings life, Mantiqueira is therefore an important natural reservoir of biodiversity. Biome of the Mata Atlântica, this area shelters a rich ecosystem. Although it is since 1982 a protected area, the Mantiqueira suffered during the colonial times, of severe damages... At the beginning preserved by its inaccessibility, it couldn't resist too long to the advance of the colons and became a major area of deforestation. Mining, cattle breeding, sugar cane and coffee cultivation and the use of Araucaria wood for the manufacture of coal, decimated the forest.
Cattles and deforestation in Serra da Mantiqueira
Today, even if there are large wooded areas, biodiversity is struggling to regain its original abundance and some endemic species have definitely disappeared from the landscape...
Some locals are nevertheless guardians of the Mantiqueira balance and we met one of them : Lino Matteus de Sá Pereira, former international member of the National Geographic Society and defender of the lands of the Mantiqueira. In his house in the middle of the forest, he shared with us the testimony of his twenty years of fight that allowed this land to become a protected area. Who knows if after him the Mantiqueira will resist the emerging threats of urbanization and tourism...
Lino Mattheus in his library
The bird observatory OAMa !
In the heart of the luxuriant forest, Luiza and Affonso welcome us to the fazenda of Boa Vista. The access is difficult which adds more charm to the place, we feel alone and also so privileged to have this close contact with Nature.
Five years ago, Luiza and her husband Pedro created the bird observatory. The Mantiqueira is a great reservoir of birdlife, but no ornithological study has ever been conducted there... That is why the OAMa's ambition is to create a database on the birds of the region in order to study the endemic species, their behavior, reproduction cycles etc. so particular to the region..
There work is highly important for specie conservation.`
You may wonder how to collect data on birds and monitor them... it works through a process of capture-banding-release. Before sunrise, very fine mesh nets are set between 50cm and 2m from the ground. Every 10 minutes the nets are inspected in order not to let the birds struggle. When a bird is found, Luiza and Affonso take a small cloth bag in which they slip the bird and bring it back to the observation table. At the end, if the bird has never been captured, a ring is attached to its leg with a unique number that will allow them to recognize it and keep track of it.
Luiza and Affonso work very carefully to make this process as stressful and intrusive as possible for the bird.
FYI : All birds captured by OAMa are treated in the least invasive way possible, and released as soon as possible, always in good health!
What abut us ?
During this stay in OAMa, we lived inside the field station of the observatory! A big house in a magnificent setting (photo!) close to the fauna and the flora of the Mantiqueira.
Thanks to Luiza and Affonso, we were able to discover first of all their work on birds, but also many other things. They helped us to familiarize ourselves with this tropical forest, to recognize the birds, animals and plants. They also made us meet people like Lino (we are his biggest fan !) or Viggi who are part of the actors of the Mantiqueira.
We could try some hikes: a good preparation for the Patagonia which arrives soon !
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