With rare conditions, DF parks are home to several birds

Of the capitals of the countries that make up the 10 largest economies in the world, Brasília is the only one where, throughout the year, people can easily find, just a few meters from where they live, 10 to 20 species of birds. Canindé macaw, scissor hummingbird, canary, blue tanager, suiriri and many others are easy figures. The statement comes from biologists interviewed by Mail. According to them, the situation is repeated in the DF, which has 473 registered bird breeds — data from the wikiaves.com.br portal. Anyone walking through Parque da Cidade or on the streets of Brazlândia, Lago Sul, Planaltina, Taguatinga will find 30 or more of them in 10 minutes of walking, without difficulty, according to experts. They added that, if the tour departs from the hotel sectors to places as far away as 20 or 30 minutes by car — such as the Água Mineral park, Praça dos Cristais, the National Forest (Flona), the Botanical Garden, the Paranoá waterfront — it is possible to identify around 120 representatives from more and more varied families, with different beaks, plumage and songs.

But this uniqueness of the federal capital still goes unnoticed and is at risk, as ornithologists and bird watchers have warned. They asked the authorities to better monitor land occupation and the preservation of the Cerrado. They stated that this will maintain the profusion of birds in the capital and even guarantee that they will be in the sight and ears of residents and visitors. They recalled that this advantage is uncommon in other cities. And they commented that this opens up opportunities within ecological tourism.

“There are at least 50 common birds in the DF, such as the cat’s soul, curruíra, collared falcon, white heron (large and small), maria-faceira, woodpecker, pitiguari” , assured biologist Edvaldo da Silva Júnior, 28 years old. He commented that Brasília has a privileged position on the planet due to its proximity to the Equator and for being on the continent of birds. This favors the fact that many species have decided to inhabit the region and others come here during the winter in their habitats. And, even during the candanga dry season, the variation in feathering is not so striking.

“There are countries, like England, where there are around 600 species. And the person, during their lifetime, has not seen more than 200 or 300 of them, due to access difficulties, for example”, said Silva.

“I must have seen, to date, around 345”, he declared to the Mail British Daniel Branch, 29, a friend of the biologist and consultant for large-scale works. It looks at the impact they can have on the daily lives of birds.

Abundance

Branch came to Brazil a few times. In 2019, he was in Brasília, and was surprised by how easy it was to see different birds: “One morning, at the Água Limpa farm (at the University of Brasília – UnB) we saw 120 (of different origins). That was surprising. It was crazy! “. He, who said he was enchanted by the lapwings and little soldiers, also agreed that it is very practical and quick to get from home, in Brasília, to places where there are birds.

Another foreigner who makes use of the city’s bird facilities is Kenyan, naturalized Brazilian, Margi Moss, 70. She said that in her home country it is common for people to get to know birds. But, when she moved to Brazil, in 1979, in Rio de Janeiro, no one identified them correctly. “I started ‘birding’ again when I came to live in Brasília, in 2006”, she revealed. In the capital, she started watching birds, participating in a group. She celebrated that in recent years more people have become interested in the subject, seeking out books and professionals.

Estevão Santos, 19, a geography student at UnB, and Vinícius Vianna, 28, a biologist-ornithologist trained there, guide people and groups, even foreigners, interested in the birds of the DF. Santos said that the activity helps him pay for around 50% of his living expenses. Vianna, responsible for environmental actions at a farm hotel, assessed that there is room for more guides, but “as long as they are prepared”.

Another point that the two highlighted, as well as biologist Pedro de Cerqueira, 27, is the protection of the Cerrado. “Brasília’s urban afforestation is a positive difference. But, placing lawns — which are useless — in open areas between blocks, for example, instead of maintaining Cerrado plants, is not ideal for birds”, he pointed out. Cerqueira.

The three agreed that there needs to be more care for the environment, a concern that is also shared by Eduardo Borges Camargo Lima Felippe de Faria, 16, a high school student who, as big as his name, has a love for ornithology. He wrote the book Street birds about dozens of species he photographed near his home on Park Way. Many of them provided for this report, including the image of one appropriate for the end of the text: the end-end (photo at top).

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