SERRA do BRIGADEIRO STATE PARK

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SERRA do BRIGADEIRO STATE PARK 
BRAZIL

MINAS GERAIS (SE)

21o17´S/42o30´W 13,210ha mountainous c850-2000m (Soares peak) 
EBA076 40% Primary Atlantic montane, 25% regenerating and 25% degraded forest and 10% fields (data from the park proposal which was for a 32,500ha park but this was reduced in size upon designation) October-April (November to February 2004-05 and 11.05.07)

 

Birding Site Guide

Located 290km ese of Belo Horizonte. Can access from Iracambi RNNP (see site account) by walking n through Itajuru APA (APAs are environmental protection areas), which adjoins the state park on the s side, ask at Iracambi. Alternatively go from Rio de Janeiro to Viçosa, Minas Gerais (bus c6hrs). There is accommodation for researchers at the Fazenda Neblina but no official accommodation for tourists and camping is not allowed in the park, there are cheap hotels in all towns and villages mentioned as well as a small cheap hotel at Araponga (immediately w of park). In Viçosa, if you have to spend the night, the cheapest place is the pleasant Hotel Rubim (cUS$3 per person per night), just off the main square. From the bus station go out left to bend on road cross this and head right down the paved shopping area and follow for a few 100m till you come to the main square, as you reach the square take the side road to the left and follow it a short way to a left bend, Hotel Rubim is on this corner. More expensive hotels can be found by going around this bend and past the banks, continue a short way till you find 2 hotels. For internet shops, from the bus station head left to the bend but go left around the bend (not right to hotels) and just near the garage is an internet and games cafe. Alternatively walk about a km along the same road and before the junction on the right there are 2 more smaller internet shops.

The Fazenda Neblina visitor centre, which is 3 years old, is located just west of the village of Bom Jesus da Madeira on the road that runs from Araponga to Fervedouro, there is also a museum and accommodation for 10 researchers and a Centre of Ecological Studies and Ambient Education, run by Lúcio de Souza Leoni and Antonio Cosenza Pear but tourists cannot stay. (buses or taxis can take you there). 

Trails are located throughout the park, though there are few within easy reach of the visitor centre and a vehicle is needed to reach most. Popular places such as Soares Peak and Fazenda de Brigadeiro are some way n of the visitor centre. There are useful leaflets to trails available at the centre and also a scale model showing all the higher peaks and attractions. Note many trails have similar names! A guide from town will be needed for many of the walks and the Grupo de Proteção Ambiental de Araponga can provide one, ask in the small town.

Vale das Piscinas 4.2km requires guide 3.5hrs

Pico da Ararica 3.5hrs

Pico do Cruzeiro 3.5hrs

Pico do Boné 4hrs

Pico do Grama 2hrs

Pico do Matipó 3.5hrs

Pico do Itajuru 2hrs (just outside park boundaries in a municipal protected area)

Pico do Soares 4hrs

Pedra Branca 40mins

Pedra do Cruzeiro 2hr 40m. At Araponga it is possible to visit Pedra do Cruzeiro, a 2hr 40 minute walk up to a view point overlooking the town. There is a coincrete hut here where you are allowed to camp. The Pedra is reached by heading up the hill in the town centre and out of town with the main large church on your left as you ascend. The large rock hill visible straight ahead is where the trail goes up, on the left side. There is also a trail to the right side of the hill which goes to some small cavern, which are fairly interesting and where a few fruit bats can be found roosting. A guide from town will be needed for the caves.

Pedra do Pato 4hrs

Pedra do Rochedo 3hrs

Saco do Bode 4hrs

Serra das Cabeças 30mins

Rochedo-2 3hrs

Cabeceira do Rio Casca 2hrs

Pocinho do Rochedo 3hr 40m

Trilha da Moega 1hr 15m

Trilha do Carvão 20mins

Trilha do Encontro 2mins

Trilha Pai Inácio 1hr

Trilha do Rochedo 2hrs

Trilha da Serrinha 2mins

Trilha do Pico do Cruzeiro 3.5hrs

Trilha da Lajinha 2mins

Fazenda do Brigadeiro

Ermida Antônio Martins 12mins 


Alternative access to the sw edge is obtained by travelling the road through Ervalia (taxis can take you, if no buses) and keep going for a few km till you see good forest on the largest mountains in area. As you approach the forest on your left, stop at the last pasture field on a steep domed hill. Walk up the hill with the forest on your right and a stream on your left. As you reach the brow of the hill the pasture narrows towards a small citrus orchard, go through this to the forest behind and follow till it crosses the stream a short way on. Bird the path through the forest to the top of the hill (a couple of hours). At the top the path becomes narrow, overgrown and indistinct with smaller side paths, returning the way you came is the safest action. 

Or continue by car for a couple of km and when you reach a `T´ junction of paths/roads with scrub forest on your right and a valley then mountain of primary forest on left then stop. This is the area where Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Bare-throated Bellbird and Cinnamon-vented Piha have been found. There are trails from here into the forest and around the mountain, there are many side tracks, take note of the way you came or use GPS. One or 2 days is enough for a visit. 

There is a further adjoining protected area Serradas Aranhas APA and also Graminha mountain, both have good forest and roads and trails (see Iracambi account for more details). 

Conservation is good and there are other protected places in the area, there are also many scattered small forest fragments all around the area with no formal protection. The possibility of bauxite mining is a threat to much of the forest and farms in the area. In the 1990s ‘some people’ carrying out management work, accidentally burnt down a good sized area of the park’s forest.


Species Notes

Serra do Brigadeiro State Park has a large number of recorded species, birds species total was 309 species (1999), there has been a 10 year survey done by Viçosa University. Combined species total for here and Iracambi (see account) is 329 species. Swallow-tailed Cotingas have been seen in December, 2004 in scrub along the road at Itajuru APA, Cinnamon-vented Piha (2004) can be found in the forest here. Three-toed Jacamar has recently been added to the list. On my brief visits I saw nothing exceptional but birding was good. 


Sought After Species, Conservation Concern Species and Endemics* 


White-necked Hawk* (VU), Blue-winged Macaw (NT), Plain Parakeet*, Dusky-throated Hermit*, Brazilian Ruby*, Three-toed Jacamar* (EN), Saffron Toucanet (NT), Yellow-browed Woodpecker (NT), Yellow-eared Woodpecker*, Band-tailed Hornero*, Pallid Spinetail*, White-collared Foliage-Gleaner*, Ochre-rumped Antbird* (NT), Ferruginous Antbird*, Spotted Bamboo-Wren (NT), White-breasted Tapaculo* (NT), Southern Bristle-Tyrant (NT), Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher*, Grey-hooded Attila*, Velvety Black-Tyrant*, Hangnest Tody-Tyrant*, Hooded Berryeater* (NT), Cinnamon-vented Piha* (NT), Pin-tailed Manakin*, Bare-throated Bellbird (VU), Swallow-tailed Cotinga (NT), Cinnamon-vented Piha* (NT), Rufous-headed Tanager*, Brassy-breasted Tanager*, Gilt-edged Tanager*, Golden-chevroned Tanager*, Brazilian Tanager*, Brown Tanager* (NT), Blackish-blue Seedeater (NT) Cinereous Warbling-Finch (VU) 


Relevant BENES list 


SOUTH & EAST BRAZIL FORESTS BENES (Biome Endemics and Near-Endemics list) 


Others 
Dusky-legged Guan, Robust Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Motmot, Such´s Anthtrush, Variegated Antpitta, Sharpbill, Red-ruffed Fruit-Crow 


SERRA do BRIGADEIRO STATE PARK BIRD LIST (2005)


Scientific Name and Portuguese Name 



International status follow Birdlife International: E?=probably extinct; EN=endangered; VU=vulnerable; Th=Threatened; NT=near threatened; LC=least concern on Red List of birds. 

The same letters second in the line implies the same designations but at national level. The same letters in third in the line implies the same designations but at state level, (Minas Gerais). 

IBA=Important Bird Area and refers to restricted range species as Birdlife International 

Other Fauna 

Southeastern Common Opossum

Didelphis aurita

White-eared Opossum

Didelphis albiventris

Common Grey Four-eyed Opossum

Philander opossum

Murine Mouse Opossum

Marmosa murina

Grey Slender Mouse Opossum

Marmosops incanus

Southern Tamandua

Tamandua tetradactyla CITES App. II

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth

Bradypus variegatus

Seven-banded Long-nosed Armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

Nine-banded Long-nosed Armadillo

Dasypus septemcinctus

Spear-nosed Bats

Phyllostomus spp.

Woolly False Vampire Bat

Chrotopterus auritus

Hairy-legged Long-tongued Bats

Anoura caudifer

Short-tailed Fruit Bat

Carollia perspicillata

Yellow-shouldered or Hairy-legged Fruit Bat

Sternira lilium

Common Vampire Bat

Desmodus rotundus

?

Casiurus borealis

Buffy-tufted-eared Marmoset

Callithrix jacchus aurita

Masked Titi Monkey

Callicebus personatus CITES App. II, IUCN

critically endangered

Brown Capuchin Monkey

Cebus apella CITES App. II, IUCN critically

Endangered

Brown Howler Monkey

Alouatta fusca CITES App. II, IUCN

critically endangered

Woolly Spider Monkey

Brachyteles arachnoides

  

? Zorro

Dusicyon thobus

  

Crab-eating Raccoon

Procyon cancrivorus

  

South American Coati

Nasua nasua

  

Grison

Galictis vitata

  

Tayra

Eira barbara

  

Jaguarundi

Felis yagourandi

  

Ocelot

Leopardus pardalis CITES App. I,

  

Oncilla

Leopardus tigrina CITES App. I,

  

Puma

Puma concolor

  

Jaguar

Panthera onca CITES App. I,

  

Collared Peccary

Tayassu tajacu CITES App. II,

  

Red Brocket

Mazama americana

  

Brazilian Squirrel

Sciurus aestuans

  

? Atlantic Forest Rat

Delomys sublineatus

  

? Climbing Rat

Rhipidomys mastacalis

  

? Grass Mouse

Akodon cursor

  

? Grass Mouse

Akodon nigrita

  

? Grass Mouse

Akodon serrensis

  

? Grass Mouse

Wilfreomys pictipes

  

? Long-nosed Mouse

Oxymycterus roberti

  

Orange-spined Hairy-dwarf Porcupine

Coendou spinosus

  

Cavy

Cavia aperea

  

? Cavy

Cavia fulgida

  

Paca

Agouti paca

  

Tapiti

Sylvilagus brasiliensis

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flora 


Over 1,600 species of plants (including 170 orchids and 4 species new to science) had been identified before the park was designated. 

References 

BirdLife International (2005) Data Zone

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html

 

National and State status follow Fundacao Biodiversitas (1998)

 
Simon, J. E.; Ribon, R, Mattos, G. T. e Abreu, C. R. M. 1999. A Avifauna do Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, Sudeste de Minas Gerais. Revista

Arvore, 23 (1): 33-48. 


Annonymous (1999) flora and fauna Serra do Brigadeiro State Park, University of Viçosa (adapted and updated by Wainwright, B.P. from an excel sheet stored on computer at Iracambi) 


Fazenda Neblina, Centre of Ecological Studies and Ambient Education, Serra do Brigadeiro State Park, Minas Gerais. 


www.asminasgerais.com.br/Zona%20da%20Mata/venhameVERDEperto/serra_do_brigadeiro/serra_do_brigadeiro.HTM - 12k - 


Author: BSG

 

www.birdingsiteguide.com