Birdwatching – Legado das Águas

With a list of 363 species of birds already registered, many of them endemic to the Atlantic Forest, Legado das Águas is considered one of the main areas in Brazil and in the world for birdwatching.

It´s also one of the most important hotspots of the biome in events such as the Global Big Day, hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and eBird. Awesome, right?

The diversity of birds present in the Reserve, the comfort and security of the area are capable of enchanting observers of all levels, from beginners to the most experienced, being an important opportunity to strengthen even more the relationship between the visitor and the biodiversity at the your return.

Legado´s Birds

– 363 species registered, representing 43% of the avifauna of the São Paulo State.

– Home to 38 threatened or near threatened species, according to the global list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 9 of which are present in the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Birds of the Atlantic Forest (PAN Aves da Mata Atlântica) Mata Atlântica – ICMBio/CEMAVE), in which Legado das Águas collaborates.

– Home for 117 endemic species from Atlantic Forest.

– Route for 33 migratory bird species every year.

Most frequent visitors

Throughout the length of Legado das Águas, it is possible to find the residents of this rich piece of the Atlantic Forest. Some more notably, others more timidly, but they are all there.

Global Big Day: the biggest birdwatching event in the world also takes place at Legado

Legado das Águas has been a birdwatching point since 2021, after the event organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Twice a year, for 24 hours, participants are encouraged to explore all of the Reserve’s environments to try to identify and record as many species as possible, generating a highly disputed ranking with other areas across the planet. In Brazil, the Reserve has placed itself in the first positions in number of species, competing with important Conservation Units throughout the country.

For begginers, participating in the Global Big Day requires little: just be curious, willing to venture out, create an eBird account, make your bird lists, and have fun photographing and recording their songs. It is also a great learning opportunity, accompanying more experienced observers. All participants are able to enjoy this experience as a community, in addition to generating important data for science!

Participating in the Global Big Day is great for birders, right? It is an unmissable chance to observe new bird species, include putting other observation hotspots on your map, make friends and discover new places.

Observation Manual

Check out the images from the last edition:

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Exclusive events for birders at Legado das Águas

The Legado das Águas is an immense stage for seeing the diversity of birds of the Atlantic Forest, in a conserved territory of 31 thousand hectares divided between the municipalities of Juquiá, Miracatu and Tapiraí, in the Ribeira Valley, in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Our team works tirelessly to carry out scientific research in support of knowledge of local ecosystems.

In 2016, the first study was carried out to understand the diversity of birds in the Reserve, in partnership with Sustentar Meio Ambiente. The initiative sought to guide the implementation of birdwatching activities in Legado, resulting in a list of 296 species. From there, with data updated at all times by our team and very special partners, we reached the 350 species, of which 117 only exist in the Atlantic Forest and 38 are in threat or near threat categories. Based on these data, it was possible to conclude that Legado das Águas is home to almost half of the known species in the State of São Paulo. Amazing, isn’t it?

With the opportunity in our hands and counting on all this wealth, we promote the dissemination of scientific research through the Scientific Tourism Program, where you can venture out on a weekend following the work of a specialist. In addition, this is one of the monitoring sites for the project “I saw a bird wearing bracelets!?”, which has been taking place in the Reserve since 2020, in partnership with the Manacá Institute.