I have always enjoyed being in contact with nature, enjoying its beauty, and contemplating the richness of fauna and flora, particularly the birds. The camera lenses gave me the pleasure of being able to see all of this up close, which fascinated me. That’s how photography came into my life, about seven years ago.
Photographing nature brings me a sense of peace. It is like a meditation, where no other thought fits, only the contemplation of the present moment!
In Rio de Janeiro, the carnival song that says: “Marvelous City, full of a thousand charms…”, exactly describes the city from the eyes of the world. Surrounded by sea and mountains and with so many natural beauties, it is considered the capital of Brazilian tourism.
The metropolis has famous touristic attractions all over the world, such as the Pão de açúcar; the Maracanã Stadium, the stage for some of the biggest soccer matches in the world; the Corcovado, with the Cristo Redentor statue (Fig. 1), which is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world; the Sambódromo, where the Carnival, the biggest event of the city, takes place; and not less important, the coastal region with beaches of Ipanema, Leblon, and the famous Copacabana are landmarks of Rio.
For birdwatching, the city provides many options and charming sites. The Tijuca National Park, which is the largest human-replanted forest in the world, is located in the heart of Rio and has a great diversity of birds that can be easily seen at any time of the year. I will list here some other interesting and easily accessible places: Parque da Lage, Lagoa Rodrigues de Freitas, Parque da Cidade, Bosque da Barra, Pista Claudio Coutinho, Parque da Catacumba, Quinta da Boa Vista and others.
The Atlantic Forest and the coastal region provide so many options for wildlife observation, that it is difficult to choose. However, despite so many wonders, I believe that birdwatching in Rio de Janeiro still needs to be more publicized and encouraged.
Aterro do Flamengo
The Flamengo Park, also known as “Aterro do Flamengo” is a leisure complex built on successive landfills in Guanabara Bay. It is located on the seafront, between Santos Dumont Airport, in downtown Rio and the beginning of Botafogo Beach (in the southern zone). This is the largest urban park in the world. Founded in 1965, it has 1.3 million m 2, and it is composed of two distinct areas: the first in the Glória neighborhood, where the Museum of Modern Art (Museu de Arte Moderna – MAM), the Monument to the dead of World War II, the harbor Marina da Glória, the Getúlio Vargas Memorial, the concert hall Vivo Rio, the Glória Beach, and other attractions.
The second area, separated from the first by a breakwater, is in the Flamengo district and has multi-sport courts for playing soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and model airplane tracks and bike paths. It also has a puppet theater, an amphitheater, and a bandstand.
The landscape design was projected by Roberto Burle Marx and comprehends more than 11,000 trees among native and exotic species. There are more than four thousand plants of 50 different species among the palm trees alone. The landscaper chose species that bloom in different seasons, ensuring flowers can be seen throughout the year. The vegetation was arranged in large clusters of the same species to further highlight their bloom.
As I live very close to the park, I usually wade there on Sundays. I take the opportunity to photograph the birds, the flora, and whichever component of that beautiful landscape. There are known 118 bird species, and this number is growing.
Birds benefit from the park, as there is a great abundance of flowers and fruits. Big flocks of parrots, such as parakeets and parrots, pass by, making a lot of noise, and many of them make their nests in trees and even on lamp posts.
In the beautiful garden of MAM, I have had the pleasure of photographing a couple of Golden-capped Parakeets (Aratinga auricapillus; Fig. 2) “dating” high in a tree. Many Saffron Finches (Sicalis flaveola; Fig. 3), Great Kiskadees (Pitangus sulphuratus; Fig. 4), among other species, can be seen on the lawns and in the surroundings.
Closer to the sea, several species of Herons (Fig. 5) and seabirds are noticeable. It is a privilege to have such a beautiful and lively place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, although we know that safety at certain locations is flawed.
Guinle Park
The Guinle Park is placed in the Laranjeiras neighborhood, in the Southern Zone of the city. Formerly a farm, it was acquired by a wealthy businessman called Dr. Eduardo Guinle. The reason for the acquirement was the construction of his residence. Today this mansion is known as Palácio das Laranjeiras, currently the official residence of the Governor of Rio de Janeiro state. It has an area of approximately 25,000 m 2 that includes projects by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. The beautiful lake, many grassy areas, pleasant avenues, and several tropical trees and plants, in addition to the architecture provided by Lúcio Costa, makes the park a true sanctuary of human-nature coexistence.
I often visited the Guinle during my childhood, as I have always lived nearby. With the arrival of the pandemic, I went back to it to exercise after a long time away, and only then did I rediscover the wonders of the place. From there, I decided to take my camera on these morning walks and, what was my surprise: I was delighted to find a nest of Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus; Fig. 6) in a tree. I watched and recorded the care of those parents until their nestling’s first flight. From what I could observe over the months, this same tree served as a nest and dormitory for other couples of toucans. This bird is considered vulnerable (VU), according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite this, it can be easily seen in the gardens of the place.
The Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus; Fig. 7) usually makes its nest in the park’s palm trees (I also have many records of these species hunting, feeding their nestlings, or just flying freely), and the Neutropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum; Fig. 8) can be seen enjoying the water and waiting for its feathers get dry. On these wanderings, I made many friends who contemplate nature as much as I do. It is a beautiful and peaceful place that allows being in contact with nature and taking beautiful pictures of the local fauna.
Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden (Fig. 10) was created in 1808 by Prince Regent D. Joao VI. Its initial objective was to acclimate plants from the East Indies, such as black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and others. Simultaneously with this investment, the arboretum area was expanded to serve as a leisure space for the local population. In this way, lakes, waterfalls, and fountains were included.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defined the Botanical Garden as a Biosphere Reserve with enormous scientific, historical, cultural, and scenic importance. In fact, this park differs from the others, as its gist is to combine leisure and science in the same place.
The park’s flora forms an ecological corridor that connects the Botanical Garden to the Tijuca National Park, allowing wild animals to disperse. For bird watching (Figs. 12-13;18), the Botanical Garden is a true paradise. With almost 200 species identified and cataloged, it is not difficult to observe several of them. It is a safe space that allows observers to enjoy nature and photograph.
I have great affection for this place. Whenever I can, I go there and return home pleased. Nature is exuberant and speaks for itself. Plants of all kinds and shapes, many flowers, and fruits are a real feast for the eyes. Lakes are full of Water lilies (Fig. 11), fish, and aquatic birds that look like paintings.
Photographing urban birds
Apart from their contemplative value, birds have enormous importance for the environmental balance. In the Atlantic Forest, toucans, parakeets, and songbirds are seed dispersers that largely contribute to plant reproduction and survival in urban areas.
I enjoy recording the birds interacting and feeding up close. For this reason, I placed several attractors on the balcony of my apartment. Among them: are potted plants and attractive flowers, a feeder (usually filled with bananas and papayas), a large container with water for bathing, and a drinking fountain for the hummingbirds.
A considerable number of species are constantly visiting my balcony, such as the Pale-breasted Thrush (Turdus leocomelas; Fig. 14), Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana; Figs. 15-16), Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola; Fig. 17), Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus; Fig. 4), Plain Parakeet (Brotogeris tirica; Fig. 19), Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura; Fig. 20), and the Glittering-bellied Emerald (Chlorostilbon lucidus; Fig. 21). Many of these birds leave carrying the fruits to their nests, and a few days later, they return bringing upon their young.
Living in a big city like Rio de Janeiro and being in contact with so many species of birds is a great privilege. I feel accomplished when the photos I take catch people’s attention. Some thank me and comment that they had never noticed that nature was so “close”. I’m glad to be able to share my emotions through photography.
We photographers and bird/nature observers proudly contribute a lot to awareness on biodiversity. We are great allies of researchers and biologists, surveying, and monitoring birds through citizen science. The records posted on databases such as wikiaves, ebird, allow real-time documentation and provide valuable information for ornithologists around the world.
Birdwatching has been recruiting many followers and stimulating tourism throughout Brazil. In addition to the awareness of nature’s conservation, it encourages the proximity between human beings, flora, and fauna. The city of Rio de Janeiro is privileged since it embraces species from different biomes and regions of the country.
I invite everyone to birdwatch in Rio de Janeiro.
