Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve declared an IBA

01-12-2000

In early September, Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve in Paraguay was officially declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the BirdLife partners in Paraguay, Moisés Bertoni and Guyra Paraguay. The announcement was described as representing a significant achievement for biodiversity conservation in Paraguay.

Mbaracayú, which is is managed by Fundación Moisés Bertoni, is a 64,400 ha private reserve located in Canindeyú department. A total of 421 bird species, 62 % of the total Paraguayan avifauna, have been recorded. Mbaracayú has been designated an IBA on the basis of numerous ornithological studies undertaken in the reserve from 1988 onwards. These studies have shown the reserve to be one of the most important sites in South America for the conservation of bird species threatened with extinction. In particular, it is one of only two sites in the world known to hold a population of the critically endangered White-winged Nightjar Caprimulgus candicans. Other threatened species include the Black-fronted Piping-guan Pipile jacutinga (Vulnerable), Vinaceous Amazon Amazona vinacea (Endangered) and Helmeted Woodpecker Dryocopus galeatus (Vulnerable).