Edson Endrigo The Alagoas Antwren is confined to the Atlantic Forest of northeast Brazil Zoom In

New pact to protect Murici

21-05-2004

BirdLife has signed a new pact with a number of other conservation organisations that should help safeguard the future of one of Brazil's most important areas for bird conservation.

Murici, in the northeast of the country, is a 61 square kilometre remnant of rare Atlantic Forest habitat, rich in unique species. The turning point in the long campaign to save Murici was the British Birdwatching Fair (BBWF) in 1999, when £133,000 was raised for BirdLife's Rescuing Brazil's Atlantic Forests project. Since then many other organisations and individuals have generously helped to preserve this vital area including the Flemisch Fund for Tropical Forests and BirdLife Belgium.

"This new pact will be an important step in continuing to conserve the unique and precious birds of this vital, disappearing habitat." —Jaqueline Goerck, Head of BirdLife Brazil Country Programme

Murici is home to 15 globally threatened bird species, including the Alagoas Foliage-gleaner Philydor novaesi and Alagoas Antwren Myrmotherula snowi which are only found in northeast Brazil.