Safeguard endemic bird and primate species

Brazil’s Serra Bonita Mountain Range, nestled within the country’s threatened Atlantic Forest, is home to a wide range of unique species. Seventy endemic bird species reside within these mountains––like the Banded Cotinga, Buff-throated Purpletuft, Rufous-brown Solitaire and Bahia Tyrannulet–– making it an internationally recognized Important Bird Area (an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations). Primate species like Buff-headed Capuchins, Golden-headed Lion Tamarins, Black-handed Titis and Wied’s Marmosets also rely on these slopes.

Despite it’s critical importance to Brazil’s biodiversity, years of logging and agricultural expansion have degraded the forest of the Serra Bonita mountains significantly. The remaining habitat still faces grave danger from deforestation for further land conversion, and primate and bird species are also frequently poached for the pet trade threatening them with extinction.

Expand protection for the Serra Bonita Mountains

Rainforest Trust and our local partner, Instituto Uiraçu, have been working to conserve the natural integrity of the Serra Bonita Mountain Range through the creation of the 8,468- acre Serra Bonita Reserve Complex (SBRC). And now, as pressures continue to disrupt the natural land, our two organizations are teaming up again to expand the reserve by 750 acres of montane forest, hills and valleys, further bolstering protection to the region. If this land is not secured immediately, it is likely to be sold for continued agricultural development.

Join our lasting solution

Your donation will help us take critical steps to safeguard this habitat and bring about an end to the long history of habitat and species destruction in the region. Your gift will also allow Instituto Uiraçu to continue their work with local landowners and mentor them in the importance of conservation to the forest, setting a precedent for environmental awareness in the region.