Ibirapuera Park is the pride of São Paulo residents. With about 1.6 million square meters, it is one of the largest urban parks in the city of São Paulo. And it’s a great alternative to go birding! On weekends it can be a bit difficult since early morning the park is crowded with walkers, joggers, cyclists and skaters, but along the week it is possible to enjoy the birds with more tranquility.
Over 100 species of birds had been recorded in Ibirapuera. The wildlife division of the municipality even launched a guide of the birds that occur in the park, but I never got a copy. I set up a small gallery of photos with the birds I’ve already seen there, and here I highlight some of the most illustrious inhabitants of the park:
I believe that this is the most popular bird of Ibirapuera. Everyone passing by near the lake tries to take a picture of the Swans! Large and imposing, Black Swans are native birds of Australia.
This is a very common Grebe in Brazil, found in lakes and ponds. It dives to catch fish, its main source of food. In general it is quite discreet, but very easy to observe in the lake of Ibirapuera.
There are several species of Egrets in Ibirapuera, but this one is the easiest to find. The Great Egret can grow up to 90 cm and feeds on fish.
The Neotropic Cormorant is another aquatic bird that dives to catch fish. After the dive it stretches its wings in the sun to dry the feathers.