Eucalyptus

Yes, another import, but to be fair you are rather more likely to see Eucalyptus than many indigenous tree species - there are approximately 5 million hectares planted in Brazi!

Why Eucalyptus particularly? Well, Eucalyptus stands are extraordinarily productive, especially in Brazil where the climate is perfect for growth. In fact, Brazil holds the world record, with an astonishing 100 cubic metres per hectare per year! This is not purely a question of climate, Brazil has invested heavily in Eucalyptus forestry, so much so that they are now the worlds largest exporter of both wood and pulp, and even offer production advice to Australia.


The wood is not especially good for construction, but it is excellent for both charcoal (for iron production) and especially paper manufacture. Even so, I'm told that the major newspapers in Sao Paulo cannot get enough paper and have to import.

Of course, for day to day use, Eucalyptus is best known for it's oil, which is not only clears your nose, but is a powerful disinfectant. And, it's flammable. On hot days clouds of oil rise from the trees and it is not unknown for trees to spontaneously explode! Certainly forest fires spread easily and the tree itself is well adapted to regenerate after fire, growing back from it's base (another reason it is useful in forestry).


What does this huge plantation mean for the environment, beyond the obvious loss of natural habitat? Well apart from the increased risk of forest fires, Eucalypts are extremely demanding of water, they can even be used to drain swamps. And, by themselves, they have little to offer the endemic wildlife as there are, sadly, no koala bears in Brazil. A study of bird species found only 8 of the 200 endemic to the Mata Atlantica, though this is partly because the understory is cleared in commerical forests. This included foragers like the Ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti) and our old friend the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), who was probably feeding on Eucalyptus flowers, which are very high in nectar.

One way of looking at it though is to consider Eucalyptus as a "crop". If the forest understory is left, quite a few species can still survive, at least in comparison to other "crops" such as sugar cane or maize.It could be worse.

FOTMAR goes South (2)

Some more birds from the southern Brazilian states of the Mata Atlantica.

Rufous coloured thrush (Turdus rufiventris)


One of the commonest birds in the southern Mata Atlantica, and the state bird of Sao Paulo. Actually a fine choice for the city of business as it adopts plain working clothes and industriously harvests anything it can, worms, insects, or fruits. Again like it's patron, it is bigger than any of it's rivals in the garden, and it can even dispute food with marmosets if pushed.

Violaceous euphonia, (Euphonia violacea)


This rather gorgeous little bird is found from the Caribbean to Argentina. Actually the male is the elegant one, the female is kind of drab on the not unreasonable grounds that she incubates the eggs. Unlike a lot of garden birds, the Ve is also found in forests away from man, although their fruit preference means that they are often found in cocoa and citrus plantations too.
The males bight yellow plumage would appear to be a health risk, and indeed it is, as they are favourites for capture and use as caged birds. However, humans view them from the side, hawks look down from above, and from this angle they are cloaked in dark blue. Furthermore, they fly in small flocks which gives more eyes to see any approaching danger.

Bird of the Day

Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)


It is one of nature's ironies that that this sensible and adaptable little bird is lumbered with the world's silliest name.

The bananaquit is found throughout Latin America, at least humid areas, but believed to have originated in Caribbean, where it is the most common song bird. This is the reverse the usual situation as normally species migrate in the opposite direction, and so is an achievement in itself. Nowadays, the bananaquit is well adapted to humans. It is a popular garden bird, where it feeds on fruit, and like humming birds, energy rich nectar. However, rather than beating their wings at 1000 beats per minute, and hovering, they simply hop along the leaf and pierce the flower with their sharp, curved, little bills. This sensible approach to life is also found in child rearing, where the adults build not only the standard nest for their progeny, but a separate one for themselves, thus ensuring a quiet night.

The bananaquit is in a class of it's own. Well, at least a family of it's own, the Coerebidae. It disdains to flaunt it's uniqueness with gaudy colours however, and adopts the yellow/grey, white stripe colour scheme of so many birds in Brazil. Quite why this should be so is unclear, but it has been suggested that this is a form of mimicry, the many gaining advantage from the obnoxiousness of the few, either in terms of taste of aggressive behaviour. Yet another example of the little bananaquit's pragmatic approach to life.