Study area and methods

We conducted intensive bird surveys in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, during the last 10 years, which resulted in a large amount of unpublished data. Here we summarize records of Near Threatened/Threatened (Collar et al. Reference Collar, Gonzaga, Krabbe, Madroño Nieto, Naranjo, Parker and Wege1992, Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008) or little known grassland birds (sensu Vickery et al. Reference Vickery, Tubaro, Silva, Peterjohn, Herkert and Cavalcanti1999) observed during this period. The majority of these records were documented by digital photography or tape recordings that have been, or will be deposited in the Arquivo Sonoro Professor Elias Coelho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We also report on some specimens deposited in the Brazilian ornithological collections of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (DZUFMG), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (MZUSP) and Museu de História Natural de Taubaté, Taubaté (MHNT).

The six most important areas (Figure 1) for grassland species surveyed are described below. Vegetation community descriptions of the Cerrado biome follow Ribeiro and Walter (Reference Ribeiro, Walter, Sano and Almeida1998), and are only briefly described here: cerrado típico (a woodland 3–6 m tall with closed scrub and scattered trees), cerrado ralo (more open scrub with a few trees), cerrado rupestre (similar to the cerrado ralo, but growing over rocky substrates), campo sujo (grassland with scattered shrubs), campo sujo com murundus (a grassland with small groves of trees on raised earth mounds associated with termite nests, also locally known as covoal), campo limpo (grasslands without woody plants), campos rupestres (rocky grassland with a very peculiar shrub and herbaceous vegetation growing over quartzite outcrops; Giulietti and Pirani Reference Giulietti, Pirani, Vanzolini and Heyer1988), canga (herbaceous and shrubby vegetation growing over iron ore outcrops; Vincent et al. Reference Vincent, Jacobi and Antonini2002, Jacobi et al. Reference Jacobi, Carmo, Vincent and Stehmann2007, Viana and Lombardi Reference Viana and Lombardi2007) and vereda (stands of the palm Mauritia flexuosa growing in grass-covered swamps).

Figure 1. Grassland bird species rich areas surveyed in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Gray shaded areas indicate forested regions, while white areas represent non-forested regions (according to Olson et al. Reference Olson, Dinerstein, Wikramanayake, Burgess, Powell, Underwood, D'Amico, Itoua, Strand, Morrison, Loucks, Allnutt, Ricketts, Kura, Lamoreux, Wettengel and Kassem2001).

The main study areas and the localities sampled were:

Municipality of Uberaba: 1) Fazenda Cocal (19°26’S and 48°00’W; 915 m asl) and 2) Fazenda Água Emendada (19°17’S and 48°01’W; 950 m).

Fazenda Monte Carmelo: a large Eucalyptus and Pinus plantation with grassland patches in the municipalities of Estrela do Sul, Monte Carmelo, Indianópolis, Araguari and Romaria. The headwaters of the following creeks were sampled: 1) Ribeirão Buriti Alto (18°47’S and 47°46’W; 990 m); 2) Ribeirão Piçarrão (18°48’S and 47°53’W; 975 m); 3) Ribeirão Furnas (18°50’S and 47°50’W; 18°50'S and 47°52'W 970–980 m); 4) Ribeirão Mandaguari (19°02’S and 47°42’W; 990 m) and 5) Vereda Barro Preto (18°59'S and 47°40'W; 998 m).

Estação de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Ambiental Galheiro (EPDA Galheiro): a reserve in the municipality of Perdizes (19°12’S and 47°08’W; 800–950).

Serra da Calçada: a hilly area (1,100–1,500 m) in the southern portion of the Espinhaço Range, in the municipalities of Nova Lima, Brumadinho and Ibirité: 1) Serra do Rola Moça State Park (20°03’S and 44°00’W); 2) surroundings of Retiro das Pedras (20°06’S and 43°59’W) and 3) Vale dos Cristais (20°00’S and 43°54’W).

Pico do Pilar: another hilly area in the southern Espinhaço Range, municipality of Congonhas: 1) Casa de Pedra mine (20°29’S and 43°53’W); 2) Paiol de Explosivos (20°27’S and 43°52’W) and 3) Batateiro (20°28’S and 43°56’W).

Campo das Vertentes: a region of extensive high altitude (1,000–1,200 m) campos limpos in southern Minas Gerais, municipalities of Andrelândia, Bom Jardim de Minas and Lima Duarte, among others, sampled on June 2005: 1) farm belonging to Mr. G. C. Fonseca (21°43’S and 44°00’W); 2) farm belonging to Mr. P. S. Almeida (21°43’S and 44°05’W); 3) Fazenda 48 (21°44’S and 44°03’W); 4) Souza (21°48’S and 44°05’W); 5) Fazenda Areão (21°52’S and 44°07’W). A complete list of the birds observed in this region is available elsewhere (Pacheco et al. Reference Pacheco, Parrini, Lopes and Vasconcelos2008).

Species accounts

The conservation status of each species follows Machado et al. (Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005) and BirdLife International (2008) at the national and global levels, respectively. We present an updated range map for all species studied (see Supplementary Material). These maps were prepared based on unpublished field records, published records, and museum specimens (see acknowledgments).

Ocellated Crake Micropygia schomburgkii - Data Deficient (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005).

This is a common species at the EPDA Galheiro, were it was recorded from January to November 2003 in cerrado ralo, cerrado rupestre, and cerrado típico. At Fazenda Monte Carmelo this species was recorded year round (2005–2008) inhabiting campo sujo com murundus and grasslands at Ribeirão Piçarrão, Ribeirão Mandaguari, Ribeirão Buriti Alto, Ribeirão Furnas and Vereda Barro Preto. Records at Fazenda Água Emendada are from February and November 2007 in cerrado típico. The first record of this species for Minas Gerais was presented by Pelzeln (Reference Pelzeln1868–1870), who reported a specimen collected by Natterer at “Borda do Matto du Paranaiba”, nowadays Borda da Mata (Paynter and Traylor Reference Paynter and Traylor1991), near the border with the state of Goiás. Recent records for the state are from the Serra da Canastra National Park (Silveira Reference Silveira1998, Vasconcelos et al. Reference Vasconcelos, D'Angelo Neto, Kirwan, Bornschein, Diniz and Silva2006).

Sickle-winged Nightjar Eleothreptus anomalus - Near Threatened (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008).

A male was observed near Ijaci (21°10’S and 44°55’W; 840 m), southern Minas Gerais, in June 2004. A possible female of this species was observed on a dirt road at Campo das Vertentes (farm belonging to Mr. G. C. Fonseca) on 26 July 2005. This road crosses extensive grasslands, and the site record was located less than 30 m from a gallery forest. If confirmed, this record would represent a connection between the historical localities of Lagoa Santa and southern Brazil (Straube Reference Straube1990, Bornschein et al. Reference Bornschein, Reinert and Bóçon1996, Kirwan et al. Reference Kirwan, Martuscelli, Silveira and Williams1999, Cleere Reference Cleere2002). An adult male was collected on 30 April 1999 at Serra da Canastra (DZUFMG 2662).

Campo Miner Geositta poeciloptera - Vulnerable (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005), Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2008).

One individual, observed and photographed on a dirt road at Campo das Vertentes (Fazenda 48) on 26 July 2005, represents the easternmost record of this species. On 27 October 2007 one individual was recorded at Fazenda Água Emendada in cerrado ralo, and about eight individuals were observed and photographed in the surrounding abandoned pastures on 1 November 2007 (19°14’S and 48°05’W; 900 m). This species was previously known from only seven localities in Minas Gerais. The first record for the state is one specimen collected by Natterer in June 1823 in São Domingos (Pelzeln Reference Pelzeln1868–1870). Three other historical records are from Uberaba, Paracatu and Lagoa Santa (Reinhardt Reference Reinhardt1870, Krabbe Reference Krabbe2007). Recent occurrences in Minas Gerais are from Serra da Canastra, Tapira, and Patrocínio (Brandt Reference Brandt, Machado, Fonseca, Machado, Aguiar and Lins1998, Silveira Reference Silveira1998, Silva e Silva Reference Silva e Silva and Aleixo2005, Vasconcelos et al. Reference Vasconcelos, D'Angelo Neto, Kirwan, Bornschein, Diniz and Silva2006).

Rufous-sided Pygmy-tyrant Euscarthmus rufomarginatus - Near Threatened (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008).

On 1 and 2 October 2002 at least two individuals were tape-recorded in a transition zone between a seasonally flooded campo limpo and a campo sujo at Fazenda Cocal. This is the fifth record of this species for Minas Gerais (Supplementary materials), including the record for Parque das Mangabeiras, considered doubtful by D'Angelo Neto and Queiroz (Reference D'Angelo Neto and Queiroz2001). We found this species to be the most common flycatcher in campo sujo and cerrado ralo during a faunal inventory (January/February 2008) at Estação Ecológica Serra Geral do Tocantins, central Brazil (10°39'S and 46°48'W). This is a large (c. 720,000 ha) conservation unit on the border of the states of Tocantins and Bahia. This species colonises recently burned areas and pairs were heard and seen every 200 m of transect on average. Four birds were collected (MZUSP 79673–76) with gonads inactive, despite the record of several young birds being fed by the parents. Stomach contents of these individuals revealed small fruits and insects in almost equal proportions. This species was also common in the adjacent Parque Estadual do Jalapão, Tocantins (Braz et al. Reference Braz, Abreu, Lopes, Leite, França, Vasconcellos and Balbino2003).

Sharp-tailed Grass-tyrant Culicivora caudacuta - Vulnerable (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008).

Small groups of 2–3 individuals were recorded in cerrado ralo and cerrado rupestre in April, May, July, August and November 2003 at the EPDA Galheiro. A small group (4–5 birds) was observed at Serra do Rola Moça State Park on May and August 2005. These birds were at 1,500 m, representing a small altitudinal extension for the species, which was known to occur at a maximum of 1,400 m (Ridgely and Tudor Reference Ridgely and Tudor1994, Stotz et al. Reference Stotz, Fitzpatrick, Parker and Moskovits1996). A small group (4–5 birds) was observed in Retiro das Pedras on August 2005. A small group was observed at Batateiro on December 2005. Two individuals were recorded at Fazenda Água Emendada in seasonally flooded campo limpo on 30 December 2005. This species was recorded year round (2005–2008) at Fazenda Monte Carmelo (Ribeirão Piçarrão, Ribeirão Mandaguari, Ribeirão Furnas, Ribeirão Buriti Alto and Vereda Barro Preto), where it inhabits seasonally flooded campo limpo and campo sujo com murundus. Censuses made in this area (2007/2008) revealed 88 individuals in 96 hours of observations. This species was recorded in several areas at Campo das Vertentes (farm belonging to Mr. G. C. Fonseca, Fazenda Areão, Souza, and farm belonging to Mr. P. S. Almeida), revealing that it is a locally common species. These are the easternmost records of C. caudacuta, extending the range c. 250 km to the east. The updated map expands the known range of this species to the north (600 km, Oren Reference Oren1991) and south (450 km, Di Giacomo Reference Di Giacomo2005) of its previously known range (see Supplementary materials).

Two specimens (DZUFMG 4511, male, weighing 6.4 g and DZUFMG 4512, female, 5.7 g) were found dead on 2 June 2005 in Retiro das Pedras. These birds were apparently hit when they attempted to cross the road. In the stomach of the male we found: 2 Araneae, 1 Orthoptera, 2 Hemiptera, 2 larvae of Lepidoptera, 1 adult Lepidoptera, 1 Diptera, and 1 Hymenoptera. In the stomach of the female (DZUFMG 4512, 5.7 g) we found: 1 Araneae, 1 Homoptera, 1 Diptera, and 1 Hymenoptera. The gizzards of two specimens deposited in the ornithological collection of the Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, Brasília, also contained only insects. This small sample size contradicts previous observations that this species “feeds on grass and weed seeds as well as more standard insect fare” (Traylor and Fitzpatrick Reference Traylor and Fitzpatrick1982).

Cock-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus tricolor - Vulnerable (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008).

On 2 October 2002, a pair was observed at Fazenda Cocal in a seasonally flooded campo limpo. One pair was observed and photographed in the Campo das Vertentes (farm belonging to Mr. G. C. Fonseca) in a seasonally flooded campo limpo. A small group of three females was observed nearby, but in a dry campo limpo. This species was recorded from August 2007 to April 2008 at Fazenda Monte Carmelo (Ribeirão Piçarrão, Ribeirão Mandaguari, Ribeirão Furnas and Ribeirão Buriti Alto), inhabiting seasonally flooded campo sujo, campo sujo com murundus, and veredas. On 27 August, a singing male was observed, but the long tail, characteristic of this species, was not fully grown. On 4 and 11 October, three males were observed exhibiting the typical flight display of this species (Sick Reference Sick1997). On December 2007 we counted 26 individuals, on January and February seven individuals, and only five birds on April 2008.

Cinereous Warbling-finch Poospiza cinerea - Data Deficient (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005), Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2008).

A summary of the records of this species for Minas Gerais was presented by Melo-Júnior (1998), with subsequent records obtained in central and southern Espinhaço Range (D'Angelo Neto and Queiroz Reference D'Angelo Neto and Queiroz2001, Bencke et al. Reference Bencke, Maurício, Develey and Goerck2006, Vasconcelos Reference Vasconcelos2007, Vasconcelos and D'Angelo Neto Reference Vasconcelos and D'Angelo Neto2007). Unpublished records of this species are as follows: 1) One individual in a degraded campo sujo at Vale dos Cristais on 4 January 2002; 2) One individual in a degraded roadside at Pico do Pilar on 7 December 2002; 3) Two individuals on a degraded campo cerrado with several invasive plants at Bairro Belvedere, Belo Horizonte (19°58’S and 43°56’W; 1,130 m) on 4 June 2003 and two birds again in this same area on 11 May 2004; 4) Two individuals in degraded pastures and orchards in Fortaleza de Minas (20°53’S and 46°42’W; 900 m) on 3 October 2003, 25 November 2005, and 20 October 2006, when they were seen carrying nest material; 5) Two individuals in a poor second growth area at the EPDA Galheiro on November 2003; 6) One individual in a campo cerrado at Fazenda Virgulino, Santana do Riacho (19°04’S and 43°51’W; 1,150 m), on the western slope of Serra do Cipó, on 12 January 2005; 7) One individual in the canga of the Serra do Rola Moça State Park on 24 October 2005, 8) Three individuals on 20 November 2006 at Serra do Cabral, Joaquim Felício (17°42’S and 44°16’W; 1,140 m), in campo rupestre near marshy areas and degraded cerrado rupestre and 9) some pairs near the border of Serra da Canastra National Park, where it is resident and occupies pastures and other degraded areas. Although our observations indicate that this species is commonly found in degraded areas or habitats subject to regular human disturbance, our records are restricted to hilly areas in central-south Minas Gerais, and were always of single individuals or isolated pairs. We never found this species in degraded areas during our surveys in central Brazil, where it is rare. For example, this species seems to be extinct in Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso (Lopes et al. Reference Lopes, Pinho, Bernardon, Oliveira, Bernardon, Ferreira, Vasconcelos, Maldonado-Coelho, Nóbrega and Rubio2009).

There is evidence that this species is a recent colonizer of eastern Brazil, where it was observed inhabiting artificial pastures in areas previously covered by Atlantic Forest (Simon et al. Reference Simon, Ribon, Mattos and Abreu1999, Ribon Reference Ribon2002). Nevertheless, a specimen collected in the municipality of Viçosa in 1936, and deposited at the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (not numbered), indicates that this species was present in the area studied by Ribon (Reference Ribon2002) much earlier. For comparison, Curl-crested Jay Cyanocorax cristatellus, a bird known to have colonised eastern Brazil (Lopes Reference Lopes2008), reached the Viçosa region only in the last 15 years (G. T. Mattos pers. comm.). These data suggest that this species inhabited the region prior to forest suppression, maybe restricted to the high altitude grasslands of the nearby Serra do Brigadeiro (see Simon et al. Reference Simon, Ribon, Mattos and Abreu1999).

Black-masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis - Vulnerable (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008).

This species was observed three times and photographed at Campo das Vertentes in dry grasslands (farm belonging to Mr. G. C. Fonseca) and at the borders of a seasonally flooded campo limpo (Souza). This species was also observed and photographed at Batateiro on the following dates: 11 December 2005 (an adult with an immature), 14 July 2006 (three adults), 14 October 2006 (two adults), 26 November 2006 (an adult), and 17 December 2006 (three adults). About 40–50 individuals were observed at Fazenda Monte Carmelo (Ribeirão Piçarrão, Ribeirão Furnas and Ribeirão Buriti Alto) between October 2007–April 2008, inhabiting campo limpo and campo sujo com murundus, both seasonally flooded. Although this species has recently become very local and rare (BirdLife International 2008) our new records, along with recently published others, give a more optimistic prospect for C. melanotis. We found recent records of this species for 14 conservation units in Brazil, four in Argentina, two in Bolivia and one in Paraguay (see Appendix). This species seems to be extinct in Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso (Lopes et al. Reference Lopes, Pinho, Bernardon, Oliveira, Bernardon, Ferreira, Vasconcelos, Maldonado-Coelho, Nóbrega and Rubio2009).

Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha Data Deficient (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005).

Marsh Seedeater S. palustris Endangered (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005, BirdLife International 2008).

Chestnut Seedeater S. cinnamomea Endangered (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005), Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2008).

Black-bellied Seedeater S. melanogaster Vulnerable (Machado et al. Reference Machado, Martins and Drummond2005), Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2008).

These four species of Sporophila were observed and photographed on the headwaters of Ribeirão Mandaguari in a seasonally flooded campo sujo on 5 and 11 October 2007. They were foraging in native grasses, associated with a mixed species flock including Plumbeous Seedeater S. plumbea, Yellow-bellied Seedeater S. nigricollis, Double-collared Seedeater S. caerulescens, and Capped Seedeater S. bouvreuil (both S. b. bouvreuil and S. b. pileata in the same flock). When we returned to this site on 3 November 2007, only S. melanogaster was observed. A fully developed male of S. melanogaster was collected at Rio Jacaré, Morro do Ferro, Minas Gerais (20°36'S and 44°34'W; MHNT 4127) on 28 December 1997. This specimen and five other males were associated in a mixed species flock with S. bouvreuil, S. caerulescens and S. hypoxantha. There are few previous records of these species for Minas Gerais (see Supplementary materials), and its migratory routes are not properly know yet (Silveira Reference Silveira1998, Silva Reference Silva1999).

Biogeography

The records of four grassland species at Campo das Vertentes represent a remarkable range extension for these species. Although Campo das Vertentes is depicted in vegetation maps as completely isolated from the Central Brazilian Cerrado (see Figure 1), there seems to be a discrete connection between these grasslands. The highest areas of the southern Espinhaço Range and Serra da Mantiqueira in southeastern Minas Gerais are linked by natural grasslands along the mountain ridges. These grasslands connect the Cerrado to Campos das Vertentes through the municipalities of Congonhas, Lagoa Dourada, Entre Rios de Minas, Tiradentes, São João del Rey, Itumirim, São Vicente de Minas and Minduri (Azevedo Reference Azevedo1962).

Conservation

The southern Espinhaço Range, also know as Quadrilátero Ferrífero, was recognized as being of ‘special biological importance’ (the highest degree of biological importance) during the recent workshop ‘Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil’ (Drummond et al. Reference Drummond, Martins, Machado, Sebaio and Antonini2005). The main threats to this area are the urban expansion, iron mining, fire, and deforestation (Drummond et al. Reference Drummond, Martins, Machado, Sebaio and Antonini2005). At Campo das Vertentes, annual fire and Eucalyptus plantations are the main threats. In the Triângulo Mineiro (the triangular shaped area on the westernmost part of the state, which includes the farms Cocal, Água Emendada and Monte Carmelo), the main threats are clay mining and the replacement of native grasslands with grain crops and sugarcane. All these threats are discussed in detail below.

Fire. Several grassland species are highly sensitive to regular fires (Cavalcanti Reference Cavalcanti and Goriup1988, Tubelis and Cavalcanti Reference Tubelis and Cavalcanti2000). For example, some bird species usually found in well conserved grasslands in the southern Espinhaço Range, such as Hyacinth Visorbearer Augastes scutatus and C. platensis, are no longer found at Serra do Curral, a mountain in Belo Horizonte, suggesting local extinction (Vasconcelos Reference Vasconcelos1999, Reference Vasconcelos2007). In the Triângulo Mineiro, the expansion of sugarcane plantation causes concern, because farmers set their crops on fire to make harvesting easier, increasing the possibility of fires in the grasslands.

Habitat loss. Natural grasslands frequently give way to pastures of exotic grasses, generally unsuitable for several threatened grassland specialists (Parker and Willis Reference Parker and Willis1997, Costa and Costa Reference Costa and Costa2002). Silviculture is also an important, and generally unnoticed, cause of habitat loss. Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations are one of the few viable economic activities in the poor, shallow, and water deficient soils where grasslands generally occur (Rizzini Reference Rizzini1997). The grassland patches sampled at Fazenda Monte Carmelo are small and partially isolated amidst Pinus plantations. Eucalyptus plantations are now expanding at Campo das Vertentes, where we observed the suppression of thousands of hectares of native grasslands. Silviculture is not seen by Brazilian society as a threat to ecosystem integrity, but rather, it is commonly seen as beneficial to wildlife. In a country with prodigious tropical forests, they are popularly thought to be the natural condition of a healthy environment. Grasslands are, conversely, considered as a poorly diversified habitat, and many times confounded with artificial pastures. Therefore, forestry practices are generally referred to as ‘reforestation’, when actually it is simply the suppression of large tracts of species-rich grasslands by extensive, little-diversified monocultures (Marsden et al. Reference Marsden, Whiffin and Galetti2001, Willis Reference Willis2004). Its conservation value is probably no better than that of an avocado or orange plantation.

A new growing threat is the expansion of ‘biofuel’ enterprises in the Triângulo Mineiro, which is backed by a strong lobby from the state government, facilitating the process of environmental licensing to install alcohol fuel plants. Biofuels are announced by the Brazilian Government to international organizations as ‘clean energy’, but what we can see is the destruction of Cerrado to plant sugarcane.

Iron mining is the main cause of the suppression of large tracts of a unique habitat, the canga, in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero. This area contains a unique global flora, with several endemic species (Jacobi et al. Reference Jacobi, Carmo, Vincent and Stehmann2007, Viana and Lombardi Reference Viana and Lombardi2007). In the region of Uberaba, the mining of refractory clay in seasonally flooded campos, especially in the headwaters of the rivers Uberabinha and Claro, results in the complete suppression or severe modification of natural grasslands.

Another important cause of habitat loss in the high altitude grasslands at the Quadrilátero Ferrífero is urban expansion. With growing urban criminality and the increasing appeal of living close to nature, many people are moving to luxury condominiums in the suburbs of Belo Horizonte. These condominiums are generally said to be ‘ecologically correct’, but they are not. There is simply no way to replace natural grasslands and forests by houses without severe disturbance.

Roadkills. Although the several dirt roads in the Retiro das Pedras and Serra do Rola Moça State Park are closed to the public, both areas are subject to intensive and illegal off-road vehicle traffic. During one hour on a sunny weekend, we observed three 4-WD vehicles and 10 motorcycles at Retiro das Pedras, all of them moving at high speed. A paved road also crosses the Serra do Rola Moça State Park. Roads may be a significant source of threat for grassland birds, as verified by França & Braz (Reference França, Braz, Dornas and Barbosa2008), who found road-killed C. caudacuta and C. melanotis at Veadeiros National Park, central Brazil.

Recommendations

• • Search for grassland specialists not yet recorded in the Espinhaço Range and Campo das Vertentes, such as Dwarf Tinamou Taoniscus nanus, Lesser Nothura Nothura minor, Rufous-sided Pigmy-tyrant, and Ochre-breasted Pipit Anthus nattereri. In the seasonally flooded campos of the Triângulo Mineiro, searches must target the headwaters of the rivers Uberabinha, Claro and Tijuco.

• • Create a large conservation unit at Campo das Vertentes devoted to the conservation of grassland habitats. The Ibitipoca State Park, located in the easternmost limits of Campo das Vertentes, is dominated by semi-deciduous forests, not harbouring extensive grassland areas. As a consequence, no species listed in this paper has been recorded in the area so far (Andrade Reference Andrade and Rocha1996, Pacheco et al. Reference Pacheco, Parrini, Lopes and Vasconcelos2008).

• • Comply with environmental legislation that ensures the protection of Areas for Permanent Preservation (APPs). These areas, such as river headwaters and riparian forests, are protected by law, and cannot be used for high impact activities such as plantations, cattle raising and mining. Good examples are the seasonally flooded campos at the headwaters of the rivers Claro, Uberabinha and Ribeirão Mandaguari that although theoretically protected, are suffering severe anthropogenic impacts.

• • Cease immediately mining of refractory clay at the headwaters of Rio Uberabinha and Rio Claro, where representative tracts of covoais still persist.

• • Restrict sugarcane, Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations to previously cleared land, avoiding opening pristine Cerrado and campos.

• • Creation of a seal of environmental certification for biofuel activities, especially for the sugarcane sector.

• • Expand the Serra do Rola Moça State Park, incorporating large tracts of well conserved grasslands around Retiro das Pedras.