The rediscovery of the Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis) in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil

Abstract

The Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis) is a large raptor that inhabits the lowland forests in the Neotropical region, whose population is currently decreasing owing to habitat loss and hunting. This species has become very rare in the southern region of the Atlantic Forest and is considered locally threatened or even extinct in some localities, including Rio Grande do Sul state, in southern Brazil. There are only two historic records of this eagle in this state, represented by specimens shot in the municipalities of Igrejinha before 1885 and Santa Cruz do Sul in the 1920s. Here, we report the rediscovery of the Crested Eagle in Rio Grande do Sul on 26 August 2019, when we observed an immature Crested Eagle vocalizing while perched on a Parapiptadenia rigida tree inside the Turvo State Park. We also report compiled information on the occurrence of this eagle in the southern Atlantic Forest and mapped the published historical and recent records. There is little information about this eagle in the Atlantic Forest and almost no information related to diet and nesting. We recorded the first images and audio of a wild Crested Eagle in the southern Atlantic Forest. Our records suggest that this species is breeding in this region. The Turvo State Park has recent records of Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja), which could suggest that the Crested Eagle is using the park without partitioning the habitat. © 2021, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia.