PROPOSAL FOR THE IMPORTANT BIRD AREA TRES CERROS, LOMA ALTA AND RÍO MIRIÑAY, IN CORRIENTES, ARGENTINA

THOMANN, MARÍA LUZ; FERNÁNDEZ, JUAN MANUEL; GRILLI, PABLO; FANDIÑO, BLAS; HERNANDO, ALEJANDRA BEATRIZ; CAJADE, RODRIGO; FORTINI, FLORENCIA; APARICIO, GUSTAVO

Iguazu

Congreso; Ornithological Congress of the Americas; 2017

Association of Field Ornithologists, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia y Aves Argentinas,

There are more than 10.000 Important Bird Area (IBA) worldwide (274 in Argentina),and new ones are permanently proposed. The recognition of grassland IBAs asornithological important territories is the first action to encourage the management,conservation and protection of this highly endangered biome. We propose the TresCerros, Loma Alta and Miriñay River IBA in the grasslands of center Corrientes province(29 ° 05´S-57 ° 01´O). It comprises 88.000 ha of fields, forests, malezales and rockyoutcrops. It is a strategic area for the connectivity between Ibera Wetlands and theMiriñay, Aguapey and Uruguay Rivers. According to internationally agreed criteria thesite holds nine globally threatened species (A1); two typical species from the"Mesopotamian Grasslands of Argentina" (EBA 077; A2) and 13 endemic birds of the"Pampas" biome (A3): Xolmis dominicanus, Alectrurus risora and seedeaters (Sporophilaspp.) inhabit and nest in grasslands, Gubernatrix cristata occupies wooded savannahsand Buteogallus coronatus frequents grasslands and exotic forest edges. An importantproportion of the proposed IBA is a forested landscape together with a grasslandconservancy policy. However, the increase of forestry and agricultural activities, thedrainage of malezales or the implantation of pastures would affect the grasslandthreatened birds. The proposed IBA is in owned privately but two private naturalreserves were established. We recommend as a conservation strategy for the grasslandbirds to promote the creation of more private reserves and the environmental territorialordering and to design a biological corridor between Ibera Wetlands and Uruguay River