Through the windows, without blink, curious eyes try to follow those ones that scribble the sky, that punch it in swift pirouettes and winding whirls, like a designer drawing lines with his pencil in a paper shit. They are, the tiny winged dancers, the swallows. They deviate in time from the walls of buildings, antennas, water tanks, electrical and telephone cables, from the lines that saw with wax and grind glass other lines that catch kites and sticks in the air. Every year they pause, go from one side to the other and then follow their migratory course of thousands of kilometers, guided by the hands of their inner compasses. And so it is, since the world is world, year after year, in the certainty they will find the same spaces, before the graphite tip of the designer's pencil breaks. In contrast to the disappearance of birds, which fly through the same forested areas, thousands of buildings sprouted from the ground of the ancient tropical jungle, among the groves, much higher than the tallest trees there were. Mankind, like a god, transforms and shapes the landscape, makes it urban, however, most of the time, without considering the negative effects, out of ignorance or indifference, out of necessity or greed. And he ends up throwing out alternatives that do not interfere with the migration path of these birds.

The abundant presence of birds has not gone unnoticed since the discovery (or invasion, for others) of Brazil. In his reports, Caminha attests to the presence of fura-buchos (1). A little over a century later, the Franciscan friar Vicente do Salvador, known as the father of Brazilian historiography, witnessed the walk of herons, guarás, parrots, macaws, canindés, tapéis (2).

In a sudden change of scenery, the forests began to disappear in the face of the continuous development of the country definitively called Brazil. The trees were transformed not only into firewood, but also into wood for tool handles, for presses and ox carts.

The state of São Paulo became the largest coffee producer, and the devastated forest was used for planting. From the mid-1870s, it began to receive immigrant labor, due to the end of slavery, which was slow, to avoid a bloodbath, as there was in the American Civil War. The capital did not stop growing, undergoing major transformations. During the industrialization process, at the end of the 19th century, buildings emerged, removing an enormous amount of trees from the city. Only the green niches remain, scattered like small oases in the concrete desert that covers the city.

Through this small portrait, we can see the disappearance of the trees that served as perches for the migratory birds to stop in the city. Today, windowsills, slabs and wires serve as perches. Some collide with mirrored houses and buildings and remain confused when they survive. There is also no abundance of clean water; million liters are trapped in reservoirs. Along the way, the birds find lakes, pools, fountains, water mirrors, between streams and filthy rivers where few herons venture. Where there used to be food in abundance, today, at the end of fairs, there are disputes between doves, sabiás and very rare sparrows over the fruits and vegetables that are thrown on the street, if not, in garbage during ordinary days. Added to this is air and noise pollution; you can't hear the birds' calls because of all sorts of noises, so even they can't hear themselves. However, year after year, the spectacle of nature still resists and rebuilds itself like a phoenix among the ashes.

Today there are 506 species of wild birds in the city of São Paulo, composed of hawks, sparrow-hawks, owls, hummingbirds, macaws, parrots, parakeets, among others. They inhabit islands surrounded by the sea of buildings, such as Trianon Park, which has eighteen of these species. Even though they are mostly native, most of them are at risk of extinction (3).

In addition to the native species, there are migratory birds coming from the border between Canada and the United States, from the countries of northern South America, the Amazon and the south of the continent that stay in the city of São Paulo, such as the juruviara and the irerê. In Ibirapuera Park we can still see the tiziu, the joão-pires, the mustache, the scissors and the yellow-browed surici. Unfortunately, as green areas have dwindled, we inertly witness the increasingly constant absence of various species. Residents around the Guarapiranga dam report that the coleirinha is no longer being seen there (4).

Despite the alarming scenario, there are successful initiatives that point the way to hope. We can take as an example the work done in Israel. With collective effort and political will, thousands of migratory birds returned there. Today, among local and migratory species, the Israeli state is home to millions of birds distributed among more than five hundred species. Protection laws, nature reserves and parks, resulted in the reintroduction of fauna and flora existing in biblical times. Among the actions, there was the planting of more than two hundred million trees that fill an area of 300,000 acres (5).

Some bird species are disappearing and here's the point: how far have buildings disrupted such routes and stopping points? What is possible, if possible, to free up these routes and recover some of these rest points? We do not intend to give conclusive answers, but to broaden the motivation for the debate in search of solutions that mitigate the harmful effects.

It is true that this issue is already taken into account by biologists and environmental agencies, but we must broaden the debate with urban planners and the public authorities in order to also improve the mental health of the city's inhabitants. For this, it is essential that people live with the birds that, in some way, were evicted by the progress of urban areas.

We need to find a way to rescue these areas. One way would be to map, identify and maintain hostel spaces in the city. Or even, recover some more points of accommodation, and not be limited only to the maintenance of parks and squares.

We must continue and encourage projects for the recovery and depollution of the air, as well as of rivers and their affluents, streams, in addition to encouraging the creation of sewage treatment stations. It is interesting to encourage the implementation of green roofs that serve as landing areas for birds to rest.

The task of recovering native flora is urgent, with the creation of artificial lakes. By growing trees around it, plankton is produced to support the fish, which the birds feed on. This cycle will benefit not only migrants, but natives as well.

If it continues as it is, hundreds of bird species will disappear. However, if some native species manage to coexist amidst the chaotic aspects of the megalopolis, there will be greater benefit if we rescue some of its flora, also providing the return of migratory birds to their original resting spots.

notas

1
FIGUEIREDO, Luciano (Org.). História do Brasil para ocupados. São Paulo, LeYa Brasil, 2019.

2
SALVADOR, Frei Vicente do. História do Brasil: 1500-1627, E-book Kindle.

3
SILVEIRA, Evanildo da. Com 506 espécies, cidade de São Paulo abriga mais tipos de aves que todo o Chile ou Portugal. BBC News Brasil, São Paulo, 27 out. 2019 <https://bbc.in/41vSuQV>.

4
VEIGA, Edison. São Paulo recebe aves migratórias do sul do continente. O Estado de S. Paulo, São Paulo, 16 jul. 2012 <https://bit.ly/3KTrNi8>.

5
REDAÇÃO. Terra: Natureza. Consulado Geral de Israel, São Paulo <https://bit.ly/3N90RxI>.

about the author

Edson Reggiane Moreira is an architect since 1989 and has a master's degree in Architecture, Urbanism and Design from Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo (2019).