Manhuaçu

Geography

Located 260 km from the state capital of Belo Horizonte, it is near the important road junction of BR 262 (Belo Horizonte-Vitória) and BR 116 (Rio-Bahia). The total area of the municipality is 629 km2 and it lies at an elevation of 635 m in the foothills of the Serra da Chabata or Caparaó, which form the boundary between the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The main rivers are the Ribeirão do Manhuaçuzinho and the Manhuaçu River, which are tributaries of the Doce River. Altitudes range from at Foz do Rio São Mateu to at Serra Pedra Dourada. Temperatures range from to , with an average of . Annual rainfall averages . The municipality holds part of the Sossego Forest Biological Station. The Caparaó National Park is a national park administered by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and is located approximately 60 km southeast of Manhuaçu on the boundary dividing the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The entrance to the park is at Alto Caparaó. The area of the park is 318 square kilometers. It was created in 1961 by President Jânio Quadros. It contains the third highest peak in the country, the Pico da Bandeira (2,891 m). In 1859 Emperor Dom Pedro II had ordered that a flag of the Empire be placed on the highest peak of the Serra do Caparaó. It is believed that the name Pico da Bandeira is due to this fact. The mountains of the Caparaó chain have landscapes of great beauty with numerous waterfalls and caverns. There are also other important peaks like Pico do Cristal (2769.7 m) and Pico do Calçado (2.766 m).

Most-observed species

• Great Kiskadee

  Pitangus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  50
• Saffron Finch

  Sicalis flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  50
• Picazuro Pigeon

  Patagioenas picazuro (Temminck, 1813) · Aves
  44
• white-eyed conure

  Aratinga leucophthalma (Statius Muller, 1776) · Aves
  42
• Ruddy Ground-Dove

  Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1810) · Aves
  40
• Rufous Hornero

  Furnarius rufus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  38
• Southern House-Wren

  Troglodytes musculus J.F.Naumann, 1823 · Aves
  35
• Southern Caracara

  Caracara plancus (J.F.Miller, 1777) · Aves
  33