Crested Eagle still survives in southern Brazil

Crested Eagle (Morphnus guyanensis) can still be found in southern Brazil - more specifically in Santa Catarina Atlantic rain Forest. The question is for how long? I recorded this magnificent eagle in Santa Catarina for the first time in 1978 near the scarpments of Serra Geral in the county of Sideropolis. Last February I saw another just about 60 km North from the previous site. The eagle was recorded soaring above fragmented rain forest in the middle of small farms. The exact point of this observation was about 14 km east from the canyons of Serra Geral in Grao Para. All this area is now suffering a rapid deforestation. The Atlantic rain Forest is logged and burned into charcoal to feed the ceramic industry olf Santa catarina. The area where the forest is logged is protected by law, however no one from Brazilian environmental authorities is doing nothing to stop logging. The population is under misery conditions. Actions to prevent deforestation, to teach people better land use and to protect the area are badlly needed. About 27 species of diurnal raptors were recorded in the area. Crested eagle is one of the most elusive of neotropical forest eagles and very little studied. The species is considered rare in any area of its distribution.