Photo: Fernando Moraes
The Rufous-bellied Thrush, also known as the Orange-Throated Thrush or Sabiá-Laranjeira, is the symbol of the state of São Paulo and is also considered the national bird of Brazil (although many contest this, claiming the Ararajuba as Brazil’s representative). It is a popular bird, mentioned by several poets as the bird that sings in the season of love, meaning in the spring. Immortalized in Gonçalves Dias’ “Canção do Exílio”, it officially joined the other four national symbols – the flag, the anthem, the coat of arms, and the seal, becoming equally significant in representing Brazil on October 3, 2002, by decree of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.