Bianca Luiza Reinert (c. 1966 – 10 September 2018) was a Brazilian biologist and

ornithologist Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

. She was one of a group of ornithologists who discovered a previously undocumented species of swamp bird, '' Formicivora acutirostris''. She also worked to create a nature reserve to preserve its habitat.

Education

Reinert held a degree in Biological Sciences from the

Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (, PUCPR) is a private, not-for-profit Catholic university. The main campus is located in Curitiba, the capital city of the State of Paraná, Brazil. There are four additional campuses located in the ...

, a master's degree in Forestry Sciences from the

Federal University of Paraná The Federal University of Paraná (, UFPR) is a public university headquartered in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. UFPR is considered to be one of the oldest universities in Brazil. UFPR ranks as 37th best university in Latin-America and it is among ...

, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from

Rio de Janeiro State University Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ; ) is a public research university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country. The university's law and medical schools are among the bes ...

Career

Reinert was a researcher at the Natural History Museum in

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the larg ...

. In 1995, she was working on the Parana coast with colleagues Dante Teixeira and Marcos Bonrnschien when they discovered an undocumented bird. On examination, the group decided it was a new genus as well as a new species: '' Stymphalornis acutirostris.'' The taboa swamp that the bird lived in was being encroached on by human activities, so in 2008 Reinert and others formed an organisation to create a nature reserve in nearby

Guaratuba Guaratuba is a city in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Founded on 1765, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches of Paraná. History The King of Portugal, Dom Jose I, worried about possible foreign raids on the Brazilian coast ...

. In 2009, Reinert and four others purchased land in Guaratuba and had it designated as a Private Natural Heritage Reserve (''

Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Reserve wine is wine of a higher quality than usual, a wine that has been aged before sale, or both. Traditionally, winemakers would reserve some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term. In some countries the use of t ...

''). In 2015, a species of

toad Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...

found in Brazil, ''

Melanophryniscus biancae ''Melanophryniscus biancae'' is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae, first found in the Atlantic Forest in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is found at intermediate-high altitudes and has a phytotelm-breeding reproductive strategy. It is disti ...

'', was named in her honor due to her conservation efforts. Reinert collaborated with poet, Adélia Maria Woellner, and illustrator, Kitty Harvill to produce a

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The ima ...

, ''A descoberta do Bicudinho-do-Brejo'', which is about ''S. acutirostris'' and was released in July 2018. Reinert invited Woellner to work with her on the book in order to increase the public's knowledge of ''S. acutirostris''.

Selected publications

* ''Conhecendo Aves Silvestres Brasileiras: Knowing Brazilian Birds'' (with Marcos R. Bornschein and Ricardo Belmonte-Lopes, 2004)

Personal life

Reinert died after a battle with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

and was buried in

. She was 52 years old.Falecimentos (10/09/2018)
''Tribuna''. Retrieved 16 November 2018.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reinert, Bianca 1960s births 2018 deaths Brazilian ornithologists Rio de Janeiro State University alumni Year of birth missing Federal University of Paraná alumni Women ornithologists Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná alumni Deaths from cancer in Paraná (state) 21st-century Brazilian biologists 21st-century Brazilian women scientists 20th-century Brazilian scientists 21st-century women scientists 20th-century Brazilian women scientists 21st-century Brazilian women