Lagoa do Peixe National Park

Lagoa do Peixe National Park
Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe
IUCN category II (national park)
Lagoa do Peixe National Park
Nearest city	Porto Alegre
Coordinates	31°14′28″S 50°57′32″W / 31.241°S 50.959°W / -31.241; -50.959Coordinates: 31°14′28″S 50°57′32″W / 31.241°S 50.959°W / -31.241; -50.959
Area	36,721 hectares (90,740 acres)
Designation	National park
Created	6 November 1986
Administrator	ICMBio

Lagoa do Peixe National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe) is a national park in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was created in 1986 to protect a wintering zone for migratory birds along the Lagoa dos Patos, the estuary of the Guaiba river or Guaíba Lake about 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Porto Alegre.

The Lagoa do Peixe National Park is in the coastal marine biome, and has been registered as a Ramsar Site. It has an area of 36,721 hectares (90,740 acres). The park was created by decree nº 93.546 of 6 November 1986, and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. It covers parts of the municipalities of Mostardas, São José do Norte and Tavares in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The park lies on and between two parallel lines of dunes on the Atlantic coast. It is 35 kilometres (22 mi) long and on average 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide. Altitudes range from sea level to 17 metres (56 ft). There are two fresh water lagoons in the northern section, Veiana and Pai João, while other lagoons and marshes are salt. The park includes areas influenced by rivers or lakes, marine areas and intermediate areas, and has a mix of flora growing on the dunes, sandy fields, flood plains and salt and freshwater marshes. Average annual rainfall is 1,250 millimetres (49 in). Temperatures range from 0 to 40 °C (32 to 104 °F), with an average of 21 °C (70 °F).

The park is an important resting place for birds on the migratory route between Patagonia and the United States. Migratory species include red knot (Calidris canutus), common tern (Sterna hirundo), sanderling (Calidris alba), white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), two-banded plover (Charadrius falklandicus), tawny-throated dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis), rufous-chested plover (Charadrius modestus), Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) and Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus). The tuco-tuco (Ctenomys flamarioni) is endemic.