Estudo etnoornitológico em comunidade quilombola do entorno da Serra do Giz, Afogados da Ingazeira, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

The biological, utilitarian, sociocultural and socio-affective relationships between humans and birds are understood and studied by ethno-ornithology. The present research had as objective to investigate about the meanings, symbolic representations and the diverse relationships existing between the inhabitants of a quilombola community of the semiarid of Pernambuco and the birds of Serra do Giz to address the role that the community can play in the conservation of birds in this area and its environment. For this, 23 individuals were interviewed through semi-structured script, complemented by free interviews and informal conversations, as well as visual materials. 147 vernacular names were registered, referring to 110 species, distributed in 21 orders and 40 families. We studied aspects related to bird naming criteria, nesting, reproductive behavior, feeding habits and social behavior. Twenty-eight birds were registered as predictors of events (changes in time, death, omens, home visits, luck and bad luck). We investigated aspects related to the use of birds, the informants’ conceptions regarding their conservation and the transmission of ethno-ornithological knowledge. The disappearance of several birds from the Serra do Giz and its surroundings was mostly attributed to drought and hunting (capture for illegal trade, breeding and food). It was verified that the information of the popular knowledge, for the most part, matches with the scientific literature, proving that the inhabitants of the community know the biological and ecological aspects of the birds and maintains sociocultural relationships with them. As Serra do Giz is a new area that is in the process of being to become conservation unit, it is important to develop research involving the surrounding communities for wild birds’ conservation, since the ethnoornithological knowledge can strengthen the scientific literature and be an ally in the elaboration of conservation strategies along with researchers and other agencies.