Wild birds as pets in Campina Grande, Paraíba State, Brazil: an ethnozoological approach

Tradition and trade: culture and exploitation of avian fauna by a rural community surrounding protected areas in the south of Bahia's State, Northeastern Brazil

BACKGROUND

Illegal capture and trade of wild birds are some of the most present types of wildlife trade in Brazil, and are often associated with cultural and socioenvironmental aspects. Those habits are particularly present in rural communities, where bird trade can be a source of income in dire economic situations and bird-keeping is a cultural trait passed down from generations.

METHODS

We conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with bird-keepers and traders within the surrounding region of the Parque Nacional de Boa Nova, inquiring about local customs and practices related to bird-keeping, bird trade and bird capture, as well as how these were affected by the establishment of protected areas nearby. We then outlined the main trends and perceptions in a quantitative and a qualitative approach.

RESULTS

A total of 21 avian species were mentioned as being used as pets and in commercialization, contests and breeding, most of them occurring naturally in the region. Most respondents were men possessing low levels of education and income. We observed a series of specialized practices regarding bird-keeping, from basic maintenance of captive individuals in order to ensure the animal's health, to interspecies breeding as to produce hybrid individuals. Mentioned methods used to capture wild birds often involved specialized traps and were conducted mainly within the national park's area. Bird trade was said to occur mostly in urban settlements, and the value of captive birds was said to vary, based on species and beforehand training. The official establishment of the protected area impaired all practices related to bird-keeping and trade, mostly as a result of increased surveillance by environmental agencies.

CONCLUSION

The collected information presents a series of specialized habits and practices involved in bird-keeping, bird capture and bird trade, many of them being associated with the local avifauna surrounding the region. The establishment of protected areas affected local perceptions regarding bird-keeping and related practices mostly through fear of penalty, although individuals demonstrated some knowledge about how to evade surveillance. We recommend further studies about effective ways to integrate local communities in nearby protected areas' conservation.

When good attitudes are not enough: understanding intentions to keep yellow-shouldered Amazons as pets on Margarita Island, Venezuela

Unsustainable harvesting to supply the demand for pets is the second most significant threat to parrots (Psittacidae). Given that parrot keeping is widespread, in-depth and culturally sensitive research is needed to inform and develop interventions targeted at changing consumer preferences and purchasing behaviours. Parrot keeping is thought to be driven mainly by a desire for companionship (the affection hypothesis). Alternative hypotheses include a deeply ingrained culture of parrot ownership (the tradition hypothesis) or the influence of socio-economic context (the contextual hypothesis). We used the theory of planned behaviour to evaluate the relative importance of behavioural and contextual factors influencing the intention to keep the yellow-shouldered Amazon Amazona barbadensis as a pet. We interviewed 150 owners and non-owners of parrots in two locations in Macanao Peninsula, Margarita Island, Venezuela, where the primary population of this species is located. We found mixed evidence supporting both the affection and contextual hypotheses: intention to keep parrots was higher in non-owners with high education level, strong affective attitudes regarding human–animal relationships, and higher expectations about social norms (41% of explained variance). Our study expands previous research on the illegal parrot trade by taking into account behavioural measures beyond attitudes, highlighting the role of social norms frequently ignored in such research. We discuss how a behaviour change campaign could redirect affective attitudes in the human–parrot relationship, and promote new social norms that support parrot conservation. Future research should consider the inclusion of moral and injunctive norms, and monitoring of intervention effectiveness.

Wild birds trade in Dera Ismael Khan and Bannu divisions of Khyber PakhtunKhwa (KPK) Province, Pakistan

Wildlife trade is a profitable economic activity. Birds are among the most heavily traded animals worldwide, with numerous species threatened by pet trade. The present case study was stretched for period of one year to find out the status of wild birds' trade in Bannu and Dera Ismael Khan Divisions. The study was aimed to find out the types of species, commercial prices of bird, trade routes, overall income generated from birds' trade and the status of dealers whether licensed or not. Bimonthly visits were conducted to interview 52 bird dealers/pet shops owners/venders (23 in Dera Ismael Khan and 29 in Bannu). A sum of 16 conceivable sites were visited during the study period. Out of these, 8 sites were located in Dera Ismael Khan and 8 sites in Bannu Division. The highest priced species was Demoiselle crane (Grus virgo) and the lowest priced species was house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Total number of species traded in both regions were 8 and 14 while the income generated by bird trade was amounting to PkR 1,322,200 and 7,128,950 in Dera Ismael Khan and Bannu respectively. Majority of the birds were trapped locally with the exception of few from adjacent areas. Commercial activity led by illegal bird traders was found 75% and 100% species in Dera Ismael Khan and Bannu respectively. There was no significant difference between prices of birds, number of species sold and income generated by bird trade in two divisions.

Ecology, interactions and human perceptions of Cerdocyon thous in rural landscapes in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

Human populations maintain diverse relationships with wild animals that lead to both positive and negative interactions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ecology, interactions and human perceptions of Cerdocyon thous in rural landscapes in the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. Interviews were held from November to December 2015. Data collection involved the use of a semi-structured questionnaire and photographs of the fox. Most interviewees (96.94%) demonstrated knowledge of the species, attributing eight different vernacular denominations to the animal. The interviewees also demonstrated knowledge regarding its habitats, active hours, diet, behavior and diseases. The respondents pointed out negative aspects, such as the transmission of diseases (48.72%), the death of domesticated animals and consequent negative economic impact (42.74%), attacks against humans and other animals (6.84%) and causing an environment imbalance (1.70%). The positive roles attributed to the fox regarded its use as a resource for medicinal purposes, craftwork, mystical-religious ceremonies and as a pet. There is a need for further information on C. thous and adequate protection measures should be taken in local communities to ensure the conservation of the species in rural landscapes.

Illegal trade of songbirds: an analysis of the activity in an area of northeast Brazil

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze the chain and dynamics of the trade of wild birds between keepers and traders in an area of northeast Brazil. Profit from the purchase and sale of these animals in the trade chain was also estimated.

METHODS

The information was obtained through interviews with direct participants in the wild bird trade chain.

RESULTS

We recorded a total of 34 bird species involved in illegal trade. In general, the purchase and sale values of songbirds are associated with the attractiveness and songs of the birds. Regarding the commercial potential of the species, those with high numbers of traded individuals had higher average purchase values and, especially, sale values. Birds with lower purchase values showed higher sale profits and were sold in large numbers. The purchase and sale values of songbirds in the present study show a significant economic return for those involved in this activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study may provide data to support future studies on the conservation of wild birds, assisting in monitoring illegal trade, a persistent problem in the region studied.

Back home? Uncertainties for returning seized animals to the source-areas under climate change

Regardless of the economic, social and environmental impacts caused by wild animal trafficking worldwide, the suitable destination of seized specimens is one of the main challenges faced by environmental managers and authorities. In Brazil, returning seized animals to the wild has been the most frequent path in population restoration programs, and has been carried out, as a priority, in areas where the animals were captured. However, in addition to the difficulty in identifying the locations of illegal captures, little scientific knowledge is available on the future viability of the source-areas to global climate change. Thus, the current work aims to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the main source-municipalities for animal trafficking in Brazil, referred to herein as source-areas. For this, using ecological niche modeling, the environmental suitability of the source-areas for illegal animal captures was evaluated in two scenarios at two different time horizons: optimistic (RCP 26) and pessimistic (RCP 85) emission scenarios in both 2050 and 2070 projections. Moreover, the source-areas were compared with the Brazilian Federal protected areas, used here as the control group. According to the results, Brazilian source-municipalities are not always the best option for maintaining the most seized species in the future simulations, and, therefore, seem not be the best option for projects that aim for the return of these animals to the wild. In this sense, despite the genetic and ecological issues inherent in translocation projects, our results suggest that population restoration programs for seized species need to be rethought, and furthermore other suitable areas could be considered for truly ensuring the survival and maintenance of overexploited populations in the long term.

Understanding the motivations for keeping wild birds in the semi-arid region of Brazil

BACKGROUND

Birds are kept as pets around the world, and bird-keeping is an ancient and widespread practice, constituting one of the main reasons for the decline of some species. In the semi-arid region of Brazil, this practice is very common and continues despite being designated as illegal in recent decades. This study aimed to identify the species and families of songbirds used as pets in the semi-arid region of Brazil, characterize the maintenance of the exploited species in captivity, and evaluate the sociocultural context associated with this practice.

METHODS

Data were collected from a total of 62 wild bird-keepers in the study area through interviews using semi-structured forms and informal conversations.

RESULTS

A total of 34 bird species are bred as pets in the study area. Thraupidae was the most represented family in this study followed by Icteridae, and together, these families accounted for 61.7% of the local specimens. As reported by the respondents, birds are acquired by capturing them in rural areas or through local and regional markets. The number of species identified by the respondents did not differ according to respondent income, educational level, or age (p > 0.05). Maintaining these birds in cages includes some care, such as providing feed, medicine, and in some cases, training to improve their song or to learn songs from other species. The species with the highest use values (UVs) were Sporophila albogularis (UV = 0.83), Paroaria dominicana (0.82), and Sporophila nigricollis (0.79), indicating their importance as wild animal pets.

CONCLUSION

The birds reported in this study have strong cultural importance and high economic value for the people involved in bird-keeping. In this sense, ethnoornithological studies are fundamentally important since they can provide basic information to inform plans and actions to promote the conservation and sustainable management of local avifauna, including the essential element of environmental education strategies.

Fauna used by rural communities surrounding the protected area of Chapada do Araripe, Brazil

BACKGROUND

Studies on the inter-relations between people and animals have been considered essential to better understand the dynamics of socio-ecological systems. This study aimed to register the animal species known by the communities adjacent to National Forest of Araripe, their uses and if the close relationship affects the knowledge of useful species.

METHODS

Data collection was conducted through a semi-structured inquiry form, free listings and guided tour. The study included 246 people from two community groups: group 1 (n = 113; <2 km from FLONA) and group 2 (n = 133; ≥ 2 km).

RESULTS

According to the free listing, group 1 communities know more animal species (11.50 ± 5.81) than group 2 (9.41 ± 3.70), with a significant difference in knowledge between the groups. Men and women showed no significant difference in knowledge about animal species. The men from group 1 know, significantly, more species than men from group 2; but this difference was not observed in women from both groups. In the analysis of the Use Value (UV), Mazama gouazoubira showed a higher UV, both in group 1 (1.15) and group 2 (1.49). The guided tour identified the presence of 11 species, common in the vegetation of Forested Savannah (Cerradão) and in the transition Rainforest/Savannah (Cerrado).

CONCLUSION

The results indicate M. gouazoubira as the most known and used species in this Protected Area, showing that species of interest to the local communities are worthy of conservation attention.