RaráMuri Bird Knowledge and Environmental Change in the Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Abstract

ABSTRACT.-The importance of collecting voucher specimens in ethnobotanical research is well recognized. However, collecting zoological vouchers-especially of large vertebrates-may prove beyond the capacity of many field projects. I describe the potential of field tape recordings of animal vocalizations as both vouchers and as stimulus materials for elidting native telTIls and associated cultural data. Sound recordings can be at least as reliable for species documentation as photographs, study skins, or skeletal specimens, and such recordings are easily copied and edited for use in naming~asks with consultants at a later time. Basic equipment and procedures involved in making and using such recordings are also described.RESUMEN.-La importancia de colectar especimenes comprobantes (voucher specimens) en la investigaci6n etnobot[mica ha sido ampliamente reconocida. Sin embargo, la colecta de espedmenes zoologicos-especialmente de vertebrados de gran tamano--puede estar mas alia de la capacidad de muchos proyectos de campo. Describo el potencial de las grabaciones de campo de vocalizaciones animales, tanto como espedmenes comprobantes como materiales de estimulo para elicitar h!rminos indi'genas y los datos culturales asociados. Las grabaciones de sonido pueden ser por 10 menos tiln confiables para documentar la identidad de especies como las fotograf{as, pieIE~s, 0 esqueletos, y tales grabaciones pueden ser facilmente copiadas y editadas para uso en pruebas de identificacion con consultores tiempo despues. Se desc:riben tambien el equipo basico y los procedimientos necesarios para hacer y u.sar tales grabaciones. RESUME.-L'importance de la collecte des echantillons de n!ference en ethnobotanique est reconnue depuis longtemps. Neanmoins, la coUecte des echantillons de reference en ethno2oologie, surtout pout les grands vertebn~s, est souventtrop difficile pour la plupart des projets de recherche sur Ie terrain. r expose ici I'utilite potentielle des enregistrernents de vocalisations d'animaux faits dans la nature, aussi bien en tant qu'echantillons de reference que methode servant astimuler des informateurs indigenes dans I'expose de leurs savoirs biologiques populaires et des noms concernantles animaux en question. Les enregistrements peuvent etre aussi utiles pour la documentation et I'etude des animaux comme Ie sont les photographies, les squelettes, ou les depouilles pTl!servees. Et les enregistrements sont facilement copies et rernanies pour les etudes ulterieures de lexicographie aI'aide d'inforrnateurs. Le materiel et la methode employeS pour faire ce genre d'enregistrements sont presentes.

Biocultural salient birds: which biological and cultural factors define them?

“…Birds are among the most popular animals used and appreciated by human communities around the world (Turner and Bhattacharyya, 2016). They might be deeply linked with the beliefs, ecological knowledge, nourishment, economy, and recreation of people (Miller and Doolittle, 2017;Cantúet al, 2020). However, the motivations and factors that determine biocultural salient birds are expected to vary according to local practices and pools of species (Wyndham and Park, 2018).…”

“…Traditionally, the biocultural study of birds has relied on identifying the identity of species that are appreciated by communities, but until recently it has been focused on defining and comparing the factors that motivate such relevance (de Oliveira et al, 2018;Ladle et al, 2019;Andrade et al, 2022). The characteristics of different bird species (e.g., song, color, size) represent biological factors that might affect how people perceive them (Miller and Doolittle, 2017;Andrade et al, 2022), whereas uses, interests and needs of people might influence the human interaction with such animals (Tidemann and Gosler, 2010). Thus, analyzing the relations that exist between cultural and biological factors might enhance an integral identification of the key elements that make a biocultural salient bird.…”