Ethnoecological study of the birds of Coatetelco, Morelos, Mexico

Para explicar desde una perspectiva etnoecológica la relación de las aves con la comunidad de Coatetelco, Morelos, se realizaron cincuenta y cinco entrevistas abiertas a campesinos, así como recorridos guiados para llevar a cabo la toma de datos etnobiológicos mediante registros auditivos y visuales, lo cual nos permitió la identificación taxonómica de las especies y el calculó de la frecuencia de mención. Los informantes reconocen 83 especies de aves pertenecientes a 14 órdenes y 32 familias, y conocen algunas de sus funciones ecológicas y de su distribución local. En la selva baja caducifolia se registraron 70 especies, lo que corresponde al 84% de las especies que reportaron los informantes. Los campesinos utilizan 23 especies en diferentes usos, como son el uso alimentario (52%), ornato (39%), amuleto (21%) y uso medicinal (8%). Esas especies de aves se obtienen empleando resorteras y rifles. La tortola Columbina inca y la paloma Zenaida macroura registraron la mayor frecuencia de mención (60%). Se conservan creencias sobre seis aves, las cuales están relacionadas con la muerte, mala suerte o aquellas asociadas a las lluvias. Los conocimientos etnoecológicos que conservan los habitantes de Coatetelco sobre las aves deben integrarse a políticas públicas de conservación en defensa de su patrimonio biocultural.

A Quantitative Method for Evaluating Contemporary Cultural Uses of Birds: A Case Study from Mexico

This study evaluates the relationship between people and birds in Mexico, a country where high cultural and biological diversity are reflected in the close associations between people and natural resources, recorded since pre-Hispanic times. It systematically reviews 1041 records of cultural use of wild birds in Mexico published between 1996–2017 and analyzes patterns of contemporary use of avifauna. It classifies information for 252 birds by grouping uses of species and families into 11 categories and quantifies overall use with a Cultural Value Index (CVI). The data show that birds have a high cultural value as food, pets, and for medicinal uses (312, 235, and 119 records, respectively), particularly in the state of Chiapas. Large edible birds had the highest CVIs and included Plain chachalacas (Ortalis vetula; 9.72), Black-bellied whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna autumnali; 6.65), Crested guams (Penelope purpurascens; 6.25), and Great currasows (Crax rubra; 6.23), with the Cracidae family recorded as favored gamebirds. Conspicuous, brightly-colored birds had high CVIs, including Keel-billed toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus; 6.50), Red-lored amazons, (Amazona autumnalis; 6.03), and allied species, which were traded or kept as pets despite legal protection. The high CVIs of Barn owls (Tyto alba; 5.45) were related to medicinal uses, and Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura; 5.69) were mainly used as gamebirds. Wild bird populations face increasing pressure from habitat loss and overexploitation. We propose that evaluating the ethnological significance of wildlife with indices like CVIs can quantify the distinctive needs of rural communities, which when combined with information on conservation status can develop more sustainable species management plans.

Human-dominated land cover corresponds to spatial variation in Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) reproductive output across the United States

Studies examining impacts of land cover typically focus on abundance, distribution, and/or community richness, overlooking underlying demographic processes such as survival or reproduction. Here, we present findings from a unique dataset that allowed us to measure the relationship between land cover and reproductive output across the distribution of the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura). We used hunter-derived, Mourning Dove wing data across 1,271 counties in the United States from 2008 to 2014 to estimate spatially explicit age ratios (juveniles: adults), an index of local reproductive output. We also used raster imagery data to estimate relationships between reproductive output and land cover and crop cover. We found that low reproductive output occurs in regions where Mourning Dove declines have been steepest. Our findings reveal that impacts of land cover vary geographically, but even at a coarse resolution, small changes in the relative proportion of human-dominated landscapes can have a significant impact on the reproductive output of this generalist species. Maize and soybean systems correlate with up to a 57% reduction in Mourning Dove reproductive output in the eastern United States. In the western United States, developed areas correlate with a 41% increase in reproductive output. Across the United States, native habitats had neutral or negative relationships with age ratios. Our study contributes continental-scale evidence that Mourning Dove reproductive output is largely driven by human-dominated land cover including agricultural and residential areas. With Mourning Doves declining across the range, discerning more fine-scale land cover factors is critical for ensuring Mourning Dove populations persist into the future.