Wild birds as source of food in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil

Abstract

The present work
was undertaken with the cooperation of locals in the municipalities of Caicó and São João do Sabugi in the semi-arid region
of Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil. We listed the wild birds used as sources of food in the region and
described the techniques used to capture them. Field work was carried out between January and February of 2010, during
which a total of 60 locals, that used or interacted with wild birds in some way, were interviewed. Information was obtained
through semi-structured interviews from each individual. A total of 13 wild bird species, distributed among six orders and
six families, were identified; the Columbidae family was the best represented in terms of the numbers of species. Zenaida
auriculata was cited most. The birds were captured using five techniques: “arapuca” (a non-lethal fall-trap), “espera”
(waiting in a blind), “sangra” (a non-lethal fall-trap), “fôjo” (dead-fall), and “rede” (netting); ‘Waiting in a blind’ was the
technique most cited. The use of wild birds as sources of food, together with the general lack of population studies of
hunting species is associated with other environmental problems that can be expected to directly or indirectly affect their
populations. In this context, more studies should be undertaken focusing on these issues, because only then will it be
possible to implement adequate wildlife management and conservation programs that can be linked to the socio-cultural
context of the region.