Uso e comércio de aves silvestres no Cerrado Piauiense, nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

ABSTRACT 1 Brazil has a large fauna diversity of birds. Especially in the Northeast region, hunting and capturing wild birds are very popular practices. Consequently, countless species of birds are removed from their natural habitats to be used as pets. In this context, the objective of this chapter was to evaluate the scenario of capture and trade of wild birds used for pet purposes in the southern region of the state of Piauí. The research was carried out in the municipalities of Bom Jesus and Palmeira do Piauí. Data were obtained through interviews based on semi-structured forms and complemented with informal conversations. There were 77 people interviewed, of which 64 claimed to raise/capture wild birds for pets and 45 reported marketing birds for this purpose. A total of 33 bird species were cited by the interviewees, distributed in 2 orders and 7 families. The family Thraupidae was the most representative, followed by Psittacidae. We found a significant association of the richness of species explored with the interviewees place of residence and the use of motorized transport. According to the interviewees, the species Paroaria dominicana and Gnorimopsar chopi are considered the preferred birds by breeders. According to the interviewees, the species Sporophila angolensis was considered the rarest bird in the region. ‘’Assaprão’’ was the technique most cited by the interviewees. The song was identified as the main factor that influences the choice and price of the bird. Generally, after the birds are captured, prepared and "ready", they are commercialized, and the values vary from R$50.00 to R$800.00. Sales, in most cases, are made by hunters or middlemen living in the urban area. Thus, it is noted the importance of developing ethno-zoological works in order to get to know the local realities and thus facilitate the development of strategies for the sustainable management of wild fauna.

ABSTRACT 2 The consumption of bushmeat is a widespread practice in tropical regions of the world. In the Brazilian semi-arid region, birds are a low-cost, easy-to-access protein-rich food with a much-appreciated flavour. In this sense, the objective of this chapter was to identify the species of wild birds used for food and to verify the existence of bird trade for this purpose in the ‘’cerrado’’ region, south of the state of Piauí. The research was carried out in the municipalities of Bom Jesus and Palmeira do Piauí. Data were obtained through interviews based on semi-structured forms and complemented with informal conversations. There were 77 people interviewed, 54 of them said they ate bushmeat and 40 reported selling birds for this purpose. A total of 18 bird species were cited by the interviewees, distributed in 6 orders and 6 families. The Columbidae family was the most representative. We found a significant association between the richness of exploited species, interviewees living in urban areas and/or who travelled distances of over 5km to hunt. The species Leptotila rufaxilla, Leptotila verreauxi and Crypturellus parvirostris were the birds that had the highest number of citations by the interviewees. The flavour of the meat and the size of the birds were the main factors reported by the interviewees that define the choice of target species. When testing the influence of biomass on the choice of a specific species, we found a significant association between these variables (p <0.05). The interviewees reported that they hunt birds as a hobby and appreciation for the taste of their meat. ‘’Espera’’ was the hunting technique most cited by interviewees. As for commercialization, birds are generally hunted throughout the week. After slaughter, the birds are “treated” and frozen to be sold at open markets or distributed to retailers on weekends. The values of the birds varied between R$ 2.00 and R$ 16.00 per specimen. We found a significant association between price and biomass of each target species. The results of this research provide important data for the elaboration of strategies for the conservation of fauna as well as for inspection.