Ethnoecological study of the birds of Coatetelco, Morelos, Mexico

Abstract

García Flores, A. 2020. Ethnoecological study of the birds of Coatetelco, Morelos, Mexico. Ecosistemas 29(3):1942. https://doi.org/10.7818/ECOS.1942

In order to explain from an ethnoecological perspective the relationship between the birds and the community of Coatetelco, Morelos, fifty-five interviews were conducted open to farmers, as well as guided tours to carry out the collection of ethnobiological data through audio and visual records, which allowed us to identify the taxonomic species and calculate the frequency of mention. The informants recognize 83 species of birds belonging to 14 orders and 32 families, and they know part of their ecological functions and their local distribution. 70 species were registered in the low deciduous forest, which corresponds to 84% of the species reported by the informants. The use of the 23 species by farmers include food (52%), ornamentation (39%), amulet (21%) and medicinal uses (8%). Farmers obtain the avian resources using slingshots and rifles. The turtle dove Columbina inca and the dove Zenaida macroura registered the highest frequency of mention (60%). Beliefs about six birds are preserved, which are related to death, bad luck or those associated with the rains. The ethnoecological knowledge that the inhabitants of Coatetelco preserve about birds must be integrated into public conservation policies in defense of their biocultural heritage.