What’s in a Bird’s Name? Bird Records and Aguaruna Names in Amazonian Indigenous Territories of Peru
2025
Nico Arcilla | Benjamín Salazar Samecash | Oscar Tsamajain Shiwig | Shan Su | Robert J. Cooper
Western Amazonia hosts the highest bird diversity in the world, yet in many regional indigenous territories, biodiversity remains poorly known to science. Between 2004 and 2020, we conducted research with members of 10 indigenous Aguaruna communities in four regions of the northern Peruvian Amazon, recording a total of 427 bird species, including eight wintering Nearctic migratory species. Past studies suggested that unique Aguaruna names exist for the majority of bird species present, and this hypothesis was a focus of our research. We identified unique Aguaruna names for ~38% (161) of bird species documented and generic (shared) Aguaruna names for an additional ~31% (132) of bird species documented; the remaining ~31% (134) of bird species documented had no known Aguaruna name. Avian family membership was a significant predictor of whether a bird species had a unique Aguaruna name. Avian families in which a majority of species had unique Aguaruna names included parrots (Psittacidae), manakins (Pipridae), and nightjars (Caprimulgidae), comprising many conspicuous species in terms of their appearance, vocalizations, and/or behavior. Avian families in which a majority of species had no Aguaruna name included ovenbirds and woodcreepers (Furnariidae), tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae), and hummingbirds (Trochilidae), comprising many small, cryptic, forest interior species. Collaborative research on avian ecology together with studies of indigenous names and knowledge offers a basis on which to increase conservation engagement with indigenous people.
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