Cultural values of birds and biodiversity conservation by the Kipsigis community in Kenya

There is a growing interest in local knowledge on biodiversity as evidenced by increasing number of studies in this field and establishment of resource centres of indigenous knowledge the world over. The signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 not only fueled investigation in this crucial knowledge but also recognized the links between indigenous knowledge and local communities. The Kipsigis Community of Kenya has a wide knowledge of forest resources, including birds. That knowledge is still relevant and can be applied in today's biodiversity conservation. Forest resource planners and managers have not adequately used that knowledge and as a consequence, conservation initiatives have taken a top-bottom approach. The purpose of this study was to determine the cultural values of birds and the existing traditional mechanisms of protecting them. This study revealed that the social-cultural values of birds such as crop and livestock pest control and prediction of natural phenomena calls for ways and means of protecting them. It has also shown that local people have traditional mechanisms of protecting birds such as taboos and selective removal. There is ample scope for integrating indigenous knowledge and practices in forest resource management and biodiversity conservation.