Understanding the use of wild birds in a priority conservation area of Caatinga, a Brazilian tropical dry forest

The aim of the present study was to characterise the uses of bird species by hunters from a Brazilian tropical dry forest area to assess whether the choice of birds as a food resource is associated with the availability and body masses of those species. We have also analysed the conservation implications of using the birds in the area. Ethno-ornithological data were collected from rural areas in the immediate vicinity of Santa Catarina Mountain, in the state of Paraiba, using semi-structured interviews to local hunters and former hunters. Four use categories (food, pet, medicinal and symbolic uses) were identified. No correlation between the use value of the species used as a protein source and their relative abundance and body mass was found. These findings may support future environmental sustainability projects that focus on the human element and on conservation actions to protect the bird species that are exposed to high-use pressures in this region.