Hunting activities impact avifauna in rural areas of the Jaçanã municipality, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil

Abstract

Birds are one of the largest groups of vertebrates hunted worldwide, and in the Brazilian semi-arid region bird hunting is of great economic and cultural value. We conducted a study in Jaçanã, in the Agreste Zone of Rio Grande do Norte State (Northeastern, Brazil) to provide information on the bird capture techniques used in this region, the purpose of the captures, and the species identity of hunted birds. Data were collected from July 2012 to June 2013 through semi-structured interviews with 35 local hunters, selected using a technique Snowball Sampling. We identified avifauna through checklist-interviews and guided tours. To determine the relative importance of each species, we calculated the value of use (VU).  A total of 45 species were cited, used for food consumption (35 spp.), commercialization (22 spp.) and breeding (26 spp.). VU ranged between 0.03 and 1.4, with Columbina talpacoti having the highest value. Fourteen capture techniques were identified, employed depending on the species and their intended use; shotgun, slingshot, and herding were the predominant techniques. The most commonly captured birds belonged to Passeriformes and Columbiformes. Hunting can alter animal community composition and may influence a multitude of ecological interactions, hence the results obtained here may serve as a valuable tool for conservation initiatives in the Brazilian semi-arid region.