Similarities and Differences in Aguaruna and Western Ornithological Perspectives on Amazonian Bird Ecology

Research was carried out in the Peruvian Amazon in seven Aguaruna communities with 58 participants, from 2010 to 2011, focusing on knowledge of ecological interactions between local birds and other plant and animal species. The research sites correspond to a transition zone between lowland and montane tropical evergreen forest, with very high diversity of bird and plant species. Participants described the preferred diet, ecological habitats, foraging level, nesting habits, importance in seed dispersal and other significant ecological interactions of local bird species. Participants’ basic descriptions of avian foraging and reproductive behaviour show many parallels with western ornithological descriptions. However some important differences are noted in conceptualization of complex ecological relationships such as lekking and obligate army ant following. Aguaruna explanations for why these relationships occur tend to draw on a very different set of cultural assumptions and concept of history and are best understood within the framework of perspectivism.