SMA PROGRAMS: Biocultural Conservation:
Avian and Ethno-Ornithology Research

SMA-supported biologists are studying birds and traditional ecological knowledge in the Barranca Sinforosa region which includes Pino Gordo. 224 bird species have been identified in Pino Gordo, including over 120 neotropical migratory birds. Other bird transects are under study in Madera and Cerro Mohinora.

In addition to identifying species, staff biologists working with Tarahumara assistants have identified over eighty indigenous names for bird species. Andrew Miller, a master’s candidate in Forestry at Northern Arizona University, is analyzing differences in traditional knowledge of birds for Tarahumara living in old-growth forests of Pino Gordo and in Cabórachi, a nearby ejido that has been logged for nearly fifty years. He has found that the Tarahumara of Pino Gordo have a significantly greater knowledge of forest birds, especially old-growth-associated species such as the Red-faced Warbler, Grace’s Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Red Crossbill, and White-striped Woodcreeper.

In 2002, SMA and Consejo EcoRegional Sierra Tarahumara A.C. joined with ProNatura Noreste to plan a regional study and conservation approach for protecting and monitoring neotropical migratory birds in the Sierra. The project, which began in 2003, is studying five sites in the Sierra, researching birds, fire history, and prospects for riparian restoration, and will plan and support community conservation initiatives.