When the seeds sprout, the hornbills hatch: understanding the traditional ecological knowledge of the Ibans of Brunei Darussalam on hornbills

Abstract

Background Hornbills are known to play an important role in rainforests as agents of seed dispersal. Decades of scientific research has led to a vital body of knowledge on hornbill taxonomy, ecology, distribution, and conservation status. However, the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that local people possess on hornbills has largely been underexplored. In 2018, we collaborated with the Iban people of Temburong, Brunei Darussalam, to study their TEK on hornbills. Method We collaborated with the members of the Iban community from four longhouses and four villages in Temburong, Brunei Darussalam. Our study adopts a qualitative approach; we used detailed semi-directive interviews and brief semi-structured interviews to gather data. The semi-directive interviews documented the TEK related to Hornbills in detail while the brief semi-structured interviews assessed the current status of TEK in the age group of 18–40 years. Results The results show that the Iban ethnotaxonomy recognises seven folk species of hornbills, with Asian Black Hornbill ( Anthracoceros malayanus ) and Oriental Pied Hornbill ( Anthracoceros albirostris ) considered as a single folk species. The Iban TEK on diet and reproductive behaviour of hornbills complement existing scientific records, with the Iban TEK providing additional locale-specific information on the dietary preferences, abundance and conservation threats. However, the average Iban member has lost much of this TEK, and it is the subsistence hunters and agriculturists who have conserved it. Conclusion There is an urgent need for encouraging transmission of knowledge from the hunters and agriculturists to others through ecotourism and conservation ventures. Our study adds further support to the understanding that the TEK of local communities is an important source of locale-specific knowledge on species of high conservation value such as hornbills.

Ethnoornithological study in selected villages of Riau Province, Indonesia

“…About 95% of threatened birds around the world experience habitat loss, around 70% of which are related to human activities resulting in a decline in species populations. As discussed by Franco and Minggu (2019), there was a decline in the Helmed Hornbill population in Brunei Darussalam and also in several other countries; Philippines (Gonzales 2011), Thailand (Trisurat et al 2013), India (Naniwadekar and Datta 2013;Mudappa and Raman 2009), and Malaysia (Aik and Perumal 2017). Great pressure on bird populations by humans shows that conservation measures must involve interactions between local communities and birds in the region.…”

“…Hornbills (Rhinoplax vigil Forster) (Figure 3.C) are known to play an important role as agents of seed dispersal (Franco and Minggu 2019). The Sumatra region, especially Riau Province, is home to several species of hornbills, one of which is the Rangkong Gading/Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil Forster).…”

A Systematic Review on the Local Wisdom of Indigenous People in Nature Conservation

“…According to Gilmore et al [39], the Maijuna Tribe in Peru use the technique of tracing an animal's mineral licking behavior to monitor the animal's presence and the numbers of individuals. On the other hand, according to Franco and Minggu [40], the Iban tribe in Brunei provided additional locale-specific information on the dietary preferences, abundance, and conservation threats of hornbills to scientific knowledge and conservation. Meanwhile, the indigenous people in New Zealand know that swans are important for distributing fertilizer for their crops; therefore, they only hunt swans that are away from their nest to avoid overhunting [41].…”

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of rural women in the dry zone of Sri Lanka on underutilized vegetable crops

“…A variation visible in the number of species identified is because of the respondents' demographic characteristics in terms of their education level and engagement with the surrounding environment (Ntawuruhunga et al 2020). Those who are directly engaged with the environment because of the occupation (farming and other agricultural related activities) show relatively high knowledge about their environment and indigenous plants (Hossain & Hasan 2018, Franco & Minggu 2019. 2) appeared as the commonly available in the surrounding areas and year-round and most wildly known and consumed.…”