title: Do artisanal fishers perceive declining migratory shorebird populations?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper discusses the results of ethno-ornithological research conducted on the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of artisanal fishers in northeast Brazil between August 2013 and October 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study analyzed the LEK of 240 artisanal fishermen in relation to Nearctic shorebirds and the factors that may be affecting their populations. We examined whether differences occurred according to the gender and age of the local population. The research instruments included semi-structured and check-list interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that greater knowledge of migratory birds and the areas where they occur was retained by the local men compared with the local women. Half of the male respondents stated that the birds are always in the same locations, and most of the respondents believed that changes in certain populations were caused by factors related to habitat disturbance, particularly to increases in housing construction and visitors to the island. The main practices affecting the presence of migratory birds mentioned by the locals were boat traffic and noise from bars and vessels. According to the artisanal fishermen, the population of migratory birds that use the area for foraging and resting has been reduced over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in the local landscape related to urbanization and tourism are most likely the primary causes underlying the reduced migratory shorebird populations as reported by local inhabitants. Thus, managing and monitoring urbanization and tourism are fundamental to increasing the success of the migration process and improving the conservation of migratory shorebird species.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation-PPGEtno, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. lucianopandrade@gmail.com.|Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns Campus, Av. Bom Pastor, s/n, Boa Vista, 55292-270, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil. lucianopandrade@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luciano Pires
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation-PPGEtno, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. horasaa@gmail.com.|Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns Campus, Av. Bom Pastor, s/n, Boa Vista, 55292-270, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil. horasaa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Horasa Maria Lima
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Silva-Andrade
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation-PPGEtno, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. rmlneves@yahoo.com.br.|Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns Campus, Av. Bom Pastor, s/n, Boa Vista, 55292-270, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil. rmlneves@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Rachel Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lyra-Neves
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutivon of Social-Ecological Systems (LEA), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. upa677@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ulysses Paulino
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation-PPGEtno, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. telinojr@yahoo.com.br.|Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns Campus, Av. Bom Pastor, s/n, Boa Vista, 55292-270, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil. telinojr@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Wallace Rodrigues
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Telino-Júnior
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D001938:Brazil; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D005398:Fisheries / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male