From the banks of the Cuiabá river to the Skies of the Pantanal: oral tradition and knowledge of birds

The Pantanal region is home to rich biodiversity and traditional communities with profound local ecological knowledge. This study investigated the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) regarding birds in the Cuiabá Mirim Traditional Community, located on the banks of the Cuiabá River, near the Chacororé–Sinhá Mariana Bay System. The research used a hybrid approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, with structured and semi-structured interviews and participant observation, totaling 21 residents interviewed using the snowball sampling technique. The results revealed the recognition of 124 bird species, with extensive descriptions of feeding habits, behaviors, habitats, and forms of interaction with lifestyles. The community demonstrated knowledge of ecological relationships and the construction of a complex trophic network. The study highlighted the importance of orality in the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and the need for its valorization in the face of ongoing sociocultural transformations. The study emphasizes the importance of TK as a dynamic and adaptive knowledge system, built over generations. The accumulated knowledge in this community can contribute to strengthening biodiversity conservation and monitoring strategies, based on traditional knowledge.