ABSTRACT
With 1089 species of birds, Kenya has one of the highest diversities of birds in the world. This is attributable to the region's diverse habitats – the result of varied altitude, topography, humidity, precipitation and land use. As natural vegetation in the country is cleared to create room for agriculture, infrastructure and other developments, bird security, their breeding and feeding grounds suffer, thus threatening many species with limited ranges and populations; even flight paths for many migratory species are affected. The country's high cultural diversity, as illustrated by the presence of more than 55 ethnic groups, presents an equally high diversity of bird-related uses and culture, resulting in a rich resource of indigenous knowledge that could be tapped not only for bird conservation, but also for people's livelihoods. Certain beliefs benefit affected bird species while certain uses – for example, in ceremonial attires and adornments – may have the opposite effect. Understanding these cultural beliefs and uses can be beneficial in planning bird conservation measures and human livelihood strategies.
