ABSTRACT
For the Bribri of southern Costa Rica, birds do not simply inhabit the landscape – they are beings with knowledge that can benefit people in everyday life, as well as in critical times of change or disaster. To understand and learn from birds requires paying close attention to their characteristics and behaviour, as well as knowing how to interpret their messages. It also requires the wisdom to recognize one's responsibility for right action in return. Applying an anthropological approach toward analysing the place of birds in the Bribri worldview of interconnections shows how this knowledge influences cultural practices, classification systems and conservation of the rainforest.
