Os seres humanos e o canto das aves: do resgate histórico a um estudo experimental sobre os fatores que intermedeiam a preferência pelo canto das aves

Abstract

Bioacoustics has achieved increasing importance in animal conservation. However, it is still in its infancy regarding Ethnobiology. Having said that, this thesis connects these two fields in favor of nature conservation, thus giving rise to Ethnobioacoustics. The model group for this study is that of passerines, popularly known [in Brazil] as “passarinhos”, grouping 60% of bird species. Many studies address various aspects of bird songs, but few relate it to human preference, although it is one of the central reasons that results in the imprisonment of these animals. Within this context, the general objective of this thesis was to investigate, through two studies, the fascination and the human relationship with the song of birds. In the first study, we carried out a brief overview of the appreciation of human beings with birds. In this regard, we approached the subject by showing its historical processes, the level of development of this appreciation, how it was shaped over time, and its influence on the arts. In the second study, through an experimental approach, we investigated the preference and liking for bird songs in two phases. In the first phase, we checked whether this preference would be tied to the complexity of the song and whether there would be a difference according to the gender of the human listener. To this end, participants listened to three different exotic birds’ songs and ordered them according to their preferences. In the second phase, we find out how much people liked the birds’ songs through an objective question. For this experimental study, 114 people participated, of which 53 participated exclusively in the first phase and 61 in the second phase. The research was carried out in the Ribeira district of the city of Cabaceiras - PB. Our results showed, from the first study, that the songs cause fascination from prehistoric times to the present, being part of art and healing rituals, transcending ethnicity and culture. This study reviewed for the first time the implicit causes of our fascination with bird songs. In addition to the aesthetic sense, bird songs seem to restore our psychological balance. We showed that the relationship between humans and birds is rich, and includes, among others, the act of imitating their vocalizations. On the other hand, the benefits that the bird songs cause in us cost the freedom and population decline of these animals. The second study showed that humans have a linear preference for more complex sounds. However, there was not a significant difference between the sexes, as occurs in music. In this regard, both genders appreciate bird songs. Importantly, this second study made use of a new and adequate methodology that objectively evaluated the complexity of the use of fractals.