Bird naming systems by Akan people in Ghana follow scientific nomenclature with potentials for conservation monitoring.

Justus P Deikumah,Richard Kwafo,Vida Asieduwaa Konadu

doi:10.1186/s13002-015-0062-y

Justus P Deikumah, Richard Kwafo + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-015-0062-y

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Abstract

BackgroundStudies on indigenous knowledge of fauna particular birds and its potential use in biodiversity conservation and management are rare globally. Characteristics used in creating indigenous bird names in many Ghanaian languages are undocumented. The main aim of this study is to answer the question “whether indigenous bird naming systems by the Akan tribes in Ghana follow scientific nomenclature and whether indigenous Akan bird knowledge can potentially help improve bird conservation efforts in Ghana.MethodsPurposive sampling technique was employed in selecting 10 respondents from 25 communities in the five administrative districts in the Central Region. The study was conducted between November 2014 and March 2015. A mixed method approach was adopted in the data collection including key person interviews, focus group discussion, and structured interview supported by a participatory field observation.ResultsIndigenous people in the study area have reported 143 species of birds belonging to 44 families representing 57 % of total number of species with known local names in Ghana. The study revealed that just as Latin and common English naming systems, indigenous Akan bird names originated from features of the bird, including plumage, vocalizations or behavioural characteristics and belief systems of the indigenous people. The study also discovered that indigenous people in the study area have distinct names for different species within a particular family for most of the birds they could identify. However, they occasionally assign a single general name for either the entire family or all species therein.ConclusionsThe study found evidence to support the prediction that indigenous bird naming systems in the Akan language follow scientific nomenclature. Indigenous knowledge and understanding of birds in the study area can be tapped and used in conservation planning and monitoring of birds. This research thus provides sufficient evidence to prove that indigenous knowledge by the Akan tribes in the study area can be useful in bird conservation and monitoring programs in Ghana. Further research in other Ghanaian languages is recommended.

Highlights

Native and traditional wisdom has historically provided the basis of much of what scientists have documented [1, 2]
Overall 143 species of birds belonging to 44 families were reported and identified correctly by respondents in the study area in local Akan language
The current study revealed that respondents confirmed >51 % of the local names of all 249 species known so far in Ghana in the local Akan language

Summary

Introduction

Native and traditional wisdom has historically provided the basis of much of what scientists have documented [1, 2]. There is a large body of knowledge about the environment contained in indigenous culture [2, 3]. Biodiversity conservation efforts require an integrated approach with the involvement of local inhabitants as major stakeholders. Incorporating indigenous knowledge in conservation efforts has been largely neglected in most parts of the world, in the developing world, where threats to many endemic or threatened biodiversity are most tenuous [10]. Studies on indigenous knowledge of fauna particular birds and its potential use in biodiversity conservation and management are rare globally. The main aim of this study is to answer the question “whether indigenous bird naming systems by the Akan tribes in Ghana follow scientific nomenclature and whether indigenous Akan bird knowledge can potentially help improve bird conservation efforts in Ghana

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