Local Ecological Knowledge of Bird Behavior as Indicators of Climate Change in the Andean Highlands of Ayacucho, Peru

Introduction: Climate change constitutes a global challenge that is driving environmental transformations in the high-Andean territories of Peru, where Quechua-speaking communities interpret changes in their surroundings through their ancestral knowledge. Among these forms of knowledge, the observation of bird behavior—including vocalizations, migration, and unusual occurrences—forms part of local interpretations of environmental and climatic conditions, particularly in relation to agricultural activities and community life. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative approach with an ethnographic design to understand the ancestral knowledge of Quechua-speaking community members regarding bird behavior in the context of climate change. The study was conducted in high-Andean communities of Socos, Ayacucho, Peru, and involved the purposive participation of elderly farmers, both women and men, who were recognized as living bearers of ancestral knowledge. Results: The results show that Quechua-speaking community members interpret climate change through bird vocalizations, migration, and unusual occurrences, integrating these observations into their agricultural and community life. These ancestral forms of knowledge, transmitted orally, function as local systems of climatic alert and reveal a symbolic and empirical understanding of environmental degradation in the high-Andean communities of Peru. Conclusions: Quechua-speaking community members interpret environmental and climatic variations from an ancestral and symbolic perspective, in which bird behavior plays a relevant role in local interpretations associated with agricultural and community life. These interpretations constitute culturally situated and currently relevant forms of knowledge through which community members observe and understand changes in their surroundings. The findings contribute to understanding the meaning that these observational practices and their interpretations acquire in the everyday experiences of Andean communities, without assuming that they constitute scientifically validated mechanisms for predicting or anticipating the effects of climate change.