Re: birding-aus Myna names

[Ronald Orenstein <>]

>I always knew the Common Myna in NZ as the Indian Myna. Would calling
>it this help the situation?

>Phil Battley,

Just to make things even more confusing (and I apologize if this has
already been pointed out), there actually IS a bird called the Common Miner
- it's a furnariid from South America, Geositta cunicularia.  The South
American miners get their name because at least some species excavate their
own nesting burrows.  I'm not sure why the Australian birds are called
miners - is it because the tinkling sound of the BellMiner reminded someone
of the sound of a miner's pickax on a rock?
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886
International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
1825 Shady Creek Court                 
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2          
       
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to

Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)