Ronald Orenstein wrote:
>
> >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)
Miners and Mynahs
Why are our miner Honeyeaters called Miners? Probably as a corruption of
the Indian and other Asian Mynah, because there are quite a few
similarities, particularly bold demeanour, much to say, and bare yellow
skin round eyes.
But I've always wondered if the screaming carry-on of a 'camp' of
disturbed noisy miners reminded oldtimers of the goldrush days of the
mobbing behaviour of the diggers of the licence-hunting days on sight of
a policeman or trooper - banging their panning dishes and shouting
'Joe!Joe!Joe!'. Trouble is the humans in those days were called
diggers (alluvial), not miners (deep-shaft workers).
This confusion between both species can be a major problem...Perhaps we
should revert to calling NMs 'Soldier Birds' or 'Micky Miners?'
Anthea Fleming
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)
|
