birding-aus

Blackface

To: "Tim Low" <>
Subject: Blackface
From: "michael norris" <>
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 14:14:49 +1000
Hi Tim
 
Full support with minor reservations. My comments are INTENDED to assist rather than complicate the matter.
 
Reservations: terms of reference for a BA or whatever group should recognise possibility of regional/State names: the Blackie might refer to different species in Victoria and WA. Also species could be lumped - most of our Ravens are, to me, just that.  Anyhow I've got a strong feeling that quite a few are hybrid Australian/Little Ravens.
 
I hope that names used in the past 100 years or so would considered, e.g. Diamondbird for Pardalote and Warbler for Gerygone..
 
Also names used by the Aboriginal groups. NZ has Maori names for many birds and 10 years ago ANCA produced "Australian Names for Australian Rodents". At least one of those - Rakali for the Australian Water Rat - is coming into use widely in Victoria despite resistance by some mammalogists and linguists who have told me that throughout southern central Victoria there is no known Aboriginal noun beginning with "R".  
 
But then down here we invaders have learned to live with "Kangaroo"! 
 
Michael Norris
Bayside Friends of Native Wildlife
  
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU