Ethno-ornithology Research and Study Group (ERSG) - new website and discussion group

[Robert A Gosford <>]

Dear friends -

Just a quick note to advise that there is now an Ethno-ornithology Research and Study Group (ERSG) website and Discussion group at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/ethnoornithology/ (how it ended up in the UK Yahoo site is beyond me!).

It is very 'bare-bones' at present - the success of the site and Discussion Group will be dependant upon your interest and contributions! I've put the Abstracts and Update from the Ethno-ornithology Symposium held at the recent Australasian Ornithological Conference at Blenheim, NZ in December 2005 on the site and some of my own material, including an annotated Bibliography of  the Northern Territory (Australia) Ethno-ornithology and the same material (unannotated) broken down into its Ornithological, Anthropological and Historical components.

If you have an interest in this area please join the group and make a contribution. As a recognised discipline (or perhaps sub-discpline within Ethno-biology?) ethno-ornithology is still very much in its infancy - notwithstanding this I have been surprised at the breadth and depth of published material available on the subject. Hopefully the ERSG group might help to bring researchers, students and others interested in this fascinating area together.

Many of you will have received Update # 1 following the AOC 2005 mentioned above. Another reason for this message is to seek your contributions to a follow-up to that earlier Update. I'm proposing to distribute another Update (maybe called the ERSG Newsletter?) later in February and would welcome your news, views or suggestions for inclusion. I've got the following points just to tease you:

1. Following the suggestion that post-AOC 2005 a Birds Australia "Special Interest Group"be established I have received a note to the effect that Birds Australia may be amenable to the formation of such an SIG. If you are interested in the formation of an Ethno-ornithology SIG please forward your _expression_ of interest to the group. Other views on this matter are welcome. To find out more about BA's SIGs see: http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/addresses.html#sigs

2. I have also received a note from a senior Chilean researcher suggesting that an Ethno-ornithology Symposium might be organised at the Southern Connection conference at Adelaide in early 2007. This could be along the lines of the AOC 2005 Ethno-ornithology symposium  but with a broader focus on the southern hemisphere. I don't know a lot about Southern Connections at present. The website says: "Southern Connection is a large group of scientists from all continents who study aspects of biology and earthhistory of the Southern Continents.  The literature in most fields of biology is dominated by a northern perspective. One of the main aims of Southern Connection is to develop and emphasise differences between North and South. Africa , for example, with its long history of hominids and its relatively well preserved megafauna, is a stark contrast to most of the Northern Hemisphere. Several other more specific themes relating to, for example, ecology, biogeography, phylogeny, phylogeography, history and utilization characterize Southern Connection."

Sounds good to me and is in line with the discussion-points at the end of the AOC conference. See the Southern Connections site at: http://www.southernconnection.org/

I think that's all for now. I look forward to lots of members and postings. Remember to send in items, news and suggestions by late February for the Update/ERSG Newsletter.
I'll be away in conference-ville for a month or so in March and April so I'd like to post it before I leave.

Thanks.

Robert Gosford
ERSG Moderator
CRES
Australian National University
******************************************************************************************************* This is the email announcement and discussion list of the Canberra Ornithologists Group. List-Post: <> List-Help: <> List-Unsubscribe: <> List-Subscribe: <> List archive: List manager: David McDonald, phone (02) 6231 8904; email <>