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One arm point and beyond(dampier peninsula, near Broome

To: Tony Russell <>
Subject: One arm point and beyond(dampier peninsula, near Broome
From: Penny Brockman <>
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:46:29 +1100
Perhaps it should be 'satin-necked' - I don't like the sound of Satin Stork
Well I like Jabiru, so there.

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Greg & Val
Clancy
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 10:48 AM
To: Gary Wright; birding aus
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] One arm point and beyond(dampier
peninsula,near Broome


Hi Gary,

I read you post with interest and noted that you hate using the name 'Black-necked Stork'. The neck is actually black, with a blue-green sheen, and although probably not the most appropriate name for the species it has been in use in Asia and Australia since at least the late 1880's. The bird books that I used when starting out birding many years back all called it "Jabiru' and that is what I knew it as for many years. Having recently completed my PhD studies on the species I am now a strong advocate for not calling it "Jabiru'. The reasons for this are: it is not a Jabiru - a Jabiru is a South American stork species which has only a few similarities to our elegant bird; 'Jabiru' is a Tupi-Guarani name for the species which means 'swollen neck', referring to its habit of inflating its bald neck pouch, very different to our slender necked species; the south American bird has precedence over the name which is also its generic name.

When I hear or read the name 'Back-necked Stork' I visualise the
beautiful, elegant bird that it is I don't lament the loss of a totally inappropriate name for Australia's only stork species. However if 'Black-necked Stork' is too much to bear you will be happy to know that when the New Guinea and Australian populations of this species are separated out from the Asian populations, which is likely in the future, the name 'Satin Stork' will,

hopefully, be applied to our birds.  This name received support from the

Birds Australia Common Names Committee but it will only be with
widespread acceptance that it will become 'set in stone.' So far I have received a

large amount of support for the name.  I hope you will also support it.


Greg Clancy
Ecologist
Coutts Crossing
NSW



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