What species is an Eagle-hawk?
.
I have been reading the Moth Hunters of the ACT (Flood, 1996). One of
the Ngarigo (Aboriginal
tribe) clan totems is Eagle-hawk, plus we have Eagle-hawk winery, and the region.
But I don’t know what one is.
I checked Birds of prey of the World, no Eagle-hawks, but there are
references to Hawk-Eagles, but they are in SE
Asia. Also, obviously there
are Goshawks and Sparrowhawks.
My thought is, it is an old name, from around the turn of the
century, well 1900. This is roughly when the survey of
aboriginal moities and clans took place. But which species does it refer to?? My
guess is little eagle.
Other interesting totem names for ‘clans’ included rabbit-rat. Not sure
what that is? They had also bandicoot, so perhaps a rabbit-rat is a potoroo or bettong or rat
kangaroo.
Another interesting one was flying squirrel, and the totem ‘next in size to flying squirrel'. Which way?? There are 3 species it could be.
Squirrel glider, sugar glider or feathertail glider, or maybe even greater
glider.
Benj-hawk
