Decades ago JD Macdonald published his excellent, albeit brief, dictionary of Australian bird names. Ever since then I, and many other birders, have been wishing that someone would do a more thorough job in exploring and explaining from where the bird names have come.
Now all is revealed! CSIRO Publishing has released Ian Fraser and Jeannie Gray's new book 'Australian Bird Names'
http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6833.htm . Presumably it will also be available soon from the usual retail outlets, and from COG.
I have ordered my copy and can't wait to get home and get into it!
FYI - David
(Writing from the Reserva Natural El Dorado bird reserve in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. Sitting on the lodge verandah at 2000 m altitude with the Caribbean to the north and 6000 m snow-covered peaks to the south!)
Sent from David McDonald's iPad
Travelling abroad to 10 June 2013Tel. +61 416 231 890