canberrabirds

[Birding-Aus] Barking Owl didgeridoo

To: "Philip A. Veerman" <>
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Barking Owl didgeridoo
From: "" <>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:22:26 +0000

I can’t say. Barking Owl (Maniwokwok or Ngokngok in Kunwok) is relatively common here in the Top End.  However, I’ve never heard Kunwinjku relatives play this owl call (or any other) on mako (didjeridu), possibly because it’s considered a ‘death’ bird.  A son, Wesley Nganjmirra wanted to sell a painting of this bird.  I didn’t think he would have much luck as surrounded the bird with blow flies!  

 Playing the call  wouldn’t be traditional for First Australians down south as they didn’t have this instrument.  

Denise


On 26 Jan 2021, at 7:29 am, Philip Veerman <> wrote:

Having just watched the Barangaroo Australia day ceremony on ABC TV, I noted that at the start there was a one minute’s silence item during which one didgeridoo was performed, the only comment made was that it was marking the dawn. However quite unlike the usual long drone sound, the performance seemed to me as an exact copy of the woof woof call of the Barking Owl (BO) and nothing else. The tone and spacing of notes was obvious (to me). The bird call is such a distinctive sound and before we removed habitat and made the BO rare through most of Aus, it must surely have been very notable to aboriginal people around Aus. Is there likely to be that connection. Just a thought. Any comments?
 
Philip
 
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