I'll also quote Wim Vader:
> "How about a Babel of Friar-birds. When listening to a flock up in the
> trees, I always had the impression that they are all conversing in
> unknown
> languages, shouting at each other, miffed because they are not
> immediately
> understood (I spent 1993 in OZ).
>
I look forward to more suggested collectives for Austr
lian birds -
> especially from the 'wags'. Thanks.
> Syd
Dear Syd, You asked for it! After checking a couple of NZ and US
websites (thanks to those who told us) it occurred to the Flemings that
some Ausbirds really deserved collectives of their own.
I particularly care for Wim's 'babel of friarbirds'.
here are some Fleming suggestions:
an idiocy of emus
a yodelling of magpies
a merriment of kookaburras
a gluttony of gannets
an aviation of albatrosses
a collection of bowerbirds
a hoard of bowerbirds (note spelling;
did not say 'horde!')
a mounding of megapodes
a squawk of swamphens
a clamber of parrots
a
creech of cockatoos
a migraine of lorikeets
a folly of galahs
a startle of blackbirds (Melbourne's commonest bird deserves a
mention)
an impertinence of Willy Wagtails
a scolding of scrubwrens
a scurry of sittellas
a cacophony of wattlebirds
a hover of spinebills
an invisibility of pardalotes
a mattock of choughs (whitewinged of course)
an unidentifiability of thornbills
a hurtle of needletails
an apparition of stone-curlews
a scuttle of dotterels (I mean small plover)
a peep of stints
a slum of pigeons (feral of course)
a scavenge of gulls
a robbery of skuas
a skim of shearwaters
a patrol of jabiru (aka Blacknecked Stork - 'policeman bird' up
north)
an immobility of frogmouths
a camouflage of frogmouths
I'm still looking for a good one for the Bustard.
Most of these lists are derived from Dame Juliana Berners (a nun who
wrote or compiled a book on hunting and fishing) and other medaeval
writers. One of hers which I like is:
a deceit of lapwings (sometimes corrupted to 'desert' or even
'dessert')
The NZ list included among its birds 'a richesse of martens'. But
martens with an e are mammals - the Pine and Beech Martens, valued for
their expensive fur. (Dame Juliana again).
The US list included some local birds, inc. 'a flamboyance of
flamingos' and both a 'rafter of turkeys' and a 'raffle of turkeys' (is
this the local equivalent of a chook raffle or should it be a 'ruffle of
turkeys?) Also 'a ballet of swans' and a 'bazaar of guillemots.'.
The expression 'covey' still current for partridges, grouse and
such, is derived from the French 'couvee'(acute accent on first e)
meaning a clutch or brood.
And finally, of course, a singular of a Phoenix!
While we are in lighter vein, I'll quote a verse by some taxonomist who
classified the whole genus Anthus, poor chap:
Pipits as
family
Have few redeeming features.
Specifically they are the least
distinguished of God's creatures
Anthea and Brian Fleming in Melbourne
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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