G'day Gret,
That's pretty interesting. I've not known about the origins behind the name
Jabiru. I've always assumed it was an Aboriginal name, it certainly sounds like
it could be an Aboriginal word.
How was the proposed new name of Satin Stork arrived at? Sorry if this is
common knowledge, but I'm not very up to date on the process associated with
how names are decided.
Regards,
Mark
> Greg & Val Clancy <> wrote:
>
> 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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