Hi Greg,
So does this mean your Twitchathon team name will change to the "Satin
Stalkers"?!?!
I kinda like that. Sounds like you're looking for Bowerbirds or Flycatchers...
Mick
________________________________
From: Greg & Val Clancy <>
To: Gary Wright <>; birding aus
<>
Sent: Thu, 19 November, 2009 11:18:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] One arm point and beyond(dampier peninsula, near
Broome
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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