Animals Archives - The Northern Myth

Martin Walsh: Myths about Pangolins – and why they matter

This is a (lightly edited) guest post is of a presentation by my friend and colleague Martin Walsh*, given at a Lunchtime Seminar at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge earlier this week that incorporates some of the images and text from a 10 January 2026 presentation to the Fundación de Psicología Analítica Junguiana (FPAJ), Córdoba, [...]

By Bob Gosford|2026-02-23T09:31:17+09:30February 23rd, 2026|Animals, Art, Ethnobiology, Indigenous land management|0 Comments

“Garrkan: an avian ‘troublemaker for fire'” – presentation to the Raptor Research Foundation conference, Charlotte, NC October 2024
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“Garrkan: an avian ‘troublemaker for fire'” – presentation to the Raptor Research Foundation conference, Charlotte, NC October 2024

“Garrkan: an avian ‘troublemaker for fire'” – presentation to the Raptor Research Foundation conference, Charlotte, NC October 2024

I’m in the wonderful city of Charlotte in North Carolina, and later today I’ll present my paper updating our research into fire-spreading raptors in the Top End of the Northern Territory in Australia at the 2024 Raptor Research Foundation conference. Following are some of the highlights of my presentation. I last presented at the RRF [...]

By Bob Gosford|2024-11-04T14:15:24+09:30October 26th, 2024|Animals, Bird of the Week, Birds and people, Ethnoornithology, Some places I've been, The Northern Myth|0 Comments

The Billion-Dollar bird: What weighs 14 grams, combines ‘novelty, beauty and elegance’ and has derailed Darwin’s billion-dollar housing development?

Part Two – The lights at the end of the tunnel are … “remarkable achievements” In part one of this article we looked at some of the facts arising from the recent “discovery” of the Gouldian Finch at a Defence Housing Australia housing project in Darwin’s northern suburbs and asked the question, “So, how to [...]

By Bob Gosford|2024-02-08T22:58:54+09:30February 8th, 2024|Animals, Birds, Birds and people, Northern Territory politics, Some places I've been, The Northern Myth|Comments Off

The Billion-Dollar bird: What weighs 14 grams, combines ‘novelty, beauty and elegance’ and has derailed Darwin’s billion-dollar housing development?

Part One: The facts mate, and only the facts Novelty in itself has attractions, but when with novelty, beauty and elegance are combined, the attractions are augmented beyond measure ….John Gould, The Birds of Australia, 7 volumes, 1840 to 1848. John Gould was describing the Gouldian Finch, Amadina gouldiae, shortly after his wife and collaborator [...]

By Bob Gosford|2024-02-12T18:51:43+09:30February 8th, 2024|Animals, Australian politics, Birds, Birds and people, Northern Territory politics, NT Politics, The Northern Myth|Comments Off

Tree of The Week—The Top End’s self-decorating Xmas tree, Xanthostemon paradoxus

While the settlers may have struggled to find a suitable name for Xanthostemon paradoxus, it is unsurprising that local Aboriginal language groups have no shortage of names—and uses— for this tree.

By Bob Gosford|2020-12-20T23:08:23+09:30December 20th, 2020|Animals, Ethnoornithology, Indigenous land management, Some places I've been, The Northern Myth|0 Comments

‘Murdered by a person or persons name unknown.’ The unsolved deaths of Nabbutta Abbott Nabarula and David Charlie. Part One.

The neck is stretched out, the head thrown back, the legs straight and stiff. The fits are brought on or made worse by the slightest touch, sound or light. Finally, one dreadful seizure follows another, until they are continuous and death ensues.

By Bob Gosford|2025-07-14T12:00:14+09:30December 16th, 2020|Animals, Crime, Media, Northern Territory politics, NT Police, Some places I've been, The Law, The Northern Myth|0 Comments

Sacred cows in a bloody class action: Brett Cattle Company v The Commonwealth

All up the bill for lawyers alone in the Brett Cattle Company matter might be $12 million plus loose change and walking around money.

By Bob Gosford|2020-06-02T07:08:40+09:30May 27th, 2020|Animals, Australian politics, Northern development, Northern Territory politics, Some places I've been, The Law, The Northern Myth|0 Comments

Bird of the Week: A Pelican for Ltyentye Apurte? Yeah, Nah, Yeah …

In Kaytetye country the Pelican is known as walaymperre, as in Walaymperre thangkerne alkenhe arntwe arenye, repe ware elpalhapenye kape arltere. Thangkerne nyartelepe aynenke aylperre kape pwele-pwele.

By Bob Gosford|2020-05-21T21:00:19+09:30May 21st, 2020|Animals, Bird of the Week, Birds and people, Ethnoornithology, Photography, Some places I've been, The Northern Myth, the Tanami Track, Yuendumu|1 Comment

Why Camp Dogs matter – introducing the NT’s new Animal Protection Act

"Lupo was a very large bull mastiff looking dog that was white, except when as kids one time decided to dye him blue or purple with gentian violet ... Maybe he was the Boundless Possible dog": Scott McConnell MLA

By Bob Gosford|2018-11-10T09:20:37+09:30November 4th, 2018|Animals, Art, Australian politics, Camp Dog of the week, Dogs, Some places I've been, The Northern Myth, Yuendumu|0 Comments

Call for Papers – Ethnoornithology symposium at AOC 2019, Darwin 3 – 5 July 2019

Ethnoornithology is the study of the relationship between people and birds, and in recent years the field has emerged as a valuable source of ethnobiological research. Ethnoornithology provides an opportunity to empower people of all cultures to discover, re-examine and preserve the connections between individuals, groups and cultures and the birds that they hunt, venerate and cherish.

By Bob Gosford|2018-10-16T07:09:34+09:30October 16th, 2018|Animals, Birds, Birds and people, Ethnoornithology, Fun stuff, The Northern Myth|0 Comments