Stories and photographs of all manner of animals, with a non-exclusive emphasis birds, from across Australia and the world.
Crow is a creature who is intensely curious about everything to do with funerals and so, as befits their elaborate ceremonial, he is a skilled dancer and musician. He perches on hollow log coffin, called there by two names, Badurra and Maraych, just as, in fact, Djambidj owners have crow painted on the top of their ossuaries.
Herbert Byaruhanga: "No visa for my UK trip to attend the British Birdwatching Fair. I have been to UK many times. I have no interest of staying in UK. I was going for less than 7 days. UTB made it clear to them that I am a bird guide who will be at the Uganda Stand and will make a talk about Birding in Uganda."
Alerted to danger, the snake coils up, vibrates its tail and hisses a warning. The Gopher snake can also spread and flatten its head, thereby resembling a rattler even more. An unsure predator mistakes this behavior and the somewhat triangular head of the Gopher snake for a rattlesnake and backs off from its pursuit."
That’s what this part of Arnhem Land is like. Other places are all right but here in the middle you’ve got to talk to the country. You can’t just travel quiet, no! That’s law for the centre of Arnhem Land.
These guys just don't give a shit, and have a great time doing it. I don't know if this species is the loudest bird in the world but I reckon even the FA-18s from the nearby Tindal RAAF base would be hard-pressed to cut through the Blue-winged Kookaburra's cacophonous clatter at close quarters.
For Kaytetye speakers, the main difference between their ethnospecies is size and frequency: arlewatyerre is smaller and common while aremaye is big and less common - five of the former and one of the latter were obtained on this day.
The "War on the Dingo" approach to population 'management' is a punitive, uncoordinated, expensive and devastatingly ineffective folly. There are better ways of managing Dingoes in the landscape. We just haven't worked out what they are and how to apply them yet.
Applied ethno-biology at its best. This guest post from Peter Cooke examines the benefits that Aboriginal fire management regimes can have on fragile landscapes and vulnerable --literally -- bird and mammal species.
Jangala's childhood memories consist of stories associated with the Coniston massacre of Aboriginal people and the shooting of families at Wantaparri, which is close to his birthplace at Jila. Jangala had virtually no contact with white fellas during his youth but remembers leaving Jila for Mt Theo 'to hide' from being shot. After his father died at Mt Theo, Jangala moved with his mother to Mt Doreen Station, and subsequently the new settlement of Yuendumu.
Bullriders are, for mine, the crazy-brave guys of the rodeo. Bullriding, according to this outline, is perhaps the most dangerous rodeo event: “It’s not if you get hurt, it’s when,” and nearly every bull rider can attest to the truth of that saying. … As with bareback riding, and saddle bronc, bull riders ride with [...]
