74 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST July, 1955 ABORIGINAL BIRD NAMES - SOUTH AUSTRALIA Part One By H. T. CONDON, S.A. Museum According to Tindale (1940), at the time considerable number of references to pub- of the first white settlement there were about lished works. In every case the tabulations fifty aboriginal tribes whose territories were (made by writers in all walks of life) have within or" entered the boundaries of what is been checked against known occurrences of now the State of South Australia (fig. 1). the species concerned or mentioned, and a No natives were living on Kangaroo Island, successful attempt has also been made to although relics of human occupation at some identify the maj ority of the numerous vague remote period have since been found. The and descriptive records by writers who had task of recording the vocabularies of the little knowledge of birds. The usual method tribes was commenced almost at once- by the employed by recorders has been to write the settlers, and the literature concerning the native words in a way resembling the English language of the natives is now large and language, and these original spellings (of comprehensive. Information concerning the which there are many variations) have been names used for the birds is widely scattered retained. Certain authors used a phonetic and I am indebted to my colleagues, Messrs. system of some kind and the following list H. M. Cooper and N. B. Tindale, for a therefore contains a mixture of words con- .. Sent" Austria.i. Fig. 1 July, 1955 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 75 forming to one or more systems as well as a kalia or kallaia (Bates) great number of non-phonetic spellings; the kalaija, Kokata (Tindale MS.) former are indicated in italics. kalar (Sullivan) Wrong identifications by several authors kalaja, Antakarinja (Tindale MS.) have been corrected, hut a considerable list kaleja, Mirning (Tindale MS.) of problematical names has been omitted. kaleya (Basedow; Helms; Wells) Where possible different names for the same kalija, Wirangu (Tindale MS.) bird have been classified on a tribal or geo­ kalja, Jangkundjara (Black) graphical basis. Variations in spelling have karlya, Wailpi (Curr) been listed alphabetically or in order of kulliya, Wirangu or Kokata (Sullivan) preference, and in all cases the phonetic kurlea (Curr) . (italicised) version has been given prece­ kalti (Tindale MS.) dence. Mr. Tindale has made available a kulthi, Wiljakali (Howitt). number of words contained in his research kari, Narangga (Howitt, Tindale MS.); catalogues and hitherto unpublished, and I Kaurna (Teich. & Schur.) have used the spellings for tribal names curree (Stephens) recommended by him in 1940. References to gad, Narangga (Tindale) words used by the Adelaide tribe are given garrie (Curr) under the native name of Kaurna, and it gorry (Johnson) should be explained that the word 'Narrin­ karde (Curr) yeri,' employed by many early recorders in karri or korre (Curr) the Encounter Bay district, was a group name karrie, Ngadjuri (Curr) which included several tribes. Where only kurri (Williams) an author's name follows a native word, this (oppen) -gyarre (Wyatt). word should be referred to the tribe last men­ kauir, Buanditj (Mathews) tioned in the text above. kower or kowber (Campbell et alia). Many of the native words are pleasant­ kiwara, Iauraworka (Reuther MS.) sounding and could be used to replace the kewora (Howitt) cumbersome English vernacular names in the quarra (Curr), Official Checklist of Australian Birds, pub­ krapa (or) krapkar, Potaruwutj; Tatiara lished by the Royal Australasian Ornitholo­ horde (Tindale MS.) . .gists' Union. Some of the names are descrip­ peindjali (or). peinjali, Tanganekald (Tin- tive or refer to habits and call-notes, and a dale MS.) few indicate the suitability of the species pinggjali (Black) simply as "tucker." pingali or pinyali (Taplin) pinggali (Meyer). EMU ranganju (Tindale MS.) Dromaius nouaehollandiae ranganyu, "Wellington, River Murray" The Emu formerly occurred in all parts (Curr; Moorhouse) , of South Australia and provided a regular rangun (Curr), item of food as well as a source of animal waradji (or ioaraitja), Wailpi (Tindale MS.) fat, bone and feathers for the aboriginal warichi (Berndt & Vogelsang; Hale & Tin· inhabitants. dale) Different names were used by tribes in warrache, warretchie, or worrachie, Kujani different rezions and districts, and numerous (Curr) non-phoneti~ as well as phonetic renderings warrichi (Curr) have been recorded.' warachie, Jadliaura (Curr) ilia, Aranda (Chewings; Kempe; Spencer & warradi, Pangkala (Curr) Gillen; T. Strehlow) warraitya, Pangkala (Schurmann}; Nauo i:lia (Tindale MS.) (Curr) allaya (Chewings) waritji, Ngadjuri (Tindale MS.) earlia (Willshire) waridji (Berndt & Vogelsang) erlia (Spencer & Gillen) warritcha, Wirangu (Curr) irlea, ullia, urleah, or urleya (Curr). warritsha (Taplin). kalaia, Pitjandjara (Tindale MS.); "Ooldea" warukati, Arabana (Reuther MS.); Dieri (Berndt); "West Coast" (Bates). (Berndt & Vogelsang; Fry; Reuther July, 1955 76 THE S.A. 'ORNITHOLOGIST MS.); Wongkanguru (Reuther MS.) MALLEE FOWL warogati, Arabana, Dieri, Wongkanguru Leipoa ocellata (Howitt) budni, Kaurna (Teich. & Schur.), Narangga waroogatty, Arabana (Curr) (Tindale), Ngadjuri (Berndt & Vogel­ worrugatty (Helms) sang), Nukunu (Tindale MS.) wurrokotti (Curr) kalbung, Mirning (Tindale] . warugati (Reuther MS.) 'kalbanya, Pangkala (Schurmann) woroocathie (Gason) kalbin, "West Coast" (Bates) worrukatti, Dieri (Curr) koolbing, Wirangu' (Sullivan) waroo-getti (Horn & Aiston) kulwing (Sullivan). workatji, Wongkanguru (Curr) kiipara, Kokata (Tindale MS.). workatji, Ngameni (Reuther MS.) lawan, Potaruwutj (Tindale MS.). warkityi (Howitt) lauiari, Potaruwutj (Tindale MS.). 1varookatee, Wailpi (Curr) merakko, Warki (Moorhouse). woroocathi, Kuj ani (Curr). nganamara, Pitjandjara (Tindale) warrawati (Tindale MS.) nganna-murra, '~Central Australia" (Bates) warrawatty, "Cooper Creek" (Curr) nanamara, "Ooldea" (R. & C. Berndt) warrawidgee (Curr) ngamara, Aranda (Kempe; T. Strehlow) warrewatte, Arabana (Curr) unnamurra, Kokata (Sullivan). warrewotti, Wongkanguru (Curr). unmija, Aranda (Spencer & Gillen). Pidgin: ee-me-awk (Sullivan). uiiuieringi, Tanganekald (Tindale MS.) Special Names: wiwir inkili (Tindale MS.) male bird: ilia orea, Aranda (T. G. Streh­ wiwieringgere, 'Narrinyeri' (Taplin). low) wiwirringille (Taplin). korre, Kaurna (Wyatt) yarle, "Encounter Bay," etc. (Meyer). STUBBLE QUAIL female: breke, "Encounter Bay," etc. Coturnix pectoralis (Meyer) birm-hirm or brim-brim, Buanditj (Campbell ilia mala, Aranda (T. Strehlow) et alia). multaroo, Kaurna (Curr) kankayanko, Warki (Moorhouse). taitya, Kaurna (Curr). kappa-apatta, Kaurna (Teich. & Schur.), pinggali, "Encounter Bay," etc. kuilyellarto, Warki (Moorhouse). (Meyer) kungmattauwe, "Encounter Bay," etc. flock: yallart, 'Narrinyeri' (Taplin) (Meyer). egg: kaleya ngambu, Jangkundjara (Base­ kurkintya, Kaurna (Teich. & Schur.). dow) mulliepirrpaoonga, Dieri (Gason). young bird: kure kure, Kaurna (Wyatt) penewurter, Buanditj (Campbell et alia) kaleya talji, Pitjandjara (Tindale) purrulla, Pangkala (Schurmann). feathers: kumarle, 'Narrinyeri' (Taplin) tinjella, "Encounter Bay," etc. (Wyatt); iliapa, Aranda (Chewings). Kaurna (Stephens; Williams) tinkyadla, Kaurna (Teich. & Schur.}, tipicha, "Encounter Bay". (Wyatt). LITTLE PENGUIN tulkara, Aranda (Chewings; Spencer & Gillen) Eudyptula minor tulkartja (C. Strehlow). choolia, Kokata and Wirangu (Sullivan) tyepe, "Encounter Bay" (Wyan) dhulea, "Central Australia" (Bates) tyepi, 'Narrinyeri' (Taplin). djulea, "West Coast" (Bates) thulea, "West Coast" (Bates) KING QUAIL tolia, Pangkala (Schurmann) Excalfactoria chinensis nyi-ruin, "Central Australia" (Bates). indala, Narangga (Tindale) bidi-dhalgu (Bates). yindala (Johnson) munuwar, Potaruwutj (Tindale MS.) QUAIL moo-nera, Buanditj (Campbell et alia) (unidentified) tulturi, Tanganekald (Tindale MS.) boonjunderi, "Central Australia" (Bates). wapu, Potaruwutj (Tindale MS.) mulbunderi (Bates). July, 1955 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 77 PAINT.ED QUAIL undippa, Aranda (Chewings; Willshire)­ Turnix varia onomatopaeic. kapobbota.. Kaurna (Wyatt). wapuru, Arahana, Dieri, Kujani Ngameni pea-na-wir-ter, Buanditj (Camphell et alia). Tirari, Wongkanguru (Reuther)-': LITILE QUAIL onomatopaeic. Turnix oelox hooreru, "Central Australia" (Bates) FLOCK PIGEON bu-raru, Wirangu (Bates). Histriophaps histrionica pundaree, Kokata/Wirangu (Sullivan)­ woparoo, Dieri (Gason). identity douhtful. PLUMED PIGEON yinko, Kaurna (Wyatt). Lophophaps plumijera dor-dor, "Central Australia" (Bates)-the PLAIN WANDERER "0" as in "rope" . Pedionomus torquatus dorida, Aranda (Willshire) moor-dinya, "Central Australia" (Bates) dorrida (Chewings). yeehurn (Bates). ibru, Jangkundjara (Black) ehru, Jangkundjara (White). PEACEFUL DOVE endoruddorida, Aranda (Chewings)• Geopelia striata tranquilla inturita, Aranda (Chewings; Spencer & kuranyi, 'Narrinyeri' (Taplin). Gillen). " kurdwonni, 'Narrinyeri' (Taplin). narruka, Jangkundjara (Wells) kurukuku, Wailpi (Hale & Tindale)- nturuta, Aranda (C. Strehlow). onomatopaeic. CRESTED PIGEON DIAMOND DOVE Ocyphaps lophotes Geopelia cuneata halkara, Aranda (Chewings) hilbail, "Central Australia" (Bates). maurka, Pitjandjara (Helms) doordu (Bates)-onomatopaeic. pulkener, Aranda (Willshire) marling,a, Jandruwanta, Jauraworka (Reu. pulkerra (Chewings) ther) . thulkera (Chewings). kurukuku, Dieri (Reuther; Berndt & Vogels.), jeedurding, "Central Australia" (Bates). Kujani, Ngameni,