The call of the Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) is said to indicate it will rain soon. The Mopan claim that the often seen pa’ap, or Brown Jay (Cyanocorax morio) can be useful for hunters since it cries out when it sees a game animal; however, it if cries too loudly, it can scare the game […]
Category: Passeriformes
Bird stories, Blue-black Grassquit and Blue-crowned Motmot
The Ch‘ol Maya believe the pich, identified by informants as variously the Melodious Blackbird (Dives dives) or Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina), are said to sing to signal to a traveler that someone is ahead on the road. Hull, K. & Fergus, R. AN ETHNOORNITHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO HUMAN-BIRD RELATIONS AMONG THE MOPAN MAYA OF BELIZE. 2009. […]
Bird stories, Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
The following fable is part of the Pawnee Indians legends. Kiki, the jay bird, was tahmahnawis for many, and this is the story of how he became so for S’doaks. S’doaks went to the lodge of Itswoot and he dwelt there many moons. Then it came time for him to get his totem, and this […]
Bird stories, Blackbird (Turdus merula)
In the neighbourhood of Brescia the last two days of January and the first of February are called the blackbird’s days, the story is that this bird, whose original colour was white, became black because one year these three days were so cold that she had to take refuge in a chimney. It is believed […]
Bird stories, more Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
The Basques tell that once upon a time a bit of straw was blown into the Blessed Virgins eye. The redbreast (in Basque Chindorra), who was sitting on a bush close at hand, beheld her tears. What did he do? He flew off at once to tell the swallow, and then, carrying in his bill […]
Bird stories, Band-tailed Manakin (Pipra fasciicauda)
The use of whole animal from Band-tailed Manakin (P. fasciicauda) to attract more business and to use forgood luck and money making. the Band-tailed Manakin is also utilized during the performance of umbanda rituals. Umbanda is the most widespread Afro-Brazilian religion in the country, and medical treatments using popular folk medicines often occur in umbanda […]
Bird stories, American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Among the Chippewas, when a son became old enough to leave boyhood behind, it was necessary for him to pass through twelve days of fasting, during which the great Manitou would come to him and free him from his childhood’s nature and instead give to him the strength and endurance of a braver manhood. One […]
Bird stories, Amazonian Antshrike (Thamnophilus amazonicus)
Similarly, some people refer to the Amazonian antshrike as puma pishcu (jaguar bird) because its call alerts people to the presence of a jaguar. Kohn, E.O., 2002. NATURAL ENGAGEMENTS AND ECOLOGICAL AESTHETICS AMONG THE AVILA RUNA OF AMAZONIAN ECUADOR
Bird stories, African Pied Wagtail
It is so called because of its thin legs. It is said that someone who eats it must die. Its nest it used to heal asthma after tattoos are made on the ailer’s chest. In the Tembo tales, this bird was good at singing and the dog was good at dancing. Then one day it […]
Bird stories, the Barn Swallow
A species of marmot is native in Poland and in nearby Galicia, as well as in the lands to the east as far as central Asia. It is also very common in Eastern Siberia. There, as elsewhere, the little animal is called Bobac. Under the shoulder of the Bobac, in the flesh, may be found […]