The Seri, an exclusive tribe inhabiting the desert-like island Tiburon, in the Gulf of California, ascribe the creation of the world, and of themselves in particular, to the Ancient of Pelicans, a mythical fowl of supernal wisdom and melodious song who first raised the earth above the primeval waters. Thus the Seri Indians naturally held […]
Bird stories, Brandts Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)
Native dancers throughout California commonly blow bird bone whistles to accompany their movements. The shrill sound of the whistles was not appreciated by the 18th century Spanish explorer Pedro Fages, who encountered them among the Chumash. These people have been playing bird bone whistles for 3000 years, up to the present day. Archaeological examples include […]
Bird stories, Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
The Nage tribe of Indonesia believe the bapu spirits that reside atop the volcano Ebu Lobo assume the guise of a Brahminy Kite (jata) or a large, high-flying hawk (jata jawa) when searching for human victims, whom they characteristically kill in the form of spirit buffalo. The following fable is told by the Visayan tribe […]
Bird stories, Boat-tailed Grackle and Brown Jay
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 […]
Bird stories, Blue-headed Coucal (Centropus monachus)
The Tembo tribe of the Congo use parts of the Blue-headed Coucal as medicine. Its well-dried head serves as medicine for a women who has just given birth so that she can give much milk. For this, its head is suspended over the woman’s chest with a rope called Lubiku. Also, when it sings, people […]
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, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
Jawayak-wayak (Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike) had a sore foot because it had a boil on it. Wakwak (Torresian Crow) went and burst the boil and, as he did so, pus flew up and into his eyes so that now Wakwak has white eyes. After that, Jawayak-wayak went and killed a kangaroo; but the other birds carried it […]
Bird stories, Black-casqued Hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata)
During the Tembo initiatory rites in the forest, its head is used as a mask. It is also used in the dance called Britnga among the Betende clan during the initiation ceremonies. It is thought that it flies singing Fuo, fuo, fuoo (Who lives there?). Its head is used in the treatment of headaches. One […]