The Spotted Nightjar Calls When Dingo Pups Are Born: Ecological and Social Indicators In Central Australia

Abstract

Across cultures there are known signs that signal the availability of certain foods, predict the weather or warn people of impending events. In Central Australia the call of the spotted nightjar (Eurostopodus argus) signals the time when dingo pups are born. This article identifies indicator events known by speakers of the Arandic languages in Central Australia. Indicator events can be described as the presence or behavior of a particular species or phenomenon that signals some other species or phenomenon. Arandic people group these into five broad domains: indicators of food, water, weather, danger and news (e.g., an imminent visitor). A diverse range of ecological, meteorological and human (bodily) phenomena serve as indicators, with birds being the most prevalent. This study explores the basis of indicator events, finding both an ecological and cultural basis for many signs. It also draws attention to the significance of the indicator relationship in terms of how people make sense of co-occurring events around them. We also consider some implications for natural resource management and phenology.

Opportunities to utilize traditional phenological knowledge to support adaptive management of social-ecological systems vulnerable to changes in climate and fire regimes

“…More commonly, TPK studies indicate how adaptation to climate change could potentially be facilitated by seasonal calendars, sometimes referred to as seasonal rounds, seasonal narratives, or Aboriginal ecological calendars , Downing and Cuerrier 2011, Lefale 2011, Prober et al 2011, Woodward et al 2012, Leonard et al 2013, Turpin et al 2013). These calendars, unlike the commonly used Gregorian (western) calendar in which dates and seasons are fixed, are composed of flexible seasons that are often separated by weather and climate events that correlate with particular biological indicators.…”

“Listen Carefully to the Voices of the Birds”: A Comparative Review of Birds as Signs

“…Local explanations for this frequently referenced birds' visual powers. They are far-sighted in the landscape (Turpin et al 2013), have special abilities to gain altitude for a "birds-eye-view," and, in the case of nocturnal birds, can see in the dark. For example, Janashia (1937:148-149) reports the Abkhazian belief that the aqaqab bird (unidentified), tasked by the god of mountains, protects game animals by soaring high in the sky and screeching a warning when hunters approach.…”

Towards an Interdisciplinary Focus on Sound in Ethnobiology Research

“…A first such theme includes sound as an environmental indicator. Turpin et al (2013) write of the importance of sounds made by snake lizards as a signal that yams are ready for harvest. A second theme is language and sound, such as onomatopoeia and sound symbolism.…”