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9

Bush Stone-curlew - Aboriginal information

(Burhinus grallarius)
Alternative names: "Bush Thick-knee", "Stone-plover", "Curlew", "Southern Stone-curlew", "Scrub Curlew"
Aboriginal names: "buruhlgan"/"buyuhlgan"/"buruwagan"/"buwagan"/"buyargan" [bundjalung]; "kuRiwiRp' [tjapwurrung]; "wilo", "kwil" (WA); "willaroo", "moolyerra"
Size: 55-60 cm

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Spiritual significance

The Bush Stone-curlew, usually under the name of just "curlew", features in Aboriginal creation stories. A few examples are reproduced or listed here.

R. A. Roberts and C. P. Mountford tell the story of "Bima the Curlew" (1968 ed.), p. 48. This story explains how the Bush Stone-curlew came to have its eerie, mournful call.

Disclaimer: Not being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, we make no claim of intellectual ownership of any of the information presented here. We merely collect facts and stories documented by others. Credits/references are listed HERE.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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