Early indigenous practices of bird foraging in the Lower Murray, South Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper is a literature review of bird foraging by Indigenous hunter-gatherers in the Lower Murray of temperate South Australia as observed in the early years of European settlement. The record is augmented with additional material from fieldwork in the 1980s and early 1990s. Bodies of knowledge associated with non-European experiences of the biota, such as the ethno-ornithological information discussed here, provide an alternative means for viewing avifaunal biodiversity in a manner that respects local cultural heritage. Analysis of bird foraging contributes to the understanding of Aboriginal use and perception of the Australian landscape.