The curlew is a medium-sized, long-legged shorebird that is iconic to Australia. Also known as the bush stone-curlew, there are two main species found across the country – the bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) and the beach stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris). To the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, the curlew holds deep cultural, spiritual and practical significance.
Spiritual and Mythological Significance
In Aboriginal dreamtime stories and mythology, the curlew is a prominent figure. The bird’s distinctive and haunting night call is believed to be the souls of ancestral spirits calling out. The curlew often features as a messenger or sign from the spiritual realm, and its presence indicates that a powerful spirit is nearby. Seeing or hearing a curlew is considered an omen – sometimes foretelling death, and other times symbolising watchfulness over the living. Different Aboriginal groups have various mythological explanations for the origin of the curlew’s long, curved beak. One legend says it got its beak from poking around too much in sacred business. Another tale describes the curlew stealing fire only to have its beak burned in the process. The curlew was sometimes seen as a protector figure – its long legs allowing it to wade deep in swamps and wetlands to pull out and save drowning children. Across many Aboriginal belief systems, the curlew commands respect as a spiritual guardian and messenger.
Totemic Connections
Some Aboriginal clans and family groups have the curlew as their totem. This means they have a special relationship to the curlew as a spiritual ancestor and protector. It is forbidden for those with the curlew totem to hunt or harm curlews. Having the curlew as your totem brings with it responsibilities – to protect curlew habitats and breeding grounds, and to uphold the messages and wisdom the curlew spirit represents. Those with the curlew totem may reference the bird’s attributes in their art, songs, and rituals. Curlew motifs are also sometimes used when depicting creation stories involving this important ancestral bird. Having the long-legged curlew as a totem speaks of watchfulness, wisdom, and connection to the spirit world.
Food Source
While curlews were protected by some groups, they were also an important food and resource for many Aboriginal tribes. Curlew eggs in particular were prized as a tasty source of protein. The eggs would be collected from hidden ground nests whenever they were available in breeding season. Groups living inland would target the bush stone-curlew, while coastal tribes focused on beach stone-curlew eggs. Adult curlews were also hunted for their meat on occasion. The birds were either trapped, clubbed or brought down with boomerangs and spears. The long curved bills were sometimes fashioned into tools and awls. Curlew feathers were also occasionally used for ceremonial costumes and decorations. While curlews had deep spiritual meaning, their practical value as a food and tool source was also very significant in traditional Aboriginal society.
Indicator Species
Aboriginal people had an intimate knowledge of the landscapes and ecosystems they inhabited. The presence and behaviors of animal species informed Aboriginal groups about the health of local habitats. The numbers of breeding curlews and condition of their eggs could reveal much about the state of wetlands and scrublands. Fewer curlew eggs may indicate that waterholes and swamps were drying up and ecosystems suffering. The arrival and departure of curlews indicated seasonal shifts, alerting tribes when it was time to move camps or enact important cultural customs. Even subtle changes in curlew behavior and habitats provided Aboriginal observers information about the land. As a vital sentinel species, the curlew helped Aboriginal people sustainably manage and utilise their resources for tens of thousands of years.
Cultural Significance Today
While Aboriginal culture has changed since colonisation, many groups today continue to maintain spiritual connections, creation stories and totemic clan links related to the curlew. Efforts to revive Aboriginal languages see knowledge of curlew mythology being restored and maintained as a touchstone to the past. Aboriginal ranger groups actively protect curlew habitats by managing threats like invasive species and uncontrolled fires. Campaigns also seek to educate farmers on curlew breeding cycles and safe harvesting practices. Appreciation for the curlew’s distinctive night call and veneration of this unusual bird endures as a special part of Australia’s living Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Population Declines
Both species of curlew have suffered major population declines since European settlement. Up to 90% of coastal curlew habitats have been lost in settled areas. Many inland swamps and marshes have dried up with water extraction and river diversions, destroying the bush curlew’s specialized ecosystem. Curlews require large open spaces to forage, and are highly vulnerable to predation from foxes, cats and other invasive species. Agricultural practices, land clearing, urban development and unchecked fires have severely fragmented their bush habitats. Curlews are now endangered in some parts of Australia. Conservation efforts are attempting to better protect the remaining populations and restore key breeding sites. Aboriginal groups are often at the forefront of these habitat recovery projects – retaining their ancient bonds with the spirit of the curlew.
The Curlew’s Call
The most distinctive thing about curlews is their loud, wailing night call. Also described as a “yodelling cry”, the curlew’s call is unearthly and haunting. It is a complex vocalisation, with fast trills that cascade into drawn-out mournful wails that can carry for over a kilometre at night. Curlews will call through the night during breeding season to communicate with their mate and ward off threats. Their ghostly calls were thought to be spirits, and it’s no wonder they feature heavily in dreamtime stories. Science suggests the frequency of this call carries exceptionally well across wetlands and through woodlands and grasslands. It allows distant curlews to join in choruses and carry information far and wide. This almost supernatural vocal ability gave the curlew mystical resonance in Aboriginal culture.
Call Meanings
Aboriginal listeners can discern a range of contextual meanings from curlew night calls:
- A sharp trill signals alarm and tells chicks to freeze.
- A slow wail indicates the presence of a predator like a fox or owl.
- Rising and falling wavering calls show a curlew is searching for its mate.
- Long deep calls by the male curlew is a territorial warning to other curlews.
- Faster constant calling by a pair shows they are bonding.
- Loud yodelling indicates a curlew is watching over something important.
By carefully interpreting the curlew’s calls, Aboriginal people could discern details about the land and ecosystem around them – just one example of the depth of traditional environmental knowledge.
Curlew Habitats
Curlews occupy very specific habitat niches and landscapes in Australia:
| Species | Key Habitats |
|---|---|
| Bush Stone-curlew |
|
| Beach Stone-curlew |
|
Bush stone-curlews rely on dense low vegetation to hide their nests and chicks. Beach stone-curlews utilize open areas to watch for predators, running quickly on their long legs when alarmed. Aboriginal groups understood these habitat preferences, and could read the landscape for signs of curlew activity.
Breeding Habits
Some key breeding behaviours of curlews include:
- Curlews form long-term pair bonds, re-establishing relationships every breeding season.
- Males perform aerial displays to attract mates and defend territories.
- Nests are shallow scrapes in the earth, often hidden among grass tussocks or scrub.
- The female lays 1-3 eggs, large and heavily camouflaged.
- Both parents incubate eggs and feed the young after hatching.
- Chicks are precocial – mobile upon hatching but reliant on parents.
- Parents are very defensive, using distraction displays to lure danger away from nest.
These behaviours mean finding curlew eggs always indicates an active breeding site, pinpointing important habitat areas Aboriginal people sought to protect and manage.
Threats to Curlews
Some major threats contributing to curlew population declines:
- Habitat loss from land clearing for agriculture, development, etc.
- Fragmentation of large open areas curlews require
- Overgrazing by livestock degrading habitats
- Uncontrolled frequent fires altering ecosystems
- Predation from foxes, cats and feral animals
- Competition from invasive bird species
- Human disturbance of breeding sites
- Hit by vehicles when near roads
Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection, maintaining corridors between fragments, managing predators and invasive species, changing fire regimes and working collaboratively with farmers and developers to preserve curlew ecosystems.
Curlew Conservation
Some key curlew conservation actions:
- Legally protecting habitat areas and limiting development
- Restricting vehicle access and human disturbance at breeding sites
- Controlling invasive weeds that degrade native ecosystems
- Selective culling of foxes and feral cats near curlew habitats
- Working with farmers to fence livestock out of important areas
- Changing fire management practices to benefit curlew habitats
- Leaving vegetation buffers around wetlands and waterways
- Monitoring curlew populations to track habitat health
Aboriginal ranger groups and indigenous land managers play a vital role in curlew conservation, combining traditional knowledge with modern practices. Without active ongoing recovery efforts, the curlew may vanish from many regions it once thrived – taking part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage with it.
Importance of the Curlew
To summarise key points on the cultural significance and modern importance of the curlew:
- A respected figure in Aboriginal mythology and dreamtime stories
- Totemic and spiritual connections for some clans
- Historically a food source, particularly eggs
- Behaviors used to read health of ecosystems
- Still culturally important to many Aboriginal groups today
- Populations in serious decline from habitat destruction
- Focus of conservation efforts to recover habitat and numbers
- Aboriginal rangers key to protecting curlew landscapes
- Curlews and their haunting calls evoke the spirit of Australia
The curlew holds a treasured place in Australia’s indigenous cultural heritage. With active custodianship by Aboriginal groups, balanced with sustainable land uses, the curlew and its hoots in the night can persist as part of the country’s unique identity.
Conclusion
The curlew holds deep spiritual, cultural and practical significance for Aboriginal groups across Australia. This unique long-legged bird features prominently in dreamtime creation myths, and as a totem for some clans. Curlews and their eggs provided food, tools and seasonal information on the health of the land. Curlew habitats and populations have declined drastically since European settlement. However the distinctive night calls of curlews continue to evoke indigenous connections to country and lore. Aboriginal rangers and ecologists are now at the forefront of curlew conservation efforts. By restoring lost habitats and sustainably managing threats, the spirit of the curlew can continue haunting the nights of Australia for generations to come.
