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#182132 - 01/28/09 04:31 PM A bird in the hand
olly Offline
old hand

Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 932
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand

While learning a new JJ Cale song to play on my guitar I came across 'Whippporwill' I'd never heard of such a thing so I looked it up and lo and behold, I found this amzing little creature referenced too in no less than Forty Five different songs. On delving deeper I found that it lives in Central America all the way up to Southeastern Canada, likely why we don't sing about them down here. Though I am not a great believer of superstition, its call is said to be a harbinger of death much like the Local Ruru or Morepork, they even look and sound similar, not surprising as they are from the same class.

Magnolia by JJ Cale

Whippoorwill’s singing
Soft summer breeze
Makes me think of my baby
I left down in new orleans

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#182135 - 01/28/09 04:50 PM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: olly]
twosleepy Offline
old hand

Registered: 02/28/08
Posts: 876
Loc: western NY
We have them all over around here, in the country. They are not city birds. And I hear them regularly, but live to tell you so... ;0)

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#182136 - 01/28/09 06:06 PM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: olly]
The Pook Offline
old hand

Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 1067
Loc: Tasmania
Originally Posted By: olly
said to be a harbinger of death much like the Local Ruru or Morepork

We also have moreporks here (at least on the mainland, not sure about Tassie. They are also called mopokes. Both names are onomatopoeic of their mournful call.

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#182145 - 01/29/09 02:35 AM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: The Pook]
Zed Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 08/27/02
Posts: 2154
Loc: British Columbia, Canada
And I assumed Pratchett made it up!

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#182147 - 01/29/09 06:39 AM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: The Pook]
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13654
Originally Posted By: The Pook
[quote=olly]
We also have moreporks here (at least on the mainland, not sure about Tassie. They are also called mopokes. Both names are onomatopoeic of their mournful call.


Some of them are non-rhotic and some aren't.

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#182149 - 01/29/09 07:22 AM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: Faldage]
The Pook Offline
old hand

Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 1067
Loc: Tasmania
Originally Posted By: Faldage
Originally Posted By: The Pook
[quote=olly]
We also have moreporks here (at least on the mainland, not sure about Tassie. They are also called mopokes. Both names are onomatopoeic of their mournful call.


Some of them are non-rhotic and some aren't.

laugh

Actually I heard an American today on the radio pronounce 'environmental' non-rhotically. Even an Aussie wouldn't do that. It was weird. What kind of US accent would that be? The pronunciation was something like 'envionmental' or even 'eviomennal.'

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#182150 - 01/29/09 07:53 AM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: olly]
BranShea Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
Before I had looked at the link I thought about how overhere owls are said to be the harbingers of death. When I looked at the bird it seemed like a very small owl to me and checked it.
(cute birdie)
Owl
They are almost identical, though one bigger that the other.(down from infraclass they differ)

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#182151 - 01/29/09 08:17 AM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: The Pook]
zmjezhd Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/13/05
Posts: 3269
Loc: R'lyeh
Might be from the South or the Northeast (link).
_________________________
Ceci n'est pas un seing.

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#182164 - 01/29/09 04:50 PM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: The Pook]
olly Offline
old hand

Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 932
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand
Originally Posted By: The Pook
They are also called mopokes. Both names are onomatopoeic of their mournful call.

You mean 'Whippoorwill' and 'morepork' are onomatopoeic?
I'm not sure if 'Mopoke' is, unless its got an Ozzie accent wink

Originally Posted By: Faldage
Some of them are non-rhotic and some aren't.

hehehe

Originally Posted By: The Pook
Actually I heard an American today on the radio pronounce 'environmental' non-rhotically.

I can picture Gallant Ted saying 'Envieamint' He'da spelt it better fer sure.

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#182189 - 01/30/09 05:39 AM Re: A bird in the hand [Re: olly]
BranShea Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
Salute to Gallant Ted. May he fly like a mopoke and dance like a bear.

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