Native compagnons Brolga 1

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Brolga

Presenter Notes
The Brolga is a majestic Australian bird well
known for its wonderful mating dance. It is found
across the tropical north, southwards through
north-east and east central areas, as well as
central New South Wales to western Victoria.
These tall birds are up to 130cm in height with
a wingspan of up to 240cm. The female is shorter
than the male. Brolgas have a featherless red
head and a grey crown.It is thought that
Brolgas are monogamous. The bond between breeding
pairs is strengthened during elaborate courtship
displays, which involve much dancing, leaping,
wing-flapping and loud trumpeting. See
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vrCJVmINmtZgNR1

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a continent, a country, an island

Presenter Notes
Outside the breeding season, Brolgas form large
family groups and flocks of up to a hundred
birds. These groups may be partially nomadic or
may stay in the same area. Some birds also
migrate northwards.

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The Brolga, Grus rubicunda, is a majestic
Australian bird well known for its wonderful
mating dance

Presenter Notes
In Aboriginal Dreamtime, there lived a young girl
called Brolga who was famous for her wonderful
and unique dancing style. One day, when Brolga
was dancing alone with the light and shadows of a
big old-coolibah tree, the evil spirit Waiwera
saw her from his home in the Milky Way and wanted
her as his woman. He spun himself into a
willy-willy (whirlwind) and drew her up to him.
Her tribe searched and found her captive. The
tribe fought off Waiwera, and when the evil
spirit realised he couldn't escape with the
dancing girl he turned her into a Brolga so as
no-one could have her. The dance of the Brolga
is a traditional dance of Aborigines.

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The Brolga is found across the tropical north,
southwards through north-east and east central
areas, as well as central New South Wales to
western Victoria
Sidney Dancing Brolgas fountain in Darling
Harbour, designed and built by Terrance Plowright

Presenter Notes
The Brolga is one of Australia's two crane
species, and is known for its spectacular dance
displays by both sexes during breeding season.

It is hard to estimate numbers in Australia but
it is said to range between 20,000 and 100,000

Brolgas eat grass, roots, insects, frogs, and
lizards - the Brolga looks for food during
daylight hours

Brolgas are most famous for their elegant,
graceful mating dance. A couple will spread their
large wings whilst facing each other and jump,
dance and shake their heads!! At the same time
they will often make loud trumpeting calls

The young when born are active within 2 - 3
hours. They will remain with their parents for
about a year





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These tall birds are up to 130 cm in height with
a wingspan of up to 240cm. The female is shorter
than the male. Brolgas have a featherless red
head and a grey crown.

Presenter Notes
Scientific name Grus rubicundaFamily
GruidaeOrder Gruiformes

Featured Bird Groups

Water birds

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An Aboriginal legend tells of a beautiful young
woman who always danced instead of working. She
was turned into a tall, slender bird. Her name
was Bralgah

Presenter Notes
The Brolga is a large grey crane, with a
featherless red head and grey crown. The legs are
grey and there is a black dewlap under the chin.
Females are shorter than males. The energetic
dance performed by the Brolga is a spectacular
sight. Displays may be given at any time of the
year and by birds of any age.

Similar species

The Sarus Crane, G. antigone, another species of
crane found in Australia, can be identified by
its dull pink legs and the red of its head
extending down the neck.

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A brolga is an Australian crane, also known as
"Native Companions"

Presenter Notes
The Brolga is found across tropical northern
Australia, southwards through north-east and east
central areas, as well as central New South Wales
to western Victoria.

Habitat

The Brolga inhabits large open wetlands, grassy
plains, coastal mudflats and irrigated croplands
and, less frequently, mangrove-studded creeks and
estuaries. It is less common in arid and
semi-arid regions, but will occur close to water.

Seasonal movements

Outside the breeding season, Brolgas form large
family groups and flocks of up to a hundred
birds. These groups may be partially nomadic or
may stay in the same area. Some birds also
migrate northwards.

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Sidney Dancing Brolgas fountain

Presenter Notes
Feeding

Brolgas are omnivorous (feeding on both vegetable
and animal matter), but primarily feed upon
tubers and some crops. Some insects, molluscs,
amphibians and even mice are also taken.

Breeding

Brolgas probably mate for life, and pair bonds
are strengthened during elaborate courtship
displays, which involve much dancing, leaping,
wing-flapping and loud trumpeting. An isolated
territory is established, and is vigorously
defended by both partners. The white (blotched
with brown and purple) eggs are laid in a single
clutch. The nest is a large mound of vegetation
on a small island in a shallow waterway or swamp.
Both adults incubate the eggs and care for the
young birds.

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Presenter Notes
Living with humans

Within New South Wales, Brolga numbers have been
much reduced because of widespread drainage of
suitable habitat for agriculture, land
reclamation and water regulation, but birds are
still common and widespread throughout
Australia's north.

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Presenter Notes
Life Cycle

The brolgas are most famous for their mating
dance. The breeding season is in November or
December. A pair of brolgas spread their wings
and leap and dance gracefully before mating.
Brolgas stay with the same partner for life.

 

After mating, the female brolga lays 2 eggs in a
nest. The nest is big. It is a one and a half
metre platform of grass and reeds. Both parents
share the task of sitting on the eggs, which
hatch after about 30 days. The young stay with
their parents for about a year.

 

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Presenter Notes
The Legend of the Brolga

An Aboriginal legend tells of a beautiful young
woman who always danced instead of working. She
was turned into a tall, slender bird. Her name
was Bralgah. The complicated dance of the brolga
is imitated by the Aborigines in some of their
dances.

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Presenter Notes
The Legend of the Brolga

An Aboriginal legend tells of a beautiful young
woman who always danced instead of working. She
was turned into a tall, slender bird. Her name
was Bralgah. The complicated dance of the brolga
is imitated by the Aborigines in some of their
dances.

Many brolgas are lost due to the following main
threats loss of wetland habitats, red foxes and
incidental poisoning

 

There is an Aboriginal legend that says girls who
do too much dancing and not enough working, are
changed into brolgas. (Since brolgas are like to
dance a lot!)

The Aborigines copied the brolgas' dance and did
it themselves



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Presenter Notes
A brolga is an Australian crane, also known as
"Native Companions"

It is one of two types of cranes found in
Australia, the other being the Sarus Crane

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Text Pictures Internet All copyrights belong
to their respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2011
Sound One tree plain - Mark Atkins and Janawirri
Yiparrka

Presenter Notes
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One Tree is a location on the Cobb Highway on the
flat plain between Hay and Booligal in the
Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia.
In 1862 a public house was built there the One
Tree Inn and the locality developed as a coach
changing-stage and watering-place between the
Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers. One Tree village
was surveyed and proclaimed in 1882, though the
location remained as just an amenity on the
plain, centred on the hotel.



The existing One Tree Hotel is the second
building of that name to occupy the site. The
first hotel was destroyed by fire in 1903. The
hotel was re-built in the same manner as the
original structure (by the provisions of the
insurance policy). The license of the One Tree
Hotel was relinquished in 1942 by its last
publican, Frank McQuade. The One Tree Hotel is an
important historical building, providing a
tangible link to the heyday of pastoral
settlement in the Riverina.



The name One Tree derives from the presence of
a large gum tree on the otherwise treeless plain
(called the One Tree Plain). The landmark tree
was destroyed by a storm in January 1900.