This blog focuses on South Australia's bird emblem because many South Australian's are confused about the identity of the bird. The Piping Shrike is a White Backed Australian Magpie. I cover the history of the emblem, provide evidence of the bird's identity and discuss the reasons for the confusion about which bird is the State emblem.
My
post of September 1 points out the confusion about the identity of South
Australia’s bird emblem, the Piping Shrike, and highlights important historical
information that leaves no doubt that the bird in question is the White-backed
Australian Magpie. Because the history is clear, it is difficult to understand why there is so much confusion about the identity of the bird. Unfortunately, BankSA's Piping Shrike campaign muddies the water because the bird they use is not a White-backed Magpie. Instead, it is a Magpie Lark - colloquially called the Murray Magpie. It is a shame that the Piping Shrike caricature used in the advertising campaign explicitly claims to be the state emblem, when it is not. I
wonder why BankSA and the South Australian Government continue to spread false information
about our state emblem. In
September, I emailed elected South Australian representatives of both houses of
parliament including Jay Weatherill, the South Australian Premier and Minister
for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. The response sent to me by
the Executive Director of Government Relations provided confusing and contradictory information. The
government claims that the State emblem is a stylised image of the White-backed
Magpie and is not an exact depiction of the White-backed Magpie - or indeed any
Magpie. To add to the confusion, the government says that the ‘Piping Shrike’ name
is used to represent the family of Shrikes. However,
this information seems incorrect. The State bird emblem is not ‘stylised’ as
the government claims but is rather – and this is very important - ‘drawn
proper’. The only reference to a stylised bird emblem in South Australia’s
history is the special logo created for the State’s 150th
anniversary. Here’s a copy of the image.
South Australia's Jubilee Logo
Why
would we want our bird emblem, the White-backed Australian Magpie, to be used to represent the family of Shrikes? It
would seem more appropriate for our emblem to be representing the family of
Australian Magpies rather than Shrikes. Recall that there are no Shrikes in Australia. Of course this would not include the Magpie Lark, which features in the BankSA advertising because it is not a Magpie, despite what the BankSA advertising tells us. I
raise the prospect that there is perhaps a connection between the government’s recent position about the state bird emblem and BankSA’s advertising campaign. Here’s
a recent BankSA advertisement featuring the Piping Shrike.
The Piping Shrike campaign seems to be carefully orchestrated. The gorilla marketing campaign ambushed Adelaide's Lord Mayor earlier this year and was reported by InDaily: Giant bird swoops Lord Mayor in Town Hall ambush I
wholeheartedly support the promotion of South Australia but revising our
history in the interests of a corporate marketing campaign is indefensible.
The 'Piping Shrike' Changes his Story
The Piping
Shrike, at first, carefully distinguished himself from the White-backed Magpie.
In the earlier BankSA advertising Piping Shrike said ‘we might have recognised him from
the state flag’. At the same time he said he is NOT a magpie and claimed he was
more civilised than that.
By late
September, the Piping Shrike had changed his tune by identifying with the Magpie.
Tweet by Piping Shrike
Rather
than ‘him’ being the state emblem, it’s now ‘us’. In other words, the Piping
Shrike is trying to hitch a ride with the White-backed Magpie by claiming
‘we’re on your flag’. This significant change in position by ‘Piping
Shrike’ is supported by the government’s recent story in their response to me
when they said, as I mentioned before, ‘the ‘Piping Shrike’ name is used to
represent the family of Shrikes’. However, as I have explained, the so-called
Piping Shrike featured by BankSA is not the State emblem.
The
most recent round of advertising asks South Australians for innovative
ideas to improve our state. I repeat that I support the general thrust of this
part of the advertising campaign. However, it looks like the Piping Shrike campaign now
has ‘official’ endorsement by the State, because the State flag features in the
advertising. It is an offense to use the emblem without approval of the
minister.
The State Flag now appears on Piping Shrike's jacket
Further, Piping
Shrike explicitly asserts his position as state emblem.
I
acknowledge the confusion and reiterate my preference to rename the State
emblem to reflect the actual bird. At the same time I accept the name Piping
Shrike is appealing to many. However, I suggest that BankSA and the State
Government come clean about the identity of South Australia’s bird emblem. This
is a great opportunity to do so. Why perpetuate misunderstanding? Perhaps there
is a financial arrangement between the Bank and the State concerning the use of
the State emblem. I have no issue with that whatsoever but please don’t rewrite
history in the interests of corporate advertising.
I suppose BankSA has invested significant funds into this flawed campaign, but that doesn't give them the right to use the wrong bird as our State emblem. It seems this mistake was made from the outset of the campaign. Although the mistake may be embarrassing for BankSA, Piping Shrike and the State Government, it is better to admit the mistake and clarify the bird emblem's identity. It is certainly better that revising our history.
Many people
seem to be unaware which bird is South Australia's emblem. Officially the bird
is the ‘Piping Shrike’. However, there are no birds with that name in Australia.
The emblem is referred to as: the Piping Shrike, Murray Magpie, Magpie Lark,
Australian Magpie and White Backed Magpie, amongst other names. The range of names
for the State's emblem simply alerts us to the degree of confusion about the emblem’s
identity. The key reason for the confusion is that, in Australia – both
historic and contemporary – many birds are referred to by colloquial names and/or
their common names. The confusion about the bird's name is therefore hardly surprising.
When I
awaken in the morning and hear the musical warbling of the White Backed
Australian Magpie and the piping sound of the Magpie Lark, my heart fills with
gladness. As a proud South Australian, I promote the idea that the name of our
bird emblem be clarified and applied consistently, in the interests of State identity
and also to reflect more accurately the bird represented in our heraldry.
Rather than calling our State emblem the Piping Shrike, we ultimately need a
Magpie name to match the emblem. In the meantime, we should at least confirm
the identity of the bird on our emblem.
I provide information
about two particular ‘pied’ birds. One of these was temporarily named as a ‘Shrike’
during early settlement in Australia. The common name has since been changed. The two birds are the Magpie Lark and the Australian Magpie. I chose these
two birds because opinion about which of these birds is the State emblem is divided.
1) The Magpie-Lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
Is not a magpie, but its pied colouring makes it
amenable to a Magpie name. It has been known by various names, such as Murray Magpie,
Mudlark, Peewee and Peewit, the last name being an interpretation of its high pitched
piping call. This is one possible reason many people think that this is the Piping
Shrike which is featured on the State emblem. However, the Magpie Lark is a dainty
bird, which is easily identified by its small beak rather than a magpie like beak
and by its distinctive white ‘eyebrows’.
Magpie Lark Photograph by Neil, 2004 http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Image:1568magpie_lark_DSC_00501.JPG
2) The Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen
– formerly Gymnorhina tibicen)
Includes the white backed version and inhabits virtually
the whole of Australia. The white backed version is found in much of South Australia
and Victoria. It is a handsome and friendly bird, and has a large strong beak, like
the other butcher-birds. As with many other birds, it can become aggressive and
protective in the mating season.
Below is how the bird is
represented on the State Flag (1904). It is important to note that the back of the bird is displayed.
Please complete the poll
The Root of the Confusion
The
Australian Magpie has, over time, been called many different names and the
current confusion about the correct identity of the State emblem is not
surprising. I briefly outline some important historical information about the
State emblem because it helps us understand the current confusion.
Below is an
excerpt from the 1876 work by Harcus, South
Australia: Its History, Resources and Productions. The book includes
important information about South Australian birds, which was provided to Harcus
by Mr F G Waterhouse, the curator of the Adelaide Museum. You can see below
that a range of bird species included the word ‘shrike’ in their common name
including, in broad terms, Crows, Australian Magpies and Butcher Birds. This is
one of the reasons for the confusion surrounding the name of the bird on the
State emblem. I have highlighted the two birds we now call Magpies. The common
name for the Australian Magpie was the Piping Crow Shrike. None of the birds
were named the Piping Shrike. You will see that the Magpie Lark was not referred to as a Shrike.
The State
bird emblem first appeared in the early 1900s when a new Governor’s ensign was
approved. The emblem also appears on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms. The formal
communications about the State emblem are confusing with the bird apparently
referred to by colloquial names:
1901: Lord
Tennyson – South Australian Shrike
1903: Sydney Morning Herald – Piping Shrike commonly known as the
Australian Magpie
1912: Lord
Harcourt – Australian Piping Shrike
Only the
Sydney Morning Herald identifies the Piping Shrike as the Australian Magpie. But, even then, the use of Piping Shrike is not consistent with the names of South
Australian birds in the 1876 work that I referred to earlier.
In 1903, the South Australian Education Department publication Children's Hour addressed the State emblem and included the names White Backed Crow-Shrike and Whistling Crow-Shrike as well as a description of the bird:
Whole of the back pure white, throat and beak black, bill pointed and slightly bent or hooked, nose bare of feathers and nostrils flat slits near the middle of the bill.
There is no doubt that the above is a description of the White Backed Magpie. It is certainly not a description of the Magpie Lark (Murray Magpie).
From the outset
the identity of the bird is unclear and the available information confusing.
The South Australian Government currently acknowledges the discussion about the
identity of the State emblem and contention about the use of ‘Shrike’.
Ultimately, they provide the following definitive information:
The Piping Shrike, or white
backed magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen leuconota) is the South Australian bird
emblem.
This recent statement clearly identifies the Piping Shrike, a colloquial and outdated name as,
in fact, the White Backed Magpie. However, many South Australians do not know which bird is the State emblem. A recent Bank SA advertising campaign further muddies the waters about the emblem's identity.
Confusion Perpetuated
Based on the
history, current position of the South Australian government and the features
of the State emblem design, there is no doubt that the bird is the White Backed
Magpie.
However, confusion
about the State emblem prevails and I am baffled and disappointed by the continued
efforts of Bank SA, in promoting the Piping Shrike name. I have no problems with
the bank, excepting for its advertising, which distinguishes the Piping Shrike from
the Magpie and connects the Piping Shrike with the State's emblem.
I have included,
below, recent Bank SA advertising that features the ‘Piping Shrike’.
The Advertiser, 20 August, 2016
Bank SA Website Source: http://info.banksa.com.au/pipingshrike
Note that
the information included on the Bank SA website says: You might
recognise me from the State flag… . Further, the television and Internet
advertising explicitly refers to the Piping Shrike and claims that the Piping
Shrike is not a Magpie. So, which bird is Bank SA's Piping Shrike if it is not a Magpie? The markings on the bird indicate that the ‘Piping Shrike’
used in the Bank SA advertising is the Magpie Lark (Murray Magpie). The white
‘eyebrows’ are a significant distinguishing feature of the Magpie Lark. It is unfortunate that Bank SA think the State emblem is the Magpie Lark instead of the White Backed Magpie because their interpretation is not supported by either historic or current information about the State emblem. Their advertising can only serve to perpetuate the confusion about the identity of the bird.
Here’s a
news story about Bank SA’s advertising campaign that features the Piping
Shrike:
Clarify the Name
Bank SA's advertising compounds the confusion about the bird's identity because they do not know which bird is South Australia's emblem. Also, the use of the term 'Piping Shrike' is partially responsible for the confusion. As mentioned earlier, there are currently no Australian birds with the common name Piping Shrike. While acknowledging the long term use of the term
Piping Shrike to describe our State emblem we must now clarify which bird it
is. In my opinion, the continued use of the Piping Shrike name is flawed, especially
when children are being fed misleading information.
One redeeming
feature however, is the choice of the image of the Australian White Backed Magpie
as the South Australian bird emblem, even though it is presently named the Piping
Shrike. South Australia has used the image of the White Backed Magpie since the
1900s and it should be retained, but renamed. The White Backed Magpie is to
South Australia, what the emu and kangaroo are to the Australian nation, where
both of those latter images are featured on the Australian Coat of Arms. Try to
imagine the Australian emu being called an African ostrich or the kangaroo
being called a leaping reindeer. Even the Australian wombat being called a
badger; the animals in this last comparison are both burrowing animals. Using
an ambiguous and confusing name reflects badly on our State.
If this situation
is not remedied, it could isolate the Australian Magpie from South Australia because
of inconsistent Australia-wide naming. Common sense should prevail. It seems ridiculous
that our State would think it acceptable to have our Magpies known as Piping Shrikes,
while the rest of Australia calls them by their recognised title. It is unfortunate
that this oversight has not been amended during the many years that it has been
featured. I also mention here that two well-known Australian Rules football clubs
were established before and during that same era, namely Port Adelaide and Collingwood.
Both chose the correct name of 'magpie' as club names. The bird representing
Port Adelaide is the White Backed Magpie. Imagine the Port Adelaide football club
being asked by the State Government to change its name to 'the Piping Shrikes'.
It is my view
that a name change would reduce the significant confusion about the identity of
the bird on our State emblem. Calling the emblem an Australian Magpie – because
that is after all what the emblem is - is just common sense. I accept the
long-term use of the name Piping Shrike and understand that changing the name
of the emblem to Magpie is in some ways fraught. Nonetheless, the starting
point is to better educate all South Australians, including Bank SA, about the
identity of our bird emblem.
Perhaps revising the excerpt from the 1903Education Department publication Children's Hour and circulating to all South Australian schools would help our children understand the truth about the State emblem. It would be helpful too if our political leaders - and Bank SA - made statements to clarify the bird's identity, based on the facts.
As Australians,
we are developing our own identity. When I was a child, I honoured the British
Empire, by participating in an oath of allegiance; also, we did not have our own
National Anthem then. Thankfully, things change and I hope that any changes will
be for the better. Educating South Australians about the identity of the emblem and ultimately renaming the State emblem would be, I suggest, changes for
the better
Finally, thank you for reading my post. I invite comments and the posting of any further information you might have about the State emblem
