Budgerigar Dreaming – Ngatijirri Jukurrpa
‘Ngatijirri’ are small, bright green birds with yellowish foreheads that are native to central Australia and Tanami desert region. They are commonly seen in the areas surrounding Lajamanu and are known affectionately by locals as ‘showoffs’ for the energetic and playful nature of their flight.
Traditionally, men would hunt for ‘ngatijirri’ nests, robbing them of eggs and juvenile birds, which are both considered delicacies. The men would also hunt for adult flying ‘ngatijirri’, which they would kill by swinging branches, killing sticks or ‘karli’ (boomerangs) to hit the birds in flight.
In the Dreamtime, whenever the flock of ancestral ‘ngatijirri’ landed, they would perform ceremonies, then sing and dance as they flew before nesting in the trees. The sites of these ceremonies are depicted in the paintings of this Dreaming (Jukurrpa) as concentric circles, while cross-like shapes depict the footprints of the birds on the ground. It also indicates the large scale of ‘ngatijirri’ flocks that fly throughout the Tanami.
After strong rains, ‘ngatijirri’ will often successfully breed several times in a short period, resulting in an explosion of the population. They will fly from tree to tree in search of food for their young, who nest in hollow trees.
Custodians for the Ngatijirri Jukurrpa are Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women and Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men.