In the upcoming article, we’ll take a brief journey through the prominent depiction of Fiji’s avian world, which has intricately become part of the social and cultural tapestry of these vibrant cosmopolitan islands. We’ll begin by examining the representation of the Dove of Peace on the shield of the Fijian flag, followed by a reflection on the familiar sound of coins clinking in your pocket, each adorned with distinct symbols of flora and fauna, spanning from historical to contemporary times. Additionally, we’ll explore the enduring significance of avian motifs on commemorative stamps released periodically over the last century. Join us as we uncover these remarkable portrayals of nature on various icons throughout the islands…
The Emblematic Role on the National Flag
The Fiji flag, proudly flown across homes and public buildings, symbolizes the nation’s identity, cultural diversity, and rich tapestry, encapsulating its history, values, and aspirations. Central to Fiji’s identity is the deep-seated value placed on families, a cornerstone that has earned Fiji its reputation as one of the friendliest places in the world and a proponent of international peace.
In the lower left quadrant of the Fijian Flag lies a depiction of a dove, a prominent feature inherited from the flag of the Cakobau Government prior to Fiji’s cession. The original Cakobau flag featured a white background adorned with a dove carrying an olive branch, set against a red shield backdrop.
The dove symbolizes peace and tranquility, drawing its significance from ancient symbolism where it brought a message of peace and deliverance to Noah in biblical narratives. Representing calmness, serenity, and the promise of a new beginning, the dove and its olive branch embody themes of renewal, hope, and the dawn of a peaceful era, resonating deeply within the cultural and historical context of Fiji. You can learn all about the Flag in our article titled ‘National Flag of Fiji‘.
 | Image: Flag of the Kingdom of Fiji (1871-1874) Image Supplied: Jaume Ollé, (1997). |
Avian Depictions on Coins and Banknotes
Observing a nation’s currency is often a routine affair, where most people quickly note its denomination, size, and color for practical purposes. However, the Flora and Fauna Currency offers a deeper exploration into the avian world, beautifully depicted both on its bills and coins. Before you exchange your money for essentials like a bottle of water or a relaxing cold beer after a day’s journey, take a moment to admire the intricate symbols and natural icons gracing these currencies. The avian illustrations featured here are just a glimpse into the wider array of flora and fauna showcased on these monetary tokens. For a comprehensive look at the diverse range of coins and bills adorned with nature’s beauty, explore our detailed article ‘Currency Flora and Fauna.’
Below, you’ll find concise descriptions of each avian example depicted, providing insights into their symbolic meanings and visual allure:
- 2 Dollar Coin – Ga ni Vatu (Peregrine Falcon) (Bottom Left): Showcasing the Ga ni Vatu, a subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon unique to Fiji, celebrated for its dark plumage and cultural mystique rooted in local legends from the Yasawa Islands. The population of this majestic bird in Fiji is small and declining.
- 20 Cent Coin – Kakã (Kadavu Shining Parrot) (Bottom Right): Featuring the vibrant Kakã, or Kadavu Shining Parrot, known for its bright scarlet underparts and distinctive blue patch on the back of its neck. This parrot holds historical significance as the red feathers were once a valuable currency in Pacific trade.
- 5 Dollar Banknote – Kulawai (Red-throated Lorikeet) (Image Bottom): Featuring Fiji’s endemic Kulawai, the Red-throated Lorikeet, noted for its predominantly green plumage and small size. It inhabits mountain forest canopies and feeds on nectar and pollen, though sightings have become increasingly rare.
- 20 Dollar Banknote – Kacau ni Gau (Fiji Petrel) (Image Above): Showcasing the Kacau ni Gau, or Fiji Petrel, a globally rare seabird nesting exclusively on Gau Island. With only around 50 pairs believed to remain, it spends most of its life at sea and returns to Gau Island only for breeding, nesting in upland forest burrows.
Avian Stamps
Our team at Fiji Journal (FJ) has curated an extensive collection of individual avian stamps released periodically over the past twenty-five years. These stamps are the customary fare provided at post offices after the parcel’s weight and delivery requirements are assessed by the postmaster. Once in hand, the ritual of moistening the stamps’ backs using a sponge at the post office allows them to be affixed to the upper corner of parcels or letters.
Each stamp features a depiction of a specific bird, labeled below each image with a direct link to a separate page offering detailed insights into the species. Many of these pages include embedded audio and video content, providing an immersive experience to better appreciate and recognize these captivating specimens of nature. Join us in discovering how these simple rectangular pieces of sticky paper bring the beauty of Fiji’s avian world to life.
Official First Day Covers
Post Fiji’s postal history traces back to December 1871 when the Legislative Assembly of the Fiji Government passed the first Postal Act, formally establishing the Postal Department, General Post Office, and various Post Offices across the islands. This marked the beginning of Fiji’s organized postal services under the stewardship of Chief Postmasters and other officials.
Throughout the year, commemorative postage stamps are released to capture significant subjects, moments in Fijian history, nature, or cultural themes. An Official First Day Cover (OFDC) is a specially designed envelope featuring a postage stamp affixed to it, cancelled with a first-day-of-issue postmark by the postal authority. These covers are issued to commemorate the release of new stamps, often incorporating thematic artwork related to the stamp’s subject. They may also include additional stamps and decorative cachets that enhance the thematic significance of the stamp issue. OFDCs are highly sought after by stamp collectors and enthusiasts for their limited availability and historical importance.
To provide an introductory glimpse into this practice, we have assembled a selection of these unique day covers. Each Official First Day Cover Card for the stamps featured several paragraphs describing the bird, its historical, and cultural significance, typically written by one of the most admired and honored nature authors of the Pacific, Dick Watling. Below each featured First Day Cover, we have included a short abbreviation of his text.
Jungle Fowl of Fiji
The Red Jungle Fowl, native to Southeast Asia and islands like Sumatra and Java, has spread across the Pacific over millennia, introduced by early human colonists alongside other species. Initially valued for their feathers, role in rituals, and as a food source, Jungle Fowl became integral to Polynesian cultures observed by European explorers like Magellan and Cook. European contact later introduced domestic fowl, leading to hybridization with native populations.
In Fiji, while Jungle Fowl once thrived on islands like Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, their numbers dwindled due to predation by the Small Indian Mongoose, which led to their extinction on these islands by the late 19th century. Today, Jungle Fowl survive on other islands like Koro and Vatulele, where their presence is celebrated despite cultural knowledge of traditional trapping methods waning.
Jungle Fowl favor habitats ranging from mature forests to disturbed secondary growth, feeding on a variety of fruits, insects, seeds, and grains. Though typically shy, Jungle Fowl cocks are territorial, marking their presence with loud crowing calls that echo through forested areas. Trapping Jungle Fowl was once a skilled tradition in Fijian communities, often involving clever decoy tactics with semi-domesticated cocks. However, as these methods require expertise and patience that are becoming less common, Jungle Fowl continue to thrive in some Pacific islands, embodying a blend of natural history and cultural significance despite the challenges they face.
Fiji’s Purple Swamphen
The Purple Swamphen, distinguished by its vibrant purple-blue plumage, prominent red bill and frontal shield, and long red legs, was once a familiar sight across Fiji’s larger islands. Sadly, due to the relentless predation by the Small Indian Mongoose introduced in the 19th century, the Swamphen is now extinct in these regions. This loss underscores the heightened vulnerability of island bird species to introduced predators, a phenomenon observed across the Pacific and other isolated ecosystems worldwide.
Despite its disappearance from Fiji, the Purple Swamphen thrives in diverse habitats spanning southern Europe, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, Australia, New Zealand, and western Polynesia. It has adapted to coexist with a variety of predators such as mongooses, cats, civets, and eagles in these regions, demonstrating its resilience and adaptability.
In its natural habitats, the Purple Swamphen displays crepuscular and partly nocturnal behaviors, often seen foraging away from water sources in mature forests, thick secondary vegetation, and village gardens. Its diet is eclectic, encompassing insects, worms, invertebrates, seeds, fruits, and occasionally bird eggs and nestlings.
Despite its ecological role, the Swamphen’s interactions with agriculture have shaped local perceptions negatively in Fiji, where it is viewed as a pest for its crop-damaging tendencies. This contrasts sharply with its cultural standing in Samoa, where it historically symbolized prestige as the ‘Bird of Kings,’ used to announce the visits of chiefs. Thus, while the Purple Swamphen’s fate in Fiji highlights the challenges faced by island fauna, its broader global distribution underscores its adaptive success and ecological versatility in varied landscapes.
Fiji Goshawk
The Fiji Goshawk (Accipiter rufitorques) is a small, endemic raptor known by various local names like Reba, Tuitui, and Latui across different Fijian localities. It boasts ash-grey upperparts with a distinct dull-pink collar and underparts in adults, while juveniles exhibit dark earth-brown upperparts and buff-white underparts streaked with brown. Despite being less conspicuous than larger hawks like the Pacific Harrier (Circus approximans), the Fiji Goshawk is widely distributed throughout Fiji’s diverse habitats, favoring open woodlands and wooded agricultural areas but also adapting well to urban environments.
These agile hunters pursue a varied diet that includes medium-sized and small birds, insects, lizards, and occasionally rats. During courtship displays, pairs engage in aerial pursuits marked by high-pitched calls and acrobatic stalling dives. Nesting high in lightly foliaged trees, Fiji Goshawks fiercely defend their crude nests made of large twigs, laying two to four eggs with distinctive dark red-brown blotches. Despite occasional conflicts with humans over livestock and vulnerable juveniles, the Fiji Goshawk remains a significant and respected member of Fiji’s avian community, often heralded by the alarm calls of smaller birds when in flight or near their nests.
Fiji Barn Owl
Owls possess remarkable nocturnal hunting skills owing to their acute vision, exceptional hearing, and adaptations for silent flight. Their eyesight, up to 100 times more sensitive than ours, coupled with their flat face providing binocular vision, allows them to gauge distances accurately. Interestingly, most owl species have their right ear longer than the left, aiding in sound localization and enhancing their hunting prowess. Their flight is eerily silent due to specialized fringed flight feathers that minimize turbulence. Rats are primary prey for owls, supplemented by insects, small birds, and occasionally nocturnal geckos. Despite their ecological importance in controlling pests, owls have garnered a mixed reputation throughout history. They are often seen as omens of misfortune, associated with witchcraft, sickness, and unsettling news. Yet, paradoxically, they are also revered for wisdom, featuring prominently in folklore and children’s tales as symbols of knowledge and mystery.
The owl’s nocturnal habits contribute significantly to its ominous reputation among diurnal creatures. Their haunting calls, ranging from mournful to screeching, further contribute to their enigmatic aura. Their silent, predatory nature and their facial resemblance to humans also play roles in shaping their perception as bearers of ill tidings. However, despite their feared reputation, owls are also celebrated in children’s stories and toys, where their human-like face with large, friendly eyes appeals to youthful imaginations. This duality in perception—from wise sage to harbinger of doom—reflects humanity’s complex relationship with the natural world and our tendency to attribute human characteristics to animals.
In various cultures, including Fijian folklore, owls hold different symbolic meanings based on their calls. For instance, an evening call may signify a hidden pregnancy, while a dawn call might foreshadow an unexpected birth. Conversely, a midnight call could forewarn of grave illness or worse, death. In some Fijian traditions, touching an owl’s head is taboo, underscoring the deep-seated cultural beliefs surrounding these mysterious birds. In conclusion, while owls continue to evoke fear and fascination, their presence in human culture spans from ancient superstitions to modern-day admiration for their ecological role and enigmatic allure.
Pigeon’s of Fiji
Fiji hosts a diverse array of pigeon species, including three natives and one introduced species. Among the natives, the Barking Pigeon (Ducula latrans) stands out as Fiji’s sole endemic pigeon, celebrated for its large size and distinctive barking call heard throughout the islands’ forests. This species plays a vital ecological role by consuming large, hard fruits and aiding in the dispersal of seeds, contributing to the health and diversity of Fiji’s forest ecosystems.
- Reserve Bank of Fiji. 2013. “Features of Fiji’s Flora and Fauna Currency.” Accessed July 2, 2024. Link
- Fiji Government. 2018. “Fiji Government.” Accessed July 2, 2024..
- Fiji Post. “Postage Stamps.” Accessed July 2, 2024. Link