Chickens, chooks, fowls, in all their Norfolk glory!

Chickens, chooks, fowls, in all their Norfolk glory! -

Upon arriving at Norfolk Island, visitors are immediately struck by an observation which can often catch you by surprise – the numerous broods of feral chickens freely roaming the island. These colourful birds can be spotted going about their daily business of scratching and pecking against virtually every picturesque backdrop the island has to offer.

Is there a First Fleet Connection?
When Bruce Baskerville arrived on Norfolk Island in 2008 to take up his position as site manager for the island's historic buildings and ruins in the Kingston Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, he was intrigued by the feral chicken population. Having previous experience with poultry and connections to heritage breed enthusiasts, Baskerville noticed something distinctive about these birds. He explained, “I knew a lot of people who bred heritage and endangered species. The island's chickens didn't look like ordinary domestic fowls – they looked like something else."

This observation sparked a fascinating historical hypothesis. Baskerville knew that the First Fleet, which established the British colony in Australia, had made significant stops in Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town on its journey to New South Wales in 1788. At both ports, chickens were brought aboard for dual purposes – immediate consumption during the voyage and as breeding stock for the new colonies. Given that Norfolk Island was established as a British settlement less than two months after Sydney, these same chickens would have been among the first European livestock to reach the island.

When Norfolk Island was temporarily abandoned in 1813, it's possible that some of these chickens were left behind, establishing a feral population that has continued for over two centuries. If true, this would make the island's chickens something extraordinary – living artifacts of the First Fleet, carrying a distinct genetic lineage that connects directly back to the founding of European settlement in the South Pacific. 

The tantalizing theory of First Fleet chickens finds contextual support in Norfolk Island's remarkable preservation of other artifacts from this  historical period in the island’s chronological timeline. The Sirius Museum houses an impressive collection of First Fleet items being particularly significant because HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet, met its fate in 1790 when it was wrecked just offshore from Norfolk Island. In the decades since the shipwreck, an extraordinary array of artifacts have been recovered and painstakingly restored, which can be viewed by visitors at this museum.

While Norfolk Island's feral chickens may hold potentially historical significance, their presence is not without controversy from an environmental perspective. As an introduced species on an island with unique and vulnerable native flora and fauna, these birds occupy a complicated ecological position that requires thoughtful management approaches.

>>>>Have a listen to an interview by the late Toon Buffett in 1983 with Neil Hermes from Parks

Chickens are called ‘fowl’ on Norfolk, as well as chooks. An old Island expression translated by Beryl Nobbs Palmer describes the actions of a fowl when drinking. It takes the water into its beak and in the same motion, throws its head backwards, the old Norf’k saying is: ‘I moosa fowl!’ which means ‘If I don’t get something to drink, I’ll be swallowing like a fowl!’.

>>> Have a listen to the late Archie Bigg, as shares his poem: Cockadoodlebloomendo in 2018

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Transcript

Welcome to Episode 20 of the Untold Norfolk Island travel podcast series.

My name is Jodie Williams and as a Norfolk Islander & Churchill Fellow, I am your ‘on island’ podcast host.

>>> Audio: You have just heard a snippet of ‘Pretty Woman’ as performed by the Nightriders at the Norfolk Island Leagues Club in 2017.

Chickens, chooks, fowls, in all their Norfolk glory!

Upon arriving at Norfolk Island, visitors are immediately struck by an observation which can often catch you by surprise – the numerous broods of feral chickens freely roaming the island. These colourful birds can be spotted going about their daily business of scratching and pecking against virtually every picturesque backdrop the island has to offer. They wander through narrow laneways and banks alongside roadways, can be found exploring clifftops and valleys, and even strutting within the magnificent Georgian historical buildings and ruins in the Kingston area.

Is there a First Fleet Connection?
When Bruce Baskerville arrived on Norfolk Island in 2008 to take up his position as site manager for the island's historic buildings and ruins in the Kingston Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, he was intrigued by the feral chicken population. Having previous experience with poultry and connections to heritage breed enthusiasts, Baskerville noticed something distinctive about these birds. He explained, “I knew a lot of people who bred heritage and endangered species. The island's chickens didn't look like ordinary domestic fowls – they looked like something else."

This observation sparked a fascinating historical hypothesis. Baskerville knew that the First Fleet, which established the British colony in Australia, had made significant stops in Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town on its journey to New South Wales in 1788. At both ports, chickens were brought aboard for dual purposes – immediate consumption during the voyage and as breeding stock for the new colonies. Given that Norfolk Island was established as a British settlement less than two months after Sydney, these same chickens would have been among the first European livestock to reach the island.

When Norfolk Island was temporarily abandoned in 1813, it's possible that some of these chickens were left behind, establishing a feral population that has continued for over two centuries. If true, this would make the island's chickens something extraordinary – living artifacts of the First Fleet, carrying a distinct genetic lineage that connects directly back to the founding of European settlement in the South Pacific.

The tantalizing theory of First Fleet chickens finds contextual support in Norfolk Island's remarkable preservation of other artifacts from this  historical period in the island’s chronological timeline. The Sirius Museum houses an impressive collection of First Fleet items being particularly significant because HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet, met its fate in 1790 when it was wrecked just offshore from Norfolk Island. In the decades since the shipwreck, an extraordinary array of artifacts have been recovered and painstakingly restored, which can be viewed by visitors at this museum.

Whilst museum collections tell the stories of the physical objects that accompanied the first settlers, the chickens might perhaps tell a biological story.

Baskerville contacted Dr Jaime Gongora, a senior lecturer in conservation and animal genetics at the University of Sydney, about this possibility, and together they designed a research question for an honours student, Shannan Langford Salisbury.

“Jaime said I might get to go over to the island,” she says, “and I thought that sounded pretty good – for an honours project. In the end, Bruce couldn’t get samples from the island’s chickens, so I did have to go and get them myself.” She extracted DNA from 25 chickens – using blood drawn from a vein just under their wings – to compare with samples from both Australia and the rest of the world.

Oral histories also suggest that the older feral population has been augmented by more recent arrivals. “Islanders referred to ‘old-type’ chickens,” says Salisbury, “black hens with gold necks, and a little bit of blue-green across their backs – they resemble some European breeds,” she says. “But I saw other ferals while I was there that I could recognise as other contemporary domestic breeds.”

The ancestry of most modern chickens can be traced back to wild red junglefowl from South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent – some of their genetic signatures are present throughout India, the Middle East, Europe, China and Africa, making it difficult to assess the origin of particular chicken specimens. However, as earlier work by Gongora on Chilean chickens has revealed, some contemporary chickens from Indonesia, Japan and China do share a distinct genetic profile with some pre-European – or ‘ancient’ – chickens in the Pacific, and this may indicate an earlier dispersal of the birds throughout Polynesia. In the context of this, says Gongora, “the level of genetic differentiation both within the island’s chickens and between these ferals and chickens from across the world is within a normal level of divergence.”

There does not appear to be a distinct ‘First Fleet’ population. But some of the genetic profiles revealed in Salisbury’s work on the island are interesting, and may help to unravel the impact those earlier ‘ancient’ Pacific chickens might have made to Norfolk’s feral population.
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While Norfolk Island's feral chickens may hold potentially historical significance, their presence is not without controversy from an environmental perspective. As an introduced species on an island with unique and vulnerable native flora and fauna, these birds occupy a complicated ecological position that requires thoughtful management approaches.

>>>>Have a listen to an interview by the late Toon Buffett in 1983 with Neil Hermes from Parks

Artist-created chicken sculptures, paintings, and folk art appeared in local galleries, cementing the birds' status as emblematic of an island holiday experience.

For photography enthusiasts visiting Norfolk Island, the feral chicken population offers unique and engaging subjects against spectacular backdrops. Whether you're a serious wildlife photographer or simply want memorable vacation images, capturing these colourful characters in their island home is a lovely addition to your holiday snapshot memorabilia.

Early morning (shortly after sunrise) provides the best combination of good light and active chicken behaviour. This is when family groups emerge from their roosting sites and begin foraging. Late afternoon offers another window of activity before they settle for the night. The golden hour light during these times creates warm, flattering illumination that enhances the chickens' colourful plumage.

While close-up portraits of individuals can be striking, the most compelling chicken photographs often include environmental context. Position yourself to capture chickens against distinctive island backdrops like the Kingston historic buildings, Norfolk pines, or coastal views. These settings tell a story of the birds' unique island existence.

Chickens are called ‘fowl’ on Norfolk, as well as chooks. An old Island expression translated by Beryl Nobbs Palmer describes the actions of a fowl when drinking. It takes the water into its beak and in the same motion, throws its head backwards, the old Norf’k saying is: ‘I moosa fowl!’ which means ‘If I don’t get something to drink, I’ll be swallowing like a fowl!’.

>>> Have a listen to the late Archie Bigg, as shares his poem: Cockadoodlebloomendo in 2018

The potential historical significance of the chickens as possible First Fleet descendants places them in an unusual category – simultaneously wild animals and living artifacts. 

As Baskerville posed when he first noticed the chickens' distinctive appearance – are they truly living links to the First Fleet? Whether confirmed as historical treasures or simply appreciated as charismatic island residents, Norfolk Island's feral chickens have scratched out their own unique place in our island community!

If you are travelling to Norfolk Island with children, the island's free-ranging chicken population offers a perfect opportunity to engage young minds with wildlife observation, history, and natural science in an accessible and entertaining format. Unlike more elusive wildlife experiences that might require long waits or special conditions, Norfolk Island's chickens provide reliable, daylight sightings that even the youngest visitors can enjoy. Norfolk Island's chicken population can become more than a quirky attraction; it becomes a memorable family learning adventure that combines fun, education, and the joy of discovery.

We look forward to welcoming you to Norfolk Island!

Thanks for joining me this week.