Paper short abstract:

Birds can play an important role in liminal island landscapes. This paper considers liminal avian-human relationships economically and symbolically.

Paper long abstract:

Small or marginal islands are an interesting phenomenon being neither mainland nor sea, and thus inhabiting a realm of liminality. These island locations are one of the places in which we see a continued and often very necessary relationship with wild resources extending beyond prehistory and even up until the last century. In these situations where resources may be limited, birds and particularly sea birds, can play a significant role in people's diets, lives and economies.

This paper considers the importance of birds in the economies and identities of small island worlds and their importance for maximising resources in marginalized locations. The subsistence value of birds will be explored alongside the other economic, social and symbolic aspects of avian-human relationships. This will allow us to consider the role of birds in food and in the ideologies and identities of liminal island populations.