Australian Brushturkey

## Description

The Australian brushturkey is a widespread species of mound-building bird from eastern Australia. It is a large bird with black feathers and a red head. It has a prominent, fan-like tail flattened sideways, and its plumage is mainly blackish, but with a bare red head, and a yellow (in the nominate subspecies) or purple wattle. The males' wattles become much larger during the breeding season, often swinging from side to side as they run. The males' heads and wattles also become much brighter during the breeding and nesting season. The underside of the body is sprinkled with white feathers, more pronounced in older birds.

## Appearance

It is a large bird with black feathers and a red head. Its total length is about 60–75 cm (23.5–29.5 in) and a wingspan of about 85 cm (33 in). The subspecies A. l. purpureicollis from the northern Cape York Peninsula is smaller than the more widespread nominate subspecies. It has a prominent, fan-like tail flattened sideways, and its plumage is mainly blackish, but with a bare red head, and a yellow (in the nominate subspecies) or purple wattle (in A. l. purpureicollis ). The males' wattles become much larger during breeding season, often swinging from side to side as they run. The males' heads and wattles also become much brighter during the breeding and nesting season. The underside of the body is sprinkled with white feathers, more pronounced in older birds. The brushturkey is a clumsy flyer and cannot fly long distances, only taking to the air when threatened by predators or to roost in trees at night and during the heat of the day.

## Distribution

These birds are found in eastern Australia from Far North Queensland to Eurobodalla on the South Coast of New South Wales. They live in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests, but can also be found in drier scrubs and open areas. In the northern part of their range, Australian brushturkeys are most common at higher altitudes, but individuals move to the lowland areas in winter. In the south, they are common in both mountain and lowland regions. Brushturkeys are now common in urban environments and can be found in backyards in both Brisbane and Sydney.

## Behavior

These big birds are generally solitary by nature but do gather in groups to roost in trees at night. They are clumsy flyers and cannot fly long distances, only taking to the air when threatened by predators or to roost in trees and during the heat of the day.

## Diet

Australian brushturkeys are omnivorous birds that eat insects, fallen fruit, and seeds.

## Reproduction

Australian bushturkeys are famous for building their unique nests. They build large nests on the ground made of leaves, other compostable material, and earth, 1 to 1.5 meters (3.3 to 4.9 ft) high and up to 4 m (13 ft) across. Mound-building is done by a dominant male and visited by a succession of local females, for mating and egg-laying. The male works tirelessly, collecting material from all around, and also diligently repelling rival males, which are keen to usurp his position. The effort involved eventually wears him down, and he will ultimately be defeated by a new king. Females lay 16-24 very large (90 × 45 mm) eggs between September and March. Sometimes, up to 50 eggs laid by several females may be found in a single mound. The eggs are placed in a circle roughly 60-80 cm (23.5-31.5 in) down, 20-30 cm (8-12 in) apart, always with the large end up. The newly hatched chicks dig themselves out of the mound and then have to care for themselves. They are fully fledged on hatching and can fly within hours, as soon as the feathers are dry. The eggs are hatched by the heat of the composting mound, the temperature of which is regulated by adding or removing material to maintain the temperature in the 33-35 °C (91-95 °F) incubation temperature range. The Australian brushturkey checks the temperature by sticking its beak into the mound. The birds frequently use the same nesting site year after year, with the old nests being added to each breeding season.

## Population

### Population threats

Australian bushturkeys are not threatened at present. However, they suffer from habitat destruction and fragmentation. These birds are also sometimes hunted for food, including as part of the diet by Aboriginal Australians and their eggs, which weigh on average 180 g (6.3 oz), are also sometimes eaten.

### Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Australian bushturkey total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.

## References

https://animalia.bio/australian-brushturkey