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Australian Brush-turkeyAlternative names: "Scrub-turkey", "Wattled Talegallus" Aboriginal names: "woggoon", "wagun" [gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay] |
Sightings
We have seen Australian Brush-turkeys in National Parks east of the dividing range, e.g. in Dorrigo National Park, New South Wales. They are so bold that sighting them is no art. When fed they can actually become quite annoying.
In December 2007 we found an Australian Brush-turkey on the western side of the dividing range, in Deriah Forest, 30 km east of Narrabri. It was about 200-300 m from the location of a mound (see photo below). Later it turned out that this bird was right next to a second mound hidden in dense underbrush. Yet later, a third mound was found in the area. More (both mature and immature) birds were seen in the same area in the following months, including the winter months of 2008. A small group of three birds was seen in September 2008.
Also seen by us in many different locations, especially in coastal areas, of central QLD in July 2009.
Photos
Close-range shot 1 (click on image for larger version)
Close-range shot 2 (click on image for larger version)
Australian Brush-turkey in its natural habitat, on the ground in a rain forest (click on image for larger version)
Australian Brush-turkey trying to evade the photographer by climbing up into a eucalypt tree, from where it launched itself to further increase the distance (click on image for larger version)
Nest
The mound shown below is about 2.5 m in diameter and apparently only about 50 cm deep (unless there is a depression in the ground below).
Nesting mound of an Australian Brush-turkey 30 km east of Narrabri, NSW. One can see fresh scratch marks, where material had recently been re-distributed (click on image for larger version)