#brushturkey

[herpsandbirds]

trick or treat!!!

THE SHEER TERROR MAY BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO HANDLE!!

Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami), family Megapodidae, order Galliformes, QLD, Australia

Photograph by Dave Arnold

[best-bird-tournament]

Landfowl (Galliformes) order

Which is the best bird?

Willow ptarmigan

Australian brushturkey

Nocturnal currasow

Malleefowl

Orange-footed scrubfowl

Voting ended onJan 14

[melodeelaine]

Australian Brushturkey - Eastern Australia

[proton-wobbler]

Great Backyard Bird Off - Australia (poll 1)

Choose your favorite

Australian Brushturkey

Welcome Swallow

Voting ended onMar 8, 2025

Bird Info & Submission Reasons

Australian brushturkey (Alectura lathami)

"they are a very common backyard bird where I live, I can currently see one out my window. they're so distinctive, they build giant mounds, essentially compost heaps to lay eggs in, rather than sitting on them. the male is the one who does the nest-tending, and will sometimes protect his young after they hatch. the babies also are born fully fledged, as soon as they're dry they can fly!"

"brush turkeys are like the definition of backyard bird I think they're always chillin out there I look out my window and see some sort of beast pass and its either a cat or a brush turkey. they are straight up walking around"

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

"These guys are the sweetest little heralds of warmer weather. I love hearing them chatter on the neighbour's roof :)"

Small swallow with long forked tail. Dark above, pale below, with a rusty breast and face. In Australia, much less common Barn Swallow has a dark chest band and is much paler below, including parts of the underwing. Common bird across open habitat, where it feeds on insects above parks, sporting fields, wetlands, and other open areas. Perches on fence rows and utility lines in large numbers. (eBird)

also found in New Zealand

Image Sources: brushturkey (Mark and Angela McCaffrey), swallow (Terence Alexander)

[typhlonectes]

Australian brushturkey or Gweela Alectura lathami

The Australian brushturkey or Gweela is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae (incubator birds) found in eastern Australia. 

It is a large bird with a prominent, fan-like tail flattened sideways, and its plumage is mainly blackish, but with a bare red head, and a yellow or purple wattle. 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 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.

photograph by JJ Harrison | Wikimedia CC

via: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:POTD/2022-01-26

[pochqmqri]

Australian brushturkey on James Cook University’s Townsville campus in Queensland, Australia 

[jettjaguar]

Another youngling with an exceptionally bright head has turned up in the garden. I’m further convinced there’s an active mound very near our house. #brushturkey #brushturkeys (at Sydney, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzLI96P4wZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[coffeenuts]

Brush turkey portrait by LSydney https://flic.kr/p/2mLZuhY