Australian Brush-turkey

About the Australian Brush-turkey

The Australian brushturkey, Australian brush-turkey, or gweela (Alectura lathami), also commonly called the bush turkey, scrub turkey, or just brushturkey, is a large mound-building bird of the family Megapodiidae. It is found in eastern Australia, ranging from Far North Queensland to the south coast of New South Wales, and has also been introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is the largest living member of the Megapodiidae and one of three species native to Australia.

Despite its name and superficial resemblance to other birds, the Australian brushturkey is not closely related to the American turkey or the Australian bustard (which is also known locally as the bush turkey in central Australia). Its closest relatives are the wattled brushturkey, Waigeo brushturkey, and malleefowl.

The range of the Australian brushturkey extends from the top of Cape York to approximately the area around Wollongong. The Australian brushturkey inhabits rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests, as well as drier scrubs and open areas. It lives in both mountainous and lowland areas. In the northern part of its range, the Australian brushturkey is most common at... Wikipedia →