Reproduction

The nest mound is active from August to February.

Male brush turkeys create a nest from soil and plant material which helps to attract a mate. It may take them up to a month to finish the construction. These massive nests to grow to the size of a small car. He may use the same nest for multiple years.

Both males and females have a beak which is sensitive to the temperature of the nest allowing it to maintain it at the optimum level.

These mounds generate heat which helps to incubate the eggs. Once the mother deposits the eggs she will leave. The male remains nearby to defend the mound against threats.

Females may produce up to 20 each year. These will come from mating with multiple males and may each be deposited in different nests.

Chicks emerge from the nest by digging through the dirt up to the surface after a 50 day incubation. This may take up to two days to complete.

Parents do not provide any care to the chicks. They are able to fly straight away and have instincts to forage and stay safe from predators. At hatchling the chicks are fluffy and brown.

As few as one in 200 eggs which are laid grow in to an adult bird.

They reach sexual maturity between 1 and 3 years old.

Behavior

The Australian brush turkey produces vocalizations such as a vibrating low grunt. Males produce a loud, booming call.

These birds may live in groups which are headed by a dominant male along with several females.

They are clumsy when in flight and only take to the skies if threatened.

Predators and Threats

Natural predators of the Australian brush-turkey include dingoes, lace monitors and snakes.

Introduced species such as feral pigs and dogs will also pose a threat.

Habitat destruction may be causing a decline in their population.

Australian brush turkeys were almost driven to extinction during the 1930s as they represented an easy source of meat and eggs during the great depression when jobs and food were both hard to come by.

Native animals were protected in law within Australia during 1972 and since then numbers of the Australian brush turkey have started to increase.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature believe the population of Australian brush turkeys is declining but there are still enough for them to be considered least concern.

Quick facts

Australian brush turkeys are also known as scrub turkeys.

These birds are thought to be the most ancient member of their family which dates back 30 million years.

They are the largest member of the megapodidae (large-footed birds) found in Australia.