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Large black bird with a vertically-fanned tail and massive strong legs and feet.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Wagun, Wirrilaa, Wild Turkey, Barnard's Brush Turkey, Yellow-Wattled Brush Turkey, Scrub Turkey
At a glance
FamilyMegapodes
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatClosed forest, Grassland, Open woodland, Sparse woodland, and Waterbodies
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from July to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Mike FitzGerald
Range map
Range map
1601visible hotspots
229278visible records
2states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Obvious red head. Male develops large yellow pendulous neck wattles (mauve in Cape York subspecies). Endemic resident of tropical rainforests along the eastern coast of Australia. It can be a common in cosmopolitan parks and gardens in places such as Cairns, Brisbane.
Behavior
Roosts at night very high up in trees. Builds large nest-mounds of leaves and mulch.
Gallery