A brooding female will crouch and move away if disturbed, flightless juveniles will remain still and rely on the camouflage of their plumage to evade detection.
VIC: Endangered; WA: Vulnerable; NT: Critically Endangered
Indigenous: Pibaalyar, Barawaa, Bibilya, Ngangug, Gurndama, Teriki, Jambirina, Walpurruŋgu', Walppurrunggu, Gumbulgaban, Alburrunggu, Gooli-Gooli, Jambirrina, A-Walpburrungguh, Malardordo, Benuk, Koorli, Plain Turkey, Wild Turkey
At a glance
FamilyBustards
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatOccurs in open grasslands across most of Australia (except the southeast).
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
5395visible hotspots
29306visible records
5states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
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
About half the size of an Emu. Often seen on roadsides.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Northern Territory
Victoria