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
SizeGiant
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
200approx hotspots
29475approx 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.
Behavior
Moves nomadically as food and rainfall conditions change, travelling long distances and often walking steadily across open country.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Northern Territory
South Australia
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria