Brush turkey

What are brush turkeys?

Brush turkeys are a medium to large sized bird found along most of the east coast of Australia. They are also known as the bush turkey or scrub turkey. Despite being named a turkey, they are not closely related to the type of turkeys that people eat.

Brush turkeys are a type of bird called a megapode which means big feet. The scientific name for the brush turkey is Alectura lathami.

Australian brush turkeys are a large black bird with a black body and bald red head.

What do brush turkeys look like?

Both male and female brush turkeys have black feathers and a bald, red head. The male also has a yellow piece of skin hanging down from below its neck called a wattle. The male’s wattle gets bigger and brighter when he is trying to attract a partner.

The male brush turkey has a yellow wattle under his neck.

What sound do brush turkeys make?

Brush turkeys make a deep 'bock bock' sound - a bit like the sound of a bass drum.

Australian brush turkeys walking along the ground.

Can brush turkeys fly?

Brush turkeys spend most of their day on the ground in the leaf litter searching for food or, for mature males, mound building. Brush turkeys fly to a roost in a tree when threatened or to roost for the night.

Brush turkeys roost in trees.

What do brush turkey nests look like?

Brush turkey nests are called mounds and they can be as large as a small car. The male turkey rakes leaves and leaf litter into a pile with his strong claws and legs. Males work especially hard on adding to the mound during the breeding season which is between August and March. More than one female lays her eggs in the mound. There can be up to 50 eggs in one mound. The mound of organic matter slowly breaks down releasing heat which helps to incubate the eggs.

The male turkey uses his beak to check the temperature of the mound. He keeps the eggs at a consistent temperature by adjusting the mound. He rakes more leaves on top to warm it up, or rakes leaves away to cool it down.

Brush turkey mounds can be very large, sometimes as big as a car.

What to do if a brush turkey makes a mound in the backyard?

A male brush turkey will rake up everything loose in a backyard to build his mound, including garden beds, mulch, plants and grass.

One way to stop a brush turkey from building a mound is to place chicken wire on the ground so it cannot rake. Another method is to install low mesh fences across the leaf litter path.

After the breeding season old mounds can be dismantled. Mounds cannot be dismantled during the breeding season as they may contain eggs.

Brush turkeys use their hard, pointed beak to pick up invertebrates, seeds and berries.

What role do brush turkeys play in the ecosystem?

Brush turkeys play an important role in the food web. They eat and manage the number of invertebrates.  Brush turkey eggs are food for goannas, snakes and dingoes.

How are brush turkeys adapted to their environment?

Brush turkeys spend their days in the leaf litter on the ground. They have strong legs and their claws are long and sharp, a bit like the metal prongs of a garden rake. The strong legs and claws of brush turkeys are used for scratching through the leaf litter in search of food and for raking and moving leaves for mound building. Their strong legs and claws enable them to move huge amounts of leaf litter to build very large mounds.

Brush turkeys have strong legs and sharp claws.

What is the life cycle of brush turkeys?

Like most birds, brush turkeys start off their life as an egg. When the egg hatches, the chicks have to dig their way out of the mound using their strong legs and claws. The chicks are fully independent straight away and can feed and fly within a couple of hours. They tend to use ground covers and dense shrubs for protection.

Brush turkeys do not develop their wattle until they are ready to mate.

The life stages of a brush turkey – egg, chick and adult.

Brush turkey chicks are small, brown and fluffy.

How are brush turkeys important to Aboriginal Peoples?

Aboriginal Peoples around Australia eat both brush turkeys and their eggs. They also feature in Dreaming Stories from different Aboriginal groups.

Should people feed brush turkeys?

Brush turkeys eat invertebrates, seeds and fruits and don't need to be fed by people. Human food can make them sick. Feeding brush turkeys also results in them stealing food and becoming aggressive around people.