Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Australian Brushturkey
Alectura lathami
Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami) — Gamebirds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami) is a member of the Megapodiidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 2.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Megapodiidae Megapodes
- Genus Alectura
- Species lathami
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.3 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Megapodiidae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Australian Brushturkey is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Australian Brushturkey is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami) is a species of bird in the Megapodiidae family, part of the order Galliformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU e Australia.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.3 kg, with a wing length of about 29 cm and a tail of around 21.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 643,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Australian Brushturkey?
The Australian Brushturkey is a very large bird that weighs around 2.3 kg.
Where does the Australian Brushturkey live?
The Australian Brushturkey is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU e Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Australian Brushturkey belong to?
The Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami) belongs to the Megapodiidae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Australian Brushturkey eat?
The Australian Brushturkey is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Australian Brushturkey migrate?
The Australian Brushturkey is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Australian Brushturkey endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Australian Brushturkey make?
1 real field recording of the Australian Brushturkey can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Australian Brushturkey's range?
The Australian Brushturkey has a mapped global range of about 643,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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