Australian brushturkey

Australian brushturkey
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Megapodiidae
Genus: Alectura
Latham, 1824
Species:
A. lathami
Binomial name
Alectura lathami
Gray, JE, 1831
Subspecies
  • A. l. purpureicollis (Le Souef, 1898)
    purple-wattled brush turkey
  • A. l. lathami (JE Gray, 1831)
    Australian brushturkey
Female

The Australian brushturkey, Australian brush-turkey, or gweela (Alectura lathami), also frequently called the scrub turkey or bush turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae found in eastern Australia from Far North Queensland to Eurobodalla on the South Coast of New South Wales. The Australian brushturkey has also been introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is the largest extant representative of the family Megapodiidae, and is one of three species to inhabit Australia.

Despite its name and their superficial similarities, the bird is not closely related to American turkeys, nor to the Australian bustard, which is also known as the bush turkey. Its closest relatives are the wattled brushturkey, Waigeo brushturkey, and malleefowl.

  1. ^ BirdLife International. (2018). Alectura lathami. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22678551A131902671.en