Alternative name: Wattled Scrub Turkey
- Aepypodius arfakianus
Identification
38-46cm (15-18 in) A dark, partridge-like bird.
- Dark reddish-brown plumage
- Bright reddish comb and neck wattle, duller outside breeding season
- Bluish white (sometimes blue-grey) bare facial skin
- Bluish grey to olive-brown legs
Females are smaller, are duller coloured on head and have only small wattles and reduced comb.
Immatures are similar to adult females.
Variations
A.a. misoliensis with a blue comb, generally smaller than nominate and with duller plumage.
Distribution
Endemic to the mountains of New Guinea, including Misool Island.
Uncommon to fairly common in its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- A. a. arfakianus in the mountains of New Guinea and Yapen Island
- A. a. misoliensis in the mountains of Misool Island (off northwest New Guinea)
Habitat
Found in montane forests, usually above 1000 m.
On Misool at lower altitudes.
Behaviour
Usually seen solitary or in pairs. Tends to fly up into trees when disturbed. Roosts in trees.
Diet
Feeds on fallen fruits and seeds. Takes probably also insects. Ingests small stones to help break down the food.
Breeding
Breeding recorded in all months except July, August and November. Builds a steep-sided mound made of leaves and twigs, up to 350 cm wide and 200 cm high. Probably built by the male. The rotting material in the mound incubates the eggs. New Guinea Scrubfowl has been recorded to parasitize the mound.
Movements
Presumably a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Wattled Brushturkey. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Wattled_Brushturkey
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
