Category Archives: Birds
Australian Brushturkey kicking up leaves
The Australian Brushturkey, also called a Bush Turkey or a Scrub Turkey, is a truly weird bird. This male is a lovely specimen: large, with a bright red head and long yellow dewlaps, officially called a wattle, hanging from its neck. I followed it round a corner, where it started doing what these birds are known and loved (or hated) for: kicking up the leaves and dirt with its big strong feet. They can make a real mess of your garden.
Brushturkeys do fly, though they’re a little ungainly in the air.
Common name: Australian Brushturkey
Scientific name: Alectura lathami
Approximate length: 75 cm
Date spotted: 6 November 2011
Season: Summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: -33.782572,151.255698
Australian Raven cawing in a gum tree
Australian Ravens are big birds, a gorgeous blue-black in colour, with feathery beards and blue-circled eyes. This one was perched high in a gum tree, calling its haunting cry: “Ah ah ah aaaaaoooow”.
Common name: Australian Raven
Scientific name: Corvus coronoides
Approximate length: 50 cm
Date spotted: Sunday 27 October 2013
Season: Spring
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: -33.782572,151.255698
Sydney Birder 