Australian Bustard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australian Bustard
Conservation status
Near Threatened
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Otididae Genus: Ardeotis Species: A. australia
Binomial name
Ardeotis australis (Gray, 1829)

The Australian Bustard, Ardeotis australis, is a large ground bird of grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is also commonly referred to in Central Australia as the Bush Turkey, particularly by Aboriginal people.

The male is up to 1.2m tall with a 2.3m wingspan. The female is a little smaller (0.8m) but similarly coloured. The back, wings and tail are dull brown, with mottled black and white markings on the wing coverts. The neck and head appear dull white and the crown black. Legs are yellow to cream coloured.

When disturbed, Australian Bustards often adopt a cryptic pose with neck erect and bill pointed skywards. They may stalk gradually away or run if alarmed, taking flight as a last resort. Populations are highly nomadic following rain and feed, which includes seeds, fruit, centipedes, insects, molluscs, lizards, young birds and small rodents.

Contents 1 Status 2 Aborigines and Bush turkeys 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Status

This bird remains relatively common and widespread across most of northern Australia (see Atlas), but its range appears to have contracted in the south-east of the continent during the last century, perhaps due to hunting (now illegal except for indigenous Australians), feral predators such as pigs and foxes and habitat destruction. Its nomadic habits make it difficult to assess.

[edit] Aborigines and Bush turkeys

Australian Aborigines generally refer to this bird as the Bush Turkey. It is an important food source for Aboriginal people from Central Australia, and is still eaten today. The white feathers of the bird are used for ceremonial purposes.

The Arrernte name for this bird is kere artewe. The Luritja name is kipara .^[1]

There are important Dreaming stories associated with the Bush Turkey. A number of artists painting in the desert today paint bush turkey Dreaming. This means they have been given stories of the origins of the turkey in the Dreamtime and are entitled to tell this story and paint about it.^{[2] [3]}

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.mjhall.org/bushtucker/turkey.htm
2. ^ http://www.aboriginal-desert-art.com.au/artists/elizabeth_nakamarra.html
3. ^ http://www.artmob.com.au/newsletters/september05.pdf

• BirdLife International (2004). Ardeotis australis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 27 July 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is Near Threatened
• Frith, H (ed) Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds, 1977 ISBN 0-909486-50-6
• Simpson, K and Day, N,. Field Guide to Australian Birds 7th edition, 2004 ISBN 0-7136-6982-9

[edit] External links

• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Threatened Species Information sheet (PDF accessed 27 July 2006)