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Australian BustardAlternate name(s): "Plains Turkey", "Wild Turkey", "Turkey", "Kori Bustard" ![]() Size: 80 cm - 1.3 m; wing span up to 2.3 m Weight: 4-7 (max. 14) kg (male), 2-4 kg (female) |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Lateral view of a male Australian Bustard in courtship display
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Near Mount Molloy, QLD, October 2010]
Close-up lateral view of a male Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Karumba, QLD, November 2012]
Lateral view of a male Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Pickford Road, Biboohra, near Mareeba, QLD, December 2019]
Lateral view of two male Australian Bustards
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
Lateral view of two male Australian Bustards
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
Lateral view of a male Australian Bustard in
open grassland
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a male Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, September 2020]
Dorsal view of a male Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Pickford Road, Biboohra, near Mareeba, QLD, December 2019]
Dorsal view of a male Australian Bustard in
open grassland
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2014]
Lateral view of a male Australian Bustard in flight
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2014]
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FEMALE |
Full-frontal view of a female Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Karumba, QLD, November 2012]
Lateral view of a female Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Karumba, QLD, November 2012]
Lateral view of a female Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Karumba, QLD, November 2012]
Near-dorsal view of a female Australian Bustard;
note the dusky spots on the back (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]
Dorsal view of a female Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Adventure Way, N of Innamincka (SA), QLD, September 2018]
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PAIR |
Pair of Australian Bustards, male in front
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[20 km SE of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of an Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Narrabri, NSW, May 2021]
Near-dorsal view of an Australian Bustard
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]
Close-up dorsal view of an Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Narrabri, NSW, May 2021]
Dorsal view of an Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Narrabri, NSW, May 2021]
Near-lateral view of an Australian Bustard in flight, wings up
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, May 2020]
Near-lateral view of an Australian Bustard in flight, wings down
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, May 2020]
Two phases of the wing beat of an Australian Bustard -
note the goose-like appearance in the down phase
(photos courtesy of B. Hensen)
[East Alligator River, NT, July 2018]
Near-dorsal view of 5 Australian Bustards in flight
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, May 2020]
Near-dorsal view of an Australian Bustard
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]
Dorsal view of an Australian Bustard in low flight
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Adventure Way, N of Innamincka (SA), QLD, September 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Australian Bustard - note the
absence of a dark breast band; the fact that this bird is
starting to display its distended air sack indicates that it
is a young male
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, November 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile male Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, November 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, November 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, November 2018]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Australian Bustard
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, November 2018]
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Behaviour |
There is a separate page describing a male Australian Bustard displaying to impress a female HERE.
Australian Bustards, here 4 out of a group of 5 are shown, have
a preference for open country, usually
grassland,
sometimes with nearby scattered trees or shrubs, often with
prickly weeds
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, May 2020]
A typical occurrence in large parts of QLD: Australian Bustards
stepping off the road
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[20 km SE of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]
A typical occurrence in large parts of QLD: Australian Bustard
stepping off the road
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Einasleigh, QLD, September 2019]
We have observed an Australian Bustard cowering to avoid detection in vegetation that was too short to provide good cover. While staying low, the bird was absolutely invisible.