The collared brushturkey, brown-collared brushturkey, or red-legged brushturkey is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It is found in the northern part of New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
Region
New Guinea
Typical Environment
Occurs in the northern part of New Guinea and nearby offshore islands, inhabiting primary and secondary lowland and hill rainforests. It favors dense understory and forest edges, including gallery forest along rivers and lightly disturbed areas. Birds often forage on the forest floor, scratching through leaf litter. It is generally absent from open grasslands and heavily urbanized sites, but may appear in gardens near forest margins.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Megapodes like the collared brushturkey bury their eggs in large mounds of leaf litter and soil that act as natural incubators. Males regulate the mound temperature by adding or removing material, and the chicks hatch fully feathered and able to run and fly shortly after emergence. Their eggs are unusually large and rich in yolk, fueling rapid early development.
Temperament
wary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly, in pairs, or small family groups. Males construct and tend large incubation mounds, into which females lay eggs; one mound may be used by multiple females. Chicks are highly precocial and receive no parental care after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include deep booming notes, grunts, and turkey-like clucking, often given at dawn. Calls carry well through dense forest and are used to announce territory and contact mates.
Plumage
Mostly dark brown to blackish body with a contrasting rufous-brown collar encircling the hindneck; coarse, loose-textured body feathers and a broad tail.
Diet
Forages by scratching through leaf litter for fallen fruits and seeds, insects, beetles, and other invertebrates. Will also take small snails and occasionally small vertebrates. Diet composition varies with fruiting cycles and local availability of invertebrates. Opportunistic feeding near forest edges is common.
Preferred Environment
Primarily feeds on the shaded forest floor, along trails, stream margins, and in areas of deep leaf litter. Sometimes ventures into secondary growth and gardens adjacent to forest.
