Brush Turkeys

Brush Turkeys are large birds that can usually be seen on the ground beside this walkway. They build incubation mounds and use the heat generated by the decaying vegetation to hatch the eggs.

The male turkey scratches up leaf litter and soil into a mound, which is usually 2 - 4 metres across, and one metre high.

The turkeys scratch a hole in the mound and the female deposits a single egg, one of about 20 she will lay.

The mound must be damp otherwise not enough heat is generated to hatch the eggs.

Natural Thermostat

The male turkey has a highly accurate heat sensor inside his upper bill and regularly checks the mound temperature by sampling the leaf litter. By adding or removing litter he can keep the nest at a constant temperature of 33 degrees Celsius.

Little Survivors

Parent birds do not recognise their chicks when they hatch and play no part in raising them.

The chicks must burrow their way to the surface and look after themselves if they are to survive.