Red-legged Brushturkey
Talegalla jobiensis
A large, black ground bird of rainforests from the lowlands to mid-mountains. Red-orange legs stand out against the all black plumage. Bare face and a bushy feathers on top of the head give it a crested appearance. Often hammers seeds with its strong bill. The red-orange legs separate it from any similar-sized birds with which it co-occurs. Much more often heard than seen. Loud raucous call, similar to Red-billed Brushturkey but the second note rises higher.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Talegalla jobiensis
- Authority
- Meyer, AB, 1874
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Megapodiidae
- Genus
- Talegalla
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Capped Wheatear
Oenanthe pileata
Boldly-patterned open country chat. Note the white eyebrow, black mask through the eye, and black band across the chest. The outer half of the tail is black and the inner half white, which is conspicuous in flight. Found in desert, dry savanna, and short grassland. Often perches up on fences and other structures. Variable song is a fast series of clucks and whistles.
Crested Bobwhite
Colinus cristatus
Small quail of dry habitats in interior valleys as well as grasslands. Favors brushy fields, thorn scrub with grassy areas, and drier grassy plains. Often seen along quiet roadsides early and late in the day. Usually in small groups, which flush explosively with a loud whirring of wings. Some variation in plumage, but note strongly spotted underparts and contrasting pale or buffy throat. Frequently found by hearing its loud whistled bob-WHITE! call.
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Clamator glandarius
Distinctive, boldly patterned cuckoo with a spiffy crest and white-spotted wings. Adult has a gray crest and gray-brown back. Juveniles are even more contrasting, with a rusty wing panel and black crest and back. Typically restless, making short flights often and hopping on the ground with tail raised. A nest parasite of corvids (crows, jays, and relatives). Found in semiarid open woodland and dry savannas. Noisy, often giving "krree krree krree" calls.
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