Description
Colour lithograph of the Australian Brush-turkey, from Broinowski’s, Birds of Australia, one of the three most important C19th studies of Australian ornithology.
The first recorded sighting of the Australian Brush-turkey was by Sydney Parkinson, artist on Cook’s first voyage at Endeavour River, Queensland on 4 July, 1770 while the ship was careened for repairs. “a bird like a Tetrao, having wattles of a fine ultramarine colour, and whose beak and legs were black”.
Common name: Australian Brush-turkey, Scrub Turkey
Modern binomial name: Alectura lathami
First described: Gray 1831.
Distribution: NSW & QLD
