There is a population of turkeys living in the bushland near my house in Brisbane. A male has a substantial mound between a council access track and a row of houses near a gully. The mound has produced a number of “runners” this summer. I have had previous experience with nesting turkeys (I had a productive mound in my backyard at a different property) and had not noticed any aggressive behaviour (outside of inter-turkey relations). In the case of this mound, however, on several occasions while I was walking my dog (on a lead) along the council track, the custodial male has approached us – from the side or behind. I have stopped to watch it when got to within a couple of metres. When I did so, it would scratch sticks and stones in our direction. It was clearly seeking to move us on. Typically it would follow us for 50 metres (outside its raking zone). It would start scratching each time we stopped. I initially thought it was reacting to the colour of my shirt (which was similar to the colour of its wattle), but disproved that when it reacted while I was wearing a different colour. I suspect it was reacting to the presence of my dog, which from a turkey’s perspective, might look a bit like a dingo. Has anyone else noted turkeys defending their mounds in this manner? Regards, Laurie.
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Laurie, Eric’s list of potential predators seen off in this manner is greater than mine but I can add dog, Red-bellied Black Snake and Amethystine Python. Regards, Alan —–Original Message—– Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 9:22 PM There is a population of turkeys living in the bushland near my house in Brisbane. A male has a substantial mound between a council access track and a row of houses near a gully. The mound has produced a number of “runners” this summer. I have had previous experience with nesting turkeys (I had a productive mound in my backyard at a different property) and had not noticed any aggressive behaviour (outside of inter-turkey relations). In the case of this mound, however, on several occasions while I was walking my dog (on a lead) along the council track, the custodial male has approached us – from the side or behind. I have stopped to watch it when got to within a couple of metres. When I did so, it would scratch sticks and stones in our direction. It was clearly seeking to move us on. Typically it would follow us for 50 metres (outside its raking zone). It would start scratching each time we stopped. I initially thought it was reacting to the colour of my shirt (which was similar to the colour of its wattle), but disproved that when it reacted while I was wearing a different colour. I suspect it was reacting to the presence of my dog, which from a turkey’s perspective, might look a bit like a dingo. Has anyone else noted turkeys defending their mounds in this manner? Regards, Laurie.
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Hi Laurie, Standard behaviour for brush turkeys in defence against potential nest predators that I’ve seen is to try and cover them up with stuff. I’ve now seen it with a lace monitor, yellow-spotted monitors, eastern water dragons, agile wallabies, a brush-tail possum, an eastern brown snake and people – quite annoying when you’re quietly trying to enjoy lunch. I think the males do it when they are so completely hormonally driven that they lose all common sense (as if they had any in the first place). The ones I’ve seen do it have that vacant look in the eye, the highly coloured, distended wattles, etc. Cheers, Eric
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Daryl Jones is the person to ask about this – he studied medapodes for many year. Shirley Cook —– Original Message —– Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 10:22 PM There is a population of turkeys living in the bushland near my house in Brisbane. A male has a substantial mound between a council access track and a row of houses near a gully. The mound has produced a number of “runners” this summer. I have had previous experience with nesting turkeys (I had a productive mound in my backyard at a different property) and had not noticed any aggressive behaviour (outside of inter-turkey relations). In the case of this mound, however, on several occasions while I was walking my dog (on a lead) along the council track, the custodial male has approached us – from the side or behind. I have stopped to watch it when got to within a couple of metres. When I did so, it would scratch sticks and stones in our direction. It was clearly seeking to move us on. Typically it would follow us for 50 metres (outside its raking zone). It would start scratching each time we stopped. I initially thought it was reacting to the colour of my shirt (which was similar to the colour of its wattle), but disproved that when it reacted while I was wearing a different colour. I suspect it was reacting to the presence of my dog, which from a turkey’s perspective, might look a bit like a dingo. Has anyone else noted turkeys defending their mounds in this manner? Regards, Laurie.
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That program about Australian Brush Turkeys on ABC TV a couple times showed them using this tactic against – I don’t recall what – a snake maybe – potential nest predators……. Philip —–Original Message—– Laurie Knight Sent: Saturday, 21 March 2015 10:22 PM There is a population of turkeys living in the bushland near my house in Brisbane. A male has a substantial mound between a council access track and a row of houses near a gully. The mound has produced a number of “runners” this summer. I have had previous experience with nesting turkeys (I had a productive mound in my backyard at a different property) and had not noticed any aggressive behaviour (outside of inter-turkey relations). In the case of this mound, however, on several occasions while I was walking my dog (on a lead) along the council track, the custodial male has approached us – from the side or behind. I have stopped to watch it when got to within a couple of metres. When I did so, it would scratch sticks and stones in our direction. It was clearly seeking to move us on. Typically it would follow us for 50 metres (outside its raking zone). It would start scratching each time we stopped. I initially thought it was reacting to the colour of my shirt (which was similar to the colour of its wattle), but disproved that when it reacted while I was wearing a different colour. I suspect it was reacting to the presence of my dog, which from a turkey’s perspective, might look a bit like a dingo. Has anyone else noted turkeys defending their mounds in this manner? Regards, Laurie.
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