Malleefowl fact file

Located some 40 kilometres north east of the city of Dubbo, Goonoo State Forest covers an area of about 62,500 hectares. A dry sclerophyll forest of ironbark, western boxes and cypress, it has long been an important source of timber products for the community of Dubbo as well as providing a habitat for a range of native flora and fauna, in particular, the malleefowl.

There are few birds as unique as the malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata). The adult malleefowl is a quiet bird, about the size of a small turkey (55 to 61 cm) with a greyish head/neck, a black mark down the foreneck and underparts composed of barred grey, black, white, buff and pale chestnut feathers (Pizzey & Knight 1999). 

The malleefowl is capable of short flights usually only for a few hundred metres. It is wary and prefers to walk or run away from danger, flying only if it is startled or cornered (Gould League 1986). Its diet consists of seeds of shrubs such as wattle and cassia, the buds and flowers of small plants and annual herbs, insects and small invertebrates. 

The malleefowl is able to exist without drinking by gaining its moisture needs from its food. However if water is about it will drink. It lives singly or in pairs, and has a number of calls described as booming (territorial), sharp grunt (alarm) and soft lowing (communication) (Simpson, Trusler & Day 1999).

The male bird does all the housekeeping and spends up to 10 months of the year working the mound and incorporating dry leaves, bark and twigs with the sand that will decompose and assist in raising the temperature of the mound to around 33^oC (Simpson, Trusler & Day 1999) when egg laying can commence. Mounds in the forest can be up to 5 m in diameter and up to 1 m high. From September to April, the female lays 5 to 33 eggs, singly, at intervals of 2 to 14+ days (Pizzey & Knight 1999).

The eggs are pale pink, deepening to pale brown (see below). Following the laying, the male will continue to monitor the temperature of the mound by probing his beak into it. The chicks hatch at 7+ weeks and dig unaided to the surface (Pizzey & Knight 1999). They can fly and fend for themselves unaided within several hours (Pizzey & Knight 1999).

Malleefowl eggs. Size approx 92 mm x 61 mm.  Courtesy of Beruldsen (1980)

The malleefowl is listed as an Endangered Species on Schedule 1 of the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The main threats to its existence are predation by foxes and alteration and removal of habitat.

As part of State Forests management program for this endangered species, regular fox baiting programs are carried out in the identified core breeding areas to control fox numbers. Prescriptions have also been developed for harvesting and burning activities so that the viable population of malleefowl that live in Goonoo remain unaffected by current forest management.

State Forests has entered into a sponsorship program with Western Plains Zoo to financially assist with their Malleefowl Breeding Program. The Zoo's program has involved the collection of eggs from mounds like those in Goonoo State Forest and raising chicks at the Zoo in an environment relatively free of predation.

References cited

Beruldsen, G. (1980) "A field guide to nests and eggs of Australian birds".
Rigby: Adelaide.

Gould League (1986) "Birds of the dry country". Volume 5 of "Birds of south-eastern Australia".
Gould League of Victoria: Prahran

Pizzey, G. and Knight, F. (1999) "Field guide to the birds of Australia".
Harper Collins: Sydney.

Simpson, K., Trusler, P. and Day, N. (1999) "Field guide to the birds of Australia". 6th Edition.
Penguin: Ringwood.

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