Construction and Maintenance of the Incubation Mounds of the Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami

Abstract

Most male Australian Brush-turkeys at Mt. Tamborine in south-eastem Queensiand began to construct incubation mounds in winter (May-June) following falls of rain that thoroughly dampened the leaf-litter. Mounds were tended for up to nine months before being abandoned around January-February. Two distinct phases of activity were identified: the Construction Phase, characterised by accumulation of mound-materials by the males, and the Maintenance Phase when the amount of mound-work was greatly reduced. The mean temperatures of mounds was 33.3°C. Thermal stability was achieved without the direct manipulations of mounds by males. There was little indication of pair bonding between males and females, suggesting a non-monogamous mating system.