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'Early' bird observation advice (NE Aust.)

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Subject: 'Early' bird observation advice (NE Aust.)
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Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 08:21:06 +1000

From: Martin  on 25/02/2002 08:21 AM


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Subject:  'Early' bird observation advice (NE Aust.)

Good morning all.

I am interested in people's advice on which species of Australian bird the
following observer is talking about.  He uses the term' turkeys' and the area is
the north-east of Australia around the turn of the century.

1900 quote about 'turkeys':

    In the hilly country in the far-away North, the overlanders
    amused themselves by bombarding the wild turkeys, which
    were discovered in hundreds. Once they fired twenty
    revolver shots at one bird, at about forty yards range, with
    no better result than to cause the turkey to quickly walk
    away in another direction. "We concluded we had better
    let turkey go for that day at least," was Mac's quaint way
    of ending up the "stuffing" which the turkey took away in
    lead.

A look at the recent and curent distribution of Malleefowl (which is the species
I intialy thought) shows the species to be absent from north-east Australia.

Am keen to hear people's thoughts on the species.  The person who has asked me
for this information is preparing a talk on the early explorers (specifically
those going by bicycle) of northern Australia and would like to know the
identification of this bird (and a photo).

cheers


Martin O'Brien

Melbourne


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