Malleefowl Malleefowl

1. Large, heavily built ground-dweller with intricate black, white, and chestnut barring on the upperparts

2. Cream-white underparts and black “necklace” across the throat and upper breast

3. Short, strong legs and a flattened crest, with plumage that blends perfectly into the woodland floor

Malleefowl are famous for their unique breeding strategy. The male constructs a massive mound of soil and leaf litter-sometimes over 4 meters across and 1 meter high-using the heat from decomposing vegetation to incubate the eggs. The male carefully regulates the mound temperature to around 33°C, checking by probing his bill into the soil and adding or removing sand as needed. The female lays up to 3 eggs per season, usually from September to late summer, with an egg laid every 4–8 days. Chicks hatch after about 6 days, dig themselves to the surface, and are completely independent from birth-receiving no parental care. Malleefowl are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, buds, flowers, fruits, fungi, and invertebrates found while foraging through leaf litter.

Malleefowl inhabit semi-arid mallee woodlands and scrublands across southern Australia, from southwest Western Australia through South Australia, northwestern Victoria, and into central New South Wales. They prefer areas with mallee eucalypt vegetation, a diverse shrub layer, and open ground with abundant leaf litter for mound building. Look for them in regions with relatively unburnt, intact habitat and dense broombush thickets. Malleefowl are most often seen alone or in pairs, foraging quietly or crossing open areas. The best chance for sightings is near active mounds, especially in the early morning or late afternoon.