The Malleefowl An Endangered Bird You Need to Know About

The malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) is a robust, ground-dwelling bird native to Australia, roughly the size of a domestic chicken, to which it is distantly related. One of its most remarkable characteristics is the large nesting mounds constructed by the males, which can be up to 5 meters wide and 1 meter high. These mounds are used to incubate the eggs, relying on the heat generated by decomposing vegetation. Unlike many other birds, malleefowl do not provide any parental care after the chicks hatch, leaving the young to fend for themselves immediately. The malleefowl is the only living species of the genus Leipoa, although it had a close relative, the now-extinct giant malleefowl. This unique bird is an iconic species of the Australian outback, known for its impressive mound-building and solitary nature.

The Malleefowl is one of three megapodes (along with the Brush Turkey and the Orange-footed Scrub-fowl) in Australia, and the only one that lives in arid areas.

This species is known for its striking appearance, with males sporting a reddish-brown head, neck, and chest, as well as a distinctive wattle on their neck. The rest of the male’s body is a beautiful iridescent blue-green, while females are a more subdued brown color. This bird resembles a greyish mottled domestic Turkey in size and shape, but it is smaller, more compact, and stouter in the legs. There is no wattle around its neck, but a tuft of dark feathers falls back gracefully from the crown. Because of this tuft, some western native tribes refer to the bird as ‘Ngow-oo,’ ‘Ngnoweer,’ or a tuft of feathers. The bird was known as ‘Louan’ or ‘Low-an-ee’ by some eastern tribes.

It should be noted that the Mallee Fowl’s call is a mournful, prolonged, coo-like note that can be heard from nearly a mile away.

Behaviour

Malleefowl are elusive and cautious birds, known for their solitary nature. They are adept at avoiding detection, relying heavily on their intricately patterned plumage to blend seamlessly into their surroundings. When disturbed, malleefowl typically freeze, becoming almost invisible against the backdrop of their habitat. If further threatened, they will silently and swiftly retreat into the undergrowth. Flight is a last resort, used primarily to escape imminent danger or to reach a roosting spot in a tree. Despite their active lifestyle, malleefowl are rarely seen due to these effective camouflage and evasion tactics, which include a variety of strategies to outmaneuver predators.

Diet

Because it lives on the ground, its diet consists primarily of insects, seeds and berries, and tender plant shoots. It can live without water, but it does drink when it rains. They are also known to eat fruits and berries when they are available.

Breeding

Malleefowl pairs establish territories, but typically roost and feed separately. Their social interactions are minimal, primarily limited to mating during the breeding season.

In winter, the male selects a patch of ground, usually a small, open area between the stunted trees of the mallee, and begins constructing a nesting mound. He scrapes a depression approximately 3 meters (9.8 feet) across and just under 1 meter (3.3 feet) deep by raking backwards with his feet. During late winter and early spring, he gathers organic material, such as sticks, leaves, and bark, creating windrows up to 50 meters (160 feet) around the site. This material is then built into a nest mound, typically rising about 0.6 meters (2 feet) above ground level. The composition of the mound varies, ranging from mostly organic material to primarily sand or a mix of both.

After rain, the male turns and mixes the material to encourage decay, preparing the mound for egg-laying. If conditions are favorable, he digs an egg chamber in August. The female occasionally assists with the excavation, and the timing depends on temperature and rainfall. She usually lays eggs between September and February, provided there has been enough rain to promote the decay of the organic matter. The male continues to maintain the mound, adding more soil as summer approaches to help regulate the temperature.

Young males typically build their first mounds, or take over existing ones, around their fourth year, but their structures are usually less impressive than those of older birds. Malleefowl are believed to mate for life, with males staying near the nest for nine months of the year to defend it. They can wander at other times and do not always return to the same territory.

The egg is unusually large in comparison to its parents, measuring approximately three and five-tenths by two and three-tenths inches and weighing approximately six and one-half ounces.

The female lays a clutch of two or three to over 30 large, thin-shelled eggs, usually around 15, about a week apart. Each egg weighs about 10% of the female’s body weight, and over a season, she may lay a total weight equivalent to 250% of her own body weight. Clutch size varies significantly based on individual birds and rainfall. Incubation time ranges from about 50 to nearly 100 days, depending on temperature.

The gestational period for these birds is around 38-41 days. Hatchlings use their strong feet to break out of the egg, then lie on their backs and scratch their way to the surface, progressing 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 inches) at a time over 5 to 10 minutes, followed by rest periods of about an hour. Reaching the surface can take between 2 and 15 hours. Chicks emerge from the nesting material with eyes and beaks tightly closed, take a deep breath, open their eyes, and freeze motionless for up to 20 minutes.

Once out of the mound, chicks quickly make their way to the base, disappearing into the scrub within moments. Within an hour, they can run reasonably well; within two hours, they can flutter short distances and run very fast. Despite not yet having grown tail feathers, they can fly strongly within a day.

Chicks have no contact with adults or other chicks. They hatch one at a time, and malleefowl of any age generally ignore one another except during mating or territorial disputes.

Malleefowl Mound Construction

To construct a nest the bird chooses a slight hollow — invariably a shallow water-track in almost impenetrable scrub or bush — to build a new nest or mound. The area is hollowed out or scooped out and filled with dead leaves or other plant matter.

The area is hollowed out or scooped out and filled with dead leaves or other plant matter. Then everything is completely engulfed in sand, which the birds scrape up for several yards around, using their strong feet for scraping and their breast and wings to propel the sand forwards. By actual tape measurement, which I took on the spot, the dimensions of an ordinary mound (which is usually more or less cone-shaped) were ten feet in diameter at the base by about two feet in height. There appeared to be approximately 150 cubic feet of sand and trash.

Despite the mound’s massive size, the portion of the centre containing the eggs was only about fifteen inches in diameter. Only a pair of birds owns a mound, which they begin building (or repairing an old one) in June or July, though the female does not lay eggs until September or October. Without a doubt, the mound is so well prepared for winter and spring rains that it is left open for that purpose; the water collecting in the shallow course and consequently running through and underneath the leaves.

Distribution and Habitat

The Mallee Fowl is a remarkable and truly solitary creature that lives in the drier and more arid scrubs of Australia’s southern half, preferring mallee (a species of dwarf eucalypt) timber tracts; hence the common name ‘Mallee’ Hen or Fowl. The Malleefowl is found in the dry, open woodlands of Australia’s interior, known as the “mallee” region. They are known to inhabit areas with dense shrub cover, as this provides them with the materials they need to build their mounds.

Currently, its population is fragmented into three main groups: one in the Murray–Murrumbidgee basin, another west of Spencer Gulf along the fringes of the Simpson Desert, and the third in the semiarid margins of the fertile southwest corner of Western Australia.

Important Bird Areas

BirdLife International has identified several important bird areas (IBAs) across southern mainland Australia that are crucial for malleefowl conservation:

New South Wales

• Central NSW Mallee
• Goonoo
• Southern NSW Mallee

South Australia

• Gawler Ranges
• Gum Lagoon
• Peebinga
• Riverland Mallee
• Southern Yorke Peninsula

Victoria

• Little Desert
• Murray-Sunset, Hattah, and Annuello
• Wandown
• Wyperfeld, Big Desert, and Ngarkat

Western Australia

• Dragon Rocks
• Dunn Rock and Lake King
• Fitzgerald River
• Holleton
• Karara and Lochada
• Karroun Hill
• Lake Magenta
• Mount Gibson and Charles Darwin Reserve
• Yeelirrie Station

Conservation Status

The malleefowl is threatened across its range. Predation by introduced red foxes contributes to its decline, but the primary threats are altered fire regimens, habitat destruction, and fragmentation. Additionally, like the southern hairy-nosed wombat, the malleefowl is particularly susceptible to the increasing frequency and severity of droughts resulting from climate change.

Mallee fowl are thought to be extinct in the Northern Territory, where no records have been found since the 1960s.

Before European settlement, the malleefowl inhabited vast areas across Australia.

International

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the malleefowl as Vulnerable on its Red List.

Australia

Fossils of Progura gallinacea, the extinct giant malleefowl of Australia, highlight the historical significance of this species. Today, the malleefowl is listed as Vulnerable under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Its conservation status varies over time and across different states within Australia.

• Victoria: The malleefowl is listed as Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). An Action Statement for the recovery and future management of this species has been prepared. Additionally, the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria lists the malleefowl as Endangered.
• South Australia: The malleefowl is listed as Vulnerable under Schedule 8 of the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
• New South Wales: The malleefowl is listed as Endangered under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

These varying levels of protection across different regions highlight the need for comprehensive, coordinated conservation efforts to ensure the survival of the malleefowl.

Efforts to conserve the malleefowl focus on protecting and restoring its habitat, managing fire regimes, controlling predators, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. By addressing these critical issues, we can help safeguard the future of this unique and iconic Australian bird.

As a species, the Mallee Fowl is truly one of a kind, with its striking appearance and elaborate nesting habits. It is a vital part of the ecosystem in which it lives, and it is important that we work to protect and conserve it for future generations. So next time you’re out exploring the beautiful mallee region of Australia, keep an eye out for these fascinating birds – and do your part to help preserve their habitat for the future.