The Malleefowl or lowan is a ground-dwelling bird from Australia. They're the largest mound builders in Australia, which the male builds from dirt, leaves and sticks it finds in the mallee forest.
Malleefowl are shy and solitary birds that usually only fly to escape danger or get in a tree to roost.
From IUCN Red List: The Malleefowl is listed as Vulnerable
on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2012 by BirdLife International. This species qualifies as Vulnerable because it has undergone a rapid decline over the last three generations (50 years), based on a decline in its range owing to habitat clearance and fragmentation, and the compounding effects of introduced species. There has been some recovery in parts of the range, but some reserves may prove too small to support viable populations without intensive management.
Malleefowl are large ground-dwelling birds that live in Australia. They have a remarkable reproductive cycle that includes up to 11 months per year spent building, tending and maintaining a large nest mound ... more