50-645: The Little Sandy Desert ( LSD ) is a desert region in the state of Western Australia , lying to the east of the Pilbara and north of the Gascoyne regions. It is part of the Western Desert cultural region, and was declared an interim Australian bioregion in the 1990s. Indigenous groups that have identified with the region include the Mandilara , an Aboriginal Australian group who are regarded as
100-432: A 2.3 m (7.5 ft) wingspan. The average weight for males is 6.3 kg (14 lb), with a range of 4.3 to 12.76 kg (9.5 to 28.1 lb). The female is quite a bit smaller at 80 cm (31 in) tall, with a 1.8 m (5.9 ft) wingspan and an average body mass of 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) in a range of 2.4 to 6.35 kg (5.3 to 14.0 lb) but is similarly coloured. The largest male recorded
150-469: A height around 25 metres was recorded in Arnhemland, after a period of posturing and chasing by the males in dispute, but this may be unusual behaviour due to the greater risk of injury in this larger species of bustard. Ardeotis australis does not make any attempt to construct a nest. The clutch size is usually one egg, sometimes two, laid close to a small shrub or bush on unadorned ground. The shell
200-466: A study published in September 2018 showed that humans had in fact occupied the site around 47,830 Cal BP . This and other recent studies, which were done at the request of the native title holders, shed new light on the concept of deep time , as well as the social geography of arid zones . The study, using archaeobotany to establish its findings, found that wattle had been collected throughout
250-503: A wide area of the Australian continent and occasionally extends to southern parts of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The occurrence in the southeast of Australia has contracted and it no longer occurs in areas where it once recorded. Individual range has been studied by tracking of the birds, via satellite and tagging or community derived surveys, indicating that local populations in wetter regions are more permanent and localised than
300-458: Is a large terrestrial bird that resembles an American turkey in its form and behaviour. It is readily distinguished by its large size, long legs and habits while slowly striding across open plains. The general coloration of A. australis is black at the crown and nape, the long neck is pale grey at the front, and brown plumage cover the wings and upper body. The sexes are similar in appearance, females are smaller in stature, wingspan and weight than
350-622: Is also commonly referred to as the plains turkey , and in Central Australia as the bush turkey , particularly by Aboriginal people, who hunt it, although the latter name may also be used for the Australian brushturkey , as well as the orange-footed scrubfowl . The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1829, who assigned it the name Otis australis . Gray's specimen was obtained in New South Wales and
400-455: Is around twice that length. The species is nomadic, flying to areas when food becomes plentiful, and capable of travelling long distances. They were once widespread and common to the open plains of Australia, but became rare in regions that have been used for farming. The bustard is omnivorous, mostly consuming the fruit or seed of plants, but also eating invertebrates such as crickets, grasshoppers, smaller mammals, birds and reptiles. The species
450-404: Is marked with olive-brown blotching and streaks over most of the surface, perhaps more completely covering the larger end of the egg, the background colour is a lighter shade of olive-brown or olive-green. Incubation of the brood is maintained by the female. The dimensions of the egg are 75 × 55 millimetres. The chick will leave the site after emerging from its shell to avoid predation, and relies on
500-668: Is observed on artificial cleared areas such as golf courses and farmland. The historical range in Southwest Australia included the dunes and alluvial flats of the Swan Coastal Plain , as far south as Busselton , and at the interior in what became the Wheatbelt . Vagrants were seen in other areas associated with the higher rainfall forest of the southwest region, although the species avoided forest and densely vegetated areas. Anecdotal reports from residents of
550-500: Is still being killed and eaten today despite its protected status. The white feathers of the bird are used for ceremonial purposes. There are important Dreaming stories associated with the bush turkey. A number of artists painting in the desert today paint bush turkey Dreaming . This means they have been given stories of the origins of the turkey in the Dreamtime and are entitled to tell this story and paint about it. Hunting of
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#1732779984891600-471: Is the largest extant flying land bird in Australia, this long-legged bird is the smallest species in the genus Ardeotis . The species is mostly terrestrial and usually seen walking slowly alone or in pairs. When disturbed, Australian bustards often adopt a cryptic pose with neck erect and bill pointed skywards. They may stalk gradually away or run if alarmed, taking flight as a last resort. When leaving
650-642: The Australian Government as an environmental planning tool in the 1990s, with IBRA7 defining "large geographically distinct bioregions based on common climate, geology, landform, native vegetation and species information". There are almost no tourist facilities, and the environment is harsh. Only the most experienced travellers, who know how to survive without help in the desert, should visit. Few roads are signposted. At Katjarra , there are two camping spots, with shed tanks and long-drop toilets , and Indigenous rangers are available to show tourists
700-639: The Birriliburu Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), which stretches into the Gibson Desert, meaning that the land is looked after by its traditional owners. Most of the area is covered by hummock grasslands ( Triodia spp.), with a few eucalypts , acacias , grevilleas , and bloodwoods ( Corymbia chippendalei ) are found on sand hills. As of 2020 over 2000 plant taxa have been identified, with only two of these recognised as threatened species ; over 550 of these are in
750-631: The Central Desert an Indigenous Protected Area in 2008, handing over management of the land to the traditional owners. The mountain was closed to the public, as part of the Birriliburu IPA, in 2008, which gave time to plan for future tourism and to do archaeological research and ecological surveys. The rock art and archaeological site at Karnatukul was given the name Serpent's Glen by dogger Peter Muir (father of artist and Indigenous rights activist Kado Muir ) in 1965, "on account of
800-625: The Gibson Desert (156,300 km (60,300 sq mi), to the east), all of which lie within the huge Australian Arid Zone which covers the centre of the Australian continent . It lies east of the Pilbara region, and north of Gascoyne , and is part of the Western Desert. To the north the nearest large area identifiable is the Karlamilyi National Park . Its landforms, fauna and flora are all similar to
850-580: The Martu people . There are also two smaller communities at Parnngurr and Punmu . Some of the landforms and locations within the LSD include: There is a high level of biodiversity among plants and animals, with some species threatened by various factors. Only around 4.6% of the Little Sandy Desert bioregion is within a protected area , much of which is managed as an Indigenous Protected Area ,
900-418: The creator being sometimes termed the rainbow serpent , and it contains much ancient rock art . There are rock paintings of the bilby , the black-flanked rock-wallaby and a headdress made for ceremonial use , created using ochres and charcoal , and it is one of the largest such sites in Australia. Over 25,000 lithic artefacts have been located at the site. Katjarra is fairly close to Well 5 on
950-542: The traditional owners of the land. Today the group recognised as traditional owners are the Martu people . The desert is crossed by the Canning Stock Route , an historic stock route created in the early 20th century. The Little Sandy Desert covers around 110,900 km (42,800 sq mi) and adjoins the Great Sandy Desert (110,900 km (42,800 sq mi), to the north) and
1000-442: The Birriliburu IPA, and 116 within the whole desert, including the Australian bustard ( Aredeotis australis ) and bush stone-curlew ( Burhinus grallariu ). Threatened animal species include: Threats to biodiversity include wildfires , feral animals , weeds, and uncontrolled grazing. Feral camels destroy water sources, and along with donkeys, horses and rabbits help destroy the ecosystem by overgrazing. feral cats have reduced
1050-490: The Canning Stock Route, and had been frequently visited by travellers and tourists; access had also opened up from Wiluna in the 1970s owing to pastoral leases and mining interests nearby, Over time, there had been loss of or damage to thousands of Aboriginal artefacts , including grinding stones . The federal government created an Indigenous Protected Area of 66,540 km (25,690 sq mi) of
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#17327799848911100-513: The Great Sandy Desert. The three deserts have low and highly variable rainfall, averaging 250–350 mm (9.8–13.8 in) annually, with most of it in summer. The median annual rainfall, based on the years 1890–2005, across the whole of the LSD is 178 mm (7.0 in). and are subject to extreme heat. The landscape is dominated by red sand dunes , sandstone mesas and rocky plains. The Rudall River has its headwaters in
1150-410: The LSD, flowing northeast into the southern Great Sandy Desert, where it occasionally empties into Lake Dora , an ephemeral salt lake . There are a few permanent water sources in the hills, and some waterholes left by the Canning Stock Route. The town of Jigalong is on the western edge of the desert, with a population of approximately 300 in 2016. The traditional owners of this area are recognised as
1200-635: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 222888849 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:46:25 GMT Australian bustard The Australian bustard ( Ardeotis australis ) is a large ground-dwelling bird that is common in grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea . It stands at about one metre (3 ft 3 in) high, and its wingspan
1250-531: The bay was named in honor of the bird. Bustard Head, at the Northern end of the bay, is the site of the first lighthouse erected in Queensland (1868). Barossa Valley winery Turkey Flat takes its name from the Australian bustard. 'Turkey Flat' was the local name given to Lot 1, 100 of Moorooroo (where the winery now sits) on settlement in reference to the large flocks of the Australian bustard found along
1300-409: The bird are seen during the breeding season. The habits of the bird are usually discreet and shy of disturbance, however, the display of males during the breeding season is a conspicuous performance that is accompanied by loud booming. The male is able to expand a sac at the neck to display their longer feathers as a swaying skirt, with the head held proud and upward facing, the wings are pointed toward
1350-647: The bird is kere artewe , and the Luritja name is kipara . The Larrakia name is danimila . The species is also presumed to be important to the Noongar peoples, whose names for the bird included the word bebilya , recorded by John Gilbert and published in Birds of Australia (Gould, 1848). The only Australian species of Ardeotis , a genus occurring in the African, Indian and Australasian regions, this bustard
1400-470: The bush turkey was noted as difficult, the elusive habits requiring a lot of manoeuvring for a clear target, but greater success was found by the colonists, first from horseback and later from motor vehicles. The bustard was protected by legislation introduced during the later nineteenth century, which included closed seasons for hunting and eventually a prohibition on shooting. The value of the species to agriculture, arriving to control outbreaks of grasshoppers,
1450-519: The colonies in New South Wales; Gould described the flesh as delicate and well-flavoured. Bustard Bay, on Queensland's Discovery Coast, was named by Lt. James Cook, who anchored the Endeavour there on 23rd May 1770. The next day, he made his second Australian landing, at the location now known as Seventeen Seventy. While investigating the area, Cook's party shot and killed a bustard. It was declared "the best bird we had eaten since we left England" and
1500-741: The desertification occurred as the polar ice sheets expanded. In 2014, the Birriliburu traditional owners and rangers reopened Katjarra for the month of July, with the hope of opening it to the public each July in the future. Permits were issued for 70 visitors, with an access fee of $ 100 access fee per vehicle. It was also hoped that more Aboriginal people, especially young people, would visit to reconnect with their culture. [REDACTED] Media related to Little Sandy Desert at Wikimedia Commons 25°16′S 121°52′E / 25.26°S 121.86°E / -25.26; 121.86 Desert Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1550-463: The family Otididae has been variously assigned. Gray recognised the species in the genus Otis in the first description, Gregory Mathews later proposed the names Choriotis and Austrotis , along with subspecific descriptions, and it was placed as a species of Eupodotis in the mid-twentieth century. Common names for Ardeotis australis include bustard, Australian bustard, plains turkey, wild turkey and native turkey. The Arrernte name for
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1600-459: The greater range of those inhabiting more arid regions. The birds may become locally abundant after land clearing or during outbreaks of grasshoppers. The greatest fidelity to a local region is reported in areas of high rainfall in the north and northwest of Australia. The habitat favoured by the species is open grasslands, perhaps with some trees, spinifex plains and low shrublands. This bustard will enter denser areas of vegetation after fire, and
1650-463: The ground and tail feathers arched over the back; they stride about an area while adopting this posture and emit deep roaring noises. The voice of the courting male has been transliterated as "who-o-o-o". Males have been observed in close proximity during territorial disputes, using the breeding display and call to challenge each other, but the direct conflict seen in smaller bustard species is rare with this bird. One incident involving physical combat at
1700-443: The ground they take to the air with heavy beats of the wings. A brooding female will crouch and move away if disturbed, flightless juveniles will remain still and rely on the camouflage of their plumage to evade detection. Despite the apparent labour in flying, they have strength and stamina that allows them to travel long distances. The roost is at a high point on an open plain or in trees when they are available. Greater numbers of
1750-414: The large number of snake drawings hereabouts and their obvious association with Aboriginal legends of Rainbow Serpents". The site was, until recently, estimated to have been inhabited for up to 25,000 years, and known as the site of the oldest continuous recorded occupation in the Western Desert cultural region . The Martu people used to congregate at Katjarra when other water sources had dried up. However,
1800-413: The males. The abdomen is white and separated from the light grey of the neck by a black band of feathers. The wing coverts are patchily coloured with black and white patterning, which is visible while at rest or especially in flight. The iris is white, and their beak is variously whitish to brown in colour. The legs are long and yellow to cream coloured. Males are up to 1.2 m (47 in) tall with
1850-436: The mottled black and brown coloration of their downy plumage to evade detection by squatting and remaining motionless. Brooding females may be driven from the egg by the raptor Hamirostra melanosternon , the blackbreasted kite, who are able to throw or drop stones to break the shell and feed on the contents; the kite is also known to carry the broken shell to its nest. The species is strongly attracted to capers, fruit of
1900-514: The part of the range that is open to the public. Mining for copper and gold, and some exploration for uranium , are the main economic activities. There is limited grazing for stock animals in the east. The Carnarvon Range(s), known as Katjarra to the Martu people, covers around 2,000 km (770 sq mi). It is a sacred and significant place for the Indigenous people, associated with
1950-407: The plant Capparis nummularia known as myandee or moonflower in the Australian northwest, and this behaviour is exploited by Indigenous peoples who dig pit traps around the bush and wait nearby to capture them. The omnivorous diet includes seeds and fruit of plants, a variety of insects, especially grasshoppers, lizards, young birds and small rodents. The distribution range of the species includes
2000-537: The populations of bilbies and mulgara . Foxes are the main threats to mammals. Buffel grass threatens the native plant species, as it is tough, and burns hotter in the ever more frequent bushfires caused by climate change . Bush Heritage Australia has done some plant and animal surveys in Katjarra . The Little Sandy Desert (LSD) is an interim Australian bioregion no. 63, covering 11,089,857 km (4,281,818 sq mi). The biogregions were developed by
2050-465: The recovery and future management of this species has been prepared. On the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria the species is listed as critically endangered , maintaining this advice in the listing published in 2016. Australian Aboriginals generally refer to this bird as the bush turkey. It is an important food source for Aboriginal people from Central Australia , and
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2100-445: The region stated that the species avoided human habitation and pastoral activities, and that over-hunting or land clearing rather than foxes were responsible for their local disappearance. The incidence of historical occurrence in southwest Australia was year round, and sometimes in large flocks. This bird remains relatively common and widespread across most of northern Australia (see Atlas) , but its range appears to have contracted in
2150-425: The southeast of the continent during the last century, perhaps due to hunting (now illegal except for indigenous Australians), feral predators such as pigs and foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) and habitat destruction . The species is very sensitive to disturbance at its breeding sites by humans or cattle and sheep and will desert an area in response. Its nomadic habits make it difficult to assess. In 2012 IUCN downlisted
2200-411: The southern LSD, including 16 species of conservation significance. The bark of the birdflower is used by local people to make belts and sandals, while the spear tree is used for making spears for men and digging sticks for women. There are many reptiles and birds species, but many small- to medium-sized mammals have gone extinct, and many are threatened. There have been 103 bird species recorded in
2250-549: The species to Least Concern . The assessment of IUCN in 2016 maintained its status as least concern, but noted a declining population trajectory. The total population is thought to exceed 10 000 and be no greater than 100 000 individuals. The Australian bustard is not listed as threatened on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 . Ardeotis australis is listed in state conservation registers, providing evaluation and protection to
2300-548: The species under each region's legislation. In Western Australia and the Northern Territory the classification is near threatened by extinction, the states of South Australia and New South Wales record it as endangered, and the status of least concern in Queensland. The Australian bustard is listed as threatened on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Under this Act, an Action Statement for
2350-583: The whole history of the site, confirming its status as the oldest known site of continuous occupation in the Western Desert. The wood was used as firewood, food, bush medicine and for making tools, from the Pleistocene through to the Holocene eras, and more than 100 species were used across the continent by other Aboriginal peoples . Karnakatul shows one of the earliest uses of firewood, and habitation continued through times of extreme climate change, when
2400-592: Was 14.5 kg (32 lb), a specimen obtained in Victoria. Reports of large birds, presumably males, were given by Tom Carter in the west (16 lb), a recorded range of 16–18 lb by E. F. Boehm in South Australia was exceeded in some specimens (28 lb). The smaller specimens in records are of an unwell adult weighing 9 lb, shot by Carter at Broomehill , and a healthy but small specimen of 7½ lb captured and weighed by Dominic Serventy and Hubert Whittell at Bridgetown in 1949. Although it
2450-436: Was acknowledged and promoted to discourage the continued hunting of the bird. Aboriginal peoples were exempted from any prohibition on hunting. The illegal hunting of the bustard continued during the twentieth century. John Gould's early description of the bustard noted the difficulty of shooting of the bird due to their wariness around settled regions, but he was able to stalk and kill the bird more easily in areas remote from
2500-576: Was held in the General T. Davies collection. The whereabouts of that type is now unknown, after being sold to a private buyer. John Gould also provided a description in 1841, and named the bird Otis australasianus , using a skin obtained in Western Australia. That specimen was later nominated as the syntype and is held at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia . Placement within
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