Genus Aepypodius Higher classification Aepypodius | Phylum Chordata Family Megapodiidae Scientific name Aepypodius bruijnii Rank Species | |
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Similar Aepypodius, Bird, Megapode, Red‑billed brushturkey, Wattled brushturkey | ||
The Waigeo brushturkey or Bruijn's brushturkey (Aepypodius bruijnii) is a large (approximately 43 cm long) brownish-black megapode with a bare red facial skin, red comb, maroon rump and chestnut brown below. There are two elongated red wattles on the back of the head and a long wattle on the foreneck. Both sexes are similar. The female has a smaller comb and no wattles.
An Indonesian endemic, the Waigeo brushturkey occurs in mountain forests on Waigeo Island of West Papua.
Previously known from less than twenty-five specimens, this little-known species was relocated in 2002. The name commemorates the Dutch merchant Anton August Bruijn.
This bird is threatened by hunting, ongoing habitat loss, small population size and a limited range. It was formerly classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN. But new research has shown it to be rarer than it was believed. Consequently, it was uplisted to Endangered status in 2008.
