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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Gruidae
  4. ›
  5. Antigone
  6. ›
  7. Brolga

BirdUp · Species

Brolga

Antigone rubicunda(Perry, 1810)

Also known asKurlodjba

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native
Order
GRUIFORMES
Family
Gruidae
Genus
Antigone

At a glance

The Brolga is a very large bird, about 77–134 cm long, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
77–134 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Brolga look like?

The Brolga is a very large bird, about 77–134 cm long and weighing 3630–8730 g.

The brolga, formerly known as the native companion, is a bird in the crane family. It has also been given the name Australian crane, a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithologist John Gould in his Birds of Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
77–134 cm
Weight
3630–8730 g
Wingspan
170 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Brolga?

The Brolga is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Brolga eat?

The Brolga feeds on seeds, foliage/herbs, corms/tubers, terrestrial invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Brolga live in Australia?

The Brolga is native to Australia, recorded across 61 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingTrans-Fly (south-central New Guinea) and north, central and east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant
  • Breeding

8 regions recorded