Overview
The brolga (Antigone rubicunda), 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.
The brolga is a common, gregarious wetland bird species of tropical and south-eastern Australia and New Guinea. It is a tall, upright bird with a small head, long beak, slender neck, and long legs.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
South-central New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia (Kimberley region, northern Northern Territory eastward to Queensland and southward to central New South Wales and western Victoria).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Brolga
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
