ABSTRACT:

Damage to the leaves, petioles and peduncles of fruiting plants of Alocasia brisbanensis by the Brush-turkey (Alectura lathamt) occurred as a consequence of the birds trying to reach the fruit. Tests showed that the turkey will pick mature red fruit from spadices, and with some difficulty, green fruit (if the infructescences are within reach) and that it will eat detached ripe red fruit, red fruit pulp, seeds free from pulp, immature green fruit and less readily, unfertilized florets. It is not known whether the seed is regurgitated, crushed in the gizzard, digested in the gastro- intestinal tract, or voided, and if the last, whether it is still viable or not. Information on the ingestion of other aroid fruit by birds and animals is also listed.