The endangered malleefowl are known for their incredible ability to survive in the harshest of desert conditions, but they are still no match for feral cats and foxes.
Malleefowl are ground-dwelling birds about the size of a chicken which build large mounds to nest in and can be found in parts of NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
Ecologist Trevor Bauer said malleefowl pairs normally mated for life, making the discovery of one Victorian hen's new romance a rare one.
"I haven't heard of them finding another mate before. So that's really great news, as they typically pair up for life," Mr Bauer said.
Farmer and malleefowl guardian Trevor Wyatt had been watching over 25 malleefowl nests in remote bush near his Murrayville farm in north-west Victoria for the past 60 years.
Mr Wyatt understood how vulnerable the birds were and was heartbroken to discover feathers strewn around the 60-year-old nest recently.
He also found the twice-widowed malleefowl hen, alone.
However, Mr Wyatt was buoyed when the hen soon introduced a new beau.
Keen survival instinct
Mr Bauer said it was great news for the species, but more needed to be done to protect them.
"Foxes and cats are the biggest problem for the malleefowl. Being a ground bird, they are quite an easy target, foxes learn to wait at the mounds for the chicks to emerge, picking them off," Mr Bauer said.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy monitored more than 60 malleefowl nests across 65,000 hectares, with research revealing an increase in nesting activity inside the predator-free exclusion fence.
"We also do a lot of intensive baiting outside the fenced area to reduce populations of feral cats and foxes, to give these amazing birds a fighting chance," Mr Bauer said.
Despite the threat foxes and feral cats posed to the malleefowl, Mr Wyatt said they had a few survival tricks to rely on.
Although mostly ground-dwelling birds, Mr Wyatt has witnessed them flying over 30km away to safety to escape bushfires.
"The interesting thing about a malleefowl is they can fly like a helicopter, straight up to roost in the trees at night so the foxes don't get them," Mr Wyatt said.
Despite the harsh desert conditions, these fascinating birds were able to lay more than 25 eggs a season, which required shifting tonnes of soil and mulch in and out of the nest every day, using geothermal warmth to incubate their eggs.
"It's just blows me away that they know how to do all this from birth," Mr Wyatt said.
"Even the young chicks dig their way out from deep within the nest and can fly within about an hour if hatching.
"They are incredible birds."
