This 45–57 cm ground-dwelling bird walks through New Guinea rainforest and monsoon forest in search of food, including invertebrates.
It is about 45–57 cm long and is recorded at about 1.8 kg in weight.
Red-billed Brushturkeys occur in western New Guinea and nearby islands. Their black plumage, long tail and legs contrast with yellow to yellow-green facial skin and a reddish or orange bill.
A 1994 specimen study described unusual crown feathers. Stiffened central shafts carry only short, sparse side branches, forming glossy bristles pressed close to the skull. Their shape gives the crown a different appearance from broadly vaned plumage.
The study compared birds from the Vogelkop Peninsula, Salawati and Misool. One adult from Salawati was similar in size to peninsula specimens, while four from Misool averaged slightly smaller. The comparisons examined island variation from fine feather structure to body measurements.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The 1995 IUCN megapode action plan raised concerns over logging-related habitat loss and degradation, with hunting and egg collecting as possible additional pressures. It recommended remote sensing to identify suitable habitat, followed by ground surveys.