Scrubfowl
| Scrubfowl | |
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| Orange-footed scrubfowl | |
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Megapodius
Gaimard, 1823
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13 total, 12 extant, see text. |
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The scrubfowl are the genus Megapodius of the mound-builders, stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. They are found from south-east Asia to north Australia and islands in the west Pacific.
They do not incubate their eggs with their body heat in the orthodox way, but bury them. They are best known for building a massive mound of decaying vegetation, which the male attends, adding or removing litter to regulate the internal heat while the eggs hatch. The species in taxonomic order are:
- Polynesian scrubfowl, Megapodius pritchardii
- Micronesian scrubfowl, Megapodius laperouse
- Marianas Island megapode, Megapodius laperouse laperouse
- Nicobar scrubfowl, Megapodius nicobariensis
- Philippine scrubfowl, Megapodius cumingii
- Sula scrubfowl, Megapodius bernsteinii
- Tanimbar scrubfowl Megapodius tenimberensis
- Dusky scrubfowl, Megapodius freycinet
- Forsten's scrubfowl, Megapodius (freycinet) forstenii
- Biak scrubfowl Megapodius geelvinkianus
- Melanesian scrubfowl, Megapodius eremita
- Vanuatu scrubfowl, Megapodius layardi
- New Guinea scrubfowl, Megapodius affinis
- Orange-footed scrubfowl Megapodius reinwardt
- †Pile-builder scrubfowl Megapodius molistructor
- †Viti Levu scrubfowl Megapodius amissus
In all of the above, the name "scrubfowl" is sometimes exchanged with "megapode". Traditionally, most have been listed as subspecies of M. freycinet, but today all major authorities consider this incorrect. Nevertheless, there are unresolved issues within the genus, and for example the taxon forstenii has been considered a subspecies of M. freycinet, a subspecies of M. cumingii, or a monotypic species. An additional species, the Moluccan megapode, has sometimes been placed in Megapodius, but today most place it in the genus Eulipoa instead. The maleo is also associated with these genera, and together the three form a group.
External links
- Mound-builders videos on the Internet Bird Collection
