The scrubfowl are mound-builders (stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae) in the genus Megapodius. They are found from Southeast Asia to northern 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.
Taxonomy The genus Megapodius was introduced in 1823 by the French naturalist Joseph Gaimard. He listed several species in his new genus but in 1840 the English naturalist Prideaux John Selby designated the type species as Megapodius freycinet, the dusky megapode. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek μεγας (megas), μεγαλη (megalē) meaning "big" with πους (pous), ποδος (podos) meaning "foot".
The genus contains 12 species: Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Megapodius pritchardii Tongan megapode Tonga Megapodius laperouseMicronesian megapode Palau and the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam Megapodius nicobariensisNicobar megapode Nicobar Islands (India) Megapodius cumingiiPhilippine megapode The Philippines, northeastern Borneo, and Sulawesi Megapodius bernsteiniiSula megapode Banggai and Sula Islands between Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands in Indonesia Megapodius tenimberensisTanimbar megapode Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia Megapodius freycinetDusky megapode Maluku and Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia. Megapodius geelvinkianusBiak scrubfowl Biak, Mios Korwar, Numfor, Manim and Mios Numin in the West Papua region of Indonesia. Megapodius eremitaMelanesian megapode Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea) and the Solomon Islands. Megapodius layardiVanuatu megapode Vanuatu Megapodius decollatusNew Guinea scrubfowl Northern New Guinea and adjacent islands Megapodius reinwardtOrange-footed scrubfowl Lesser Sunda Islands as well as southern New Guinea and northern Australia.
Two extinct species have been described from sub-fossil remains:
†Megapodius molistructor (Pile-builder scrubfowl) †Megapodius amissus (Viti Levu scrubfowl)
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.
References
External links Mound-builders videos on the Internet Bird Collection