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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
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
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
order are:
* †
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
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
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
The Moluccan megapode (''Eulipoa wallacei''), also known as Wallace's scrubfowl, Moluccan scrubfowl or painted megapode, is a small, approximately 31 cm long, olive-brown megapode. The genus ''Eulipoa'' is monotypic, but 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 videoson the Internet Bird Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q777396
Taxa named by Joseph Paul Gaimard