The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" and is a reference to the heavy legs and feet typical of these
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
birds. All are
browsers
Browse, browser or browsing may refer to:
Programs
* Web browser, a program used to access the World Wide Web
*Code browser, a program for navigating source code
* File browser or file manager, a program used to manage files and related objects
* ...
, and all but the
malleefowl
The malleefowl (''Leipoa ocellata'') is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental ca ...
occupy wooded habitats. Most are brown or black in color. Megapodes are
superprecocial
In biology, altricial species are those in which the young are underdeveloped at the time of birth, but with the aid of their parents mature after birth. Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the mome ...
, hatching from their eggs in the most mature condition of any bird. They hatch with open eyes, bodily coordination and strength, full wing feathers, and downy body feathers, and are able to run, pursue prey, and in some species, fly on the same day they hatch.
[
]
Description
Megapodes are medium-sized to large terrestrial birds with large legs and feet with sharp claws. The largest members of the clade are the species of '' Alectura'' and ''Talegalla
''Talegalla'' is a genus of bird in the family Megapodiidae. First described by René Primevère Lesson in 1828, it contains the following species:
* Red-billed brushturkey (''Talegalla cuvieri'')
* Black-billed brushturkey (''Talegalla fusci ...
''. The smallest are the Micronesian scrubfowl (''Megapodius laperouse'') and the Moluccan scrubfowl (''Eulipoa wallacei''). They have small heads, short beaks, and rounded and large wings. Their flying abilities vary within the clade. They present the hallux
Toes are the digits (fingers) of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being '' digitigrade''. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being '' pl ...
at the same level of the other toes just like the species of the clade Cracidae
The chachalacas, guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. These are species of tropical and subtropical Central and South America. The range of one species, the plain chachalaca, just reaches southernmost parts of Texas in the Unite ...
. The other Galliformes
Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...
have their halluces raised above the level of the front toes.[
]
Distribution and habitat
Megapodes are found in the broader Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
n region, including islands in the western Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
, Australia, New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
, and the islands of Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
east of the Wallace Line
The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a trans ...
, but also the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line betwee ...
. The distribution of the family has contracted in the Pacific with the arrival of humans, and a number of island groups such as Fiji, Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
, and New Caledonia have lost many or all of their species. Raoul Island, a New Zealand territory and the main island of the Kermadec Islands, may also have once had a species of megapode, based on settler accounts.[
]
Behaviour and ecology
Megapodes are mainly solitary birds that do not incubate their eggs with their body heat as other birds do, but bury them. Their eggs are unusual in having a large yolk, making up 50–70% of the egg weight.[ The birds are best known for building massive nest mounds of decaying vegetation, which the male attends, adding or removing litter to regulate the internal heat while the eggs develop. However, some bury their eggs in other ways; there are burrow-nesters which use geothermal heat, and others which simply rely on the heat of the sun warming the sand. Some species vary their incubation strategy depending on the local environment.][
Although the ]Australian brushturkey
The Australian brushturkey or Australian brush-turkey or gweela (''Alectura lathami''), also frequently called the scrub turkey or bush turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae found in easter ...
was thought to exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a type of environmental sex determination in which the temperatures experienced during embryonic/larval development determine the sex of the offspring. It is only observed in reptiles and teleost fish ...
, this was later proven false;[ temperature does, however, affect embryo mortality and resulting offspring sex ratios. The nonsocial nature of their incubation raises questions as to how the hatchlings come to recognise other members of their species, which is due to imprinting in other members of the order ]Galliformes
Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...
. Research suggests an instinctive visual recognition of specific movement patterns is made by the individual species of megapode.[
Megapode chicks do not have an ]egg tooth
An egg tooth is a temporary, sharp projection present on the bill or snout of an oviparous animal at hatching. It allows the hatchling to penetrate the eggshell from inside and break free. Birds, reptiles, and monotremes possess egg teeth as ha ...
; they use their powerful claws to break out of the egg, and then tunnel their way up to the surface of the mound, lying on their backs and scratching at the sand and vegetable matter. Similar to other superprecocial
In biology, altricial species are those in which the young are underdeveloped at the time of birth, but with the aid of their parents mature after birth. Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the mome ...
birds, they hatch fully feathered and active, already able to fly and live independently from their parents.[ In megapodes superprecociality apparently evolved secondarily from brooding and at least loose parental care as more typical in Galliformes.][
Eggs previously assigned to '']Genyornis
''Genyornis newtoni'', also known as thunder bird and mihirung paringmal (meaning "giant bird"), is an extinct species of large, flightless bird that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene epoch until around 50,000 years ago. Over two met ...
'' have been reassigned to giant megapode species. Some dietary and chronological data previously assigned to dromornithids may instead be assigned to the giant megapodes.[
Megapodes share some similarities to the extinct enantiornithes in terms of their superprecocial life cycle, though also several differences.
]
Species
The more than 20 living species are placed in seven genera. Although the evolutionary relationships between the Megapodiidae are especially uncertain, the morphological groups are clear:[
]
Phylogeny
Taxonomy
* Genus †'' Mwalau'' Worthy et al. 2015
** †'' Mwalau walterlinii'' Worthy et al. 2015 (Vanuatu)
* Genus †'' Ngawupodius'' Boles & Ivison 1999
** †'' Ngawupodius minya'' Boles & Ivison 1999
* Scrubfowl group
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 we ...
** Genus: ''Macrocephalon''
*** Maleo
The maleo (''Macrocephalon maleo'') is a large megapode and the only member of the monotypic genus ''Macrocephalon''. The maleo is endemic to Sulawesi and the nearby smaller island of Buton in Indonesia. It is found in the tropical lowland and ...
, ''Macrocephalon maleo''
** Genus: '' Eulipoa'' (sometimes included in ''Megapodius'')
*** Moluccan megapode, ''Eulipoa wallacei''.
** Genus: ''Megapodius
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 we ...
''
*** Tongan megapode, ''Megapodius pritchardii''
*** Micronesian megapode
The Micronesian megapode or Micronesian scrubfowl (''Megapodius laperouse'') is an endangered megapode which inhabits islands of the Western Pacific Ocean.
Description
The Micronesian megapode is a stocky medium-sized bird that is mostly dark b ...
, ''Megapodius laperouse''
**** Marianas Island megapode, ''Megapodius laperouse laperouse''
**** Palau Island megapode, ''Megapodius laperouse senex''
*** Nicobar megapode
The Nicobar megapode or Nicobar scrubfowl (''Megapodius nicobariensis'') is a megapode found in some of the Nicobar Islands (India). Like other megapode relatives, it builds a large mound nest with soil and vegetation, with the eggs hatched by th ...
, ''Megapodius nicobariensis''
*** Philippine megapode
The Philippine megapode (''Megapodius cumingii''), also known as the Philippine scrubfowl or the Tabon scrubfowl, is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It is found in the Philippines, northeastern Borneo, and Sulawesi. Its natural ha ...
, ''Megapodius cumingii''
*** Sula megapode, ''Megapodius bernsteinii''
*** Tanimbar megapode
The Tanimbar megapode or Tanimbar scrubfowl (''Megapodius tenimberensis'') is a small megapode endemic to the Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia. It is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the orange-footed scrubfowl, ''Megapodius reinwardt''.
...
, ''Megapodius tenimberensis''
*** Dusky megapode
The dusky megapode (''Megapodius freycinet''), also known as dusky scrubfowl or common megapode, is a medium-sized, approximately 41 cm (16 in) long, blackish bird with a short pointed crest, bare red facial skin, dark legs, brown irises, and a d ...
, ''Megapodius freycinet''
**** Forsten's megapode, ''Megapodius (freycinet) forstenii''
*** Biak scrubfowl, ''Megapodius geelvinkianus''
*** Melanesian megapode The Melanesian scrubfowl or Melanesian megapode (''Megapodius eremita'') is a megapode species that is endemic to islands within Melanesia. The Melanesian scrubfowl has a unique strategy of egg incubation in which it relies on environmental heat sou ...
, ''Megapodius eremita''
*** Vanuatu megapode
The Vanuatu megapode or Vanuatu scrubfowl (''Megapodius layardi'') is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It was formerly known as the New Hebrides scrubfowl. It is found only in Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical ...
, ''Megapodius layardi''
*** New Guinea scrubfowl
The New Guinea scrubfowl or New Guinea megapode (''Megapodius decollatus'') is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It is found in New Guinea, mostly in the northern half. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland ...
, ''Megapodius decollatus''
*** Orange-footed scrubfowl
The orange-footed scrubfowl (''Megapodius reinwardt''), also known as orange-footed megapode or just scrubfowl is a small megapode of the family Megapodiidae.
This species comprises five subspecies found on many islands in the Lesser Sunda Islan ...
, ''Megapodius reinwardt''
*** †Pile-builder scrubfowl
The pile-builder megapode (''Megapodius molistructor'') is an extinct species of megapode. The subfossil remains were found by Jean-Christophe Balouet and Storrs L. Olson in the Pindai Caves of New Caledonia. Its remains have also been found o ...
, ''Megapodius molistructor'' Balouet & Olson 1989
*** †Viti Levu scrubfowl
The Viti Levu scrubfowl (''Megapodius amissus''), also known as the Fiji scrubfowl or lost megapode, is an extinct megapode that was endemic to Fiji. The epithet ''amissus'', from Latin "lost", refers to its extinction. Subfossil remains wer ...
, ''Megapodius amissus'' Worthy 2000
*** † Consumed scrubfowl, ''Megapodius alimentum'' Steatman 1989a
*** †''M. andamanensis'' Walter 1980 nomen dubium ospecies*** †''M. burnabyi'' Gray 1861 nomen dubium ospecies*** † Raoul Island scrubfowl, ''M. sp.''
*** †' Eua scrubfowl (small-footed megapode), ''M. sp.''
*** † Lifuka scrubfowl, ''M. sp.''
*** † Stout Tongan megapode, ''M. sp.''
*** † Large Vanuatu megapode, ''M. sp.''
*** † Large Solomon Islands, ''M. sp.''
*** † New Caledonia megapode, ''M. sp.''
*** † Loyalty megapode, ''M. sp.''
*** † New Ireland scrubfowl (large Bismarck's megapode), ''M. sp.''
* Malleefowl
The malleefowl (''Leipoa ocellata'') is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental ca ...
, group
** Genus: ''Leipoa''
*** Malleefowl
The malleefowl (''Leipoa ocellata'') is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental ca ...
, ''Leipoa ocellata''
* Brushturkey group
** Genus: ''Alectura''
*** Australian brushturkey
The Australian brushturkey or Australian brush-turkey or gweela (''Alectura lathami''), also frequently called the scrub turkey or bush turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae found in easter ...
, ''Alectura lathami''
** Genus: ''Aepypodius
''Aepypodius'' is a genus of birds in the family Megapodiidae
The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name ...
''
*** Wattled brushturkey, ''Aepypodius arfakianus''
*** Waigeo brushturkey
The Waigeo brushturkey (''Aepypodius bruijnii'') or Bruijn's brushturkey, is a large (approximately 43 cm long) brownish-black megapode with a bare red facial skin, red comb, maroon rump and chestnut brown below. There are two elongated red ...
, ''Aepypodius bruijnii''
** Genus: ''Talegalla
''Talegalla'' is a genus of bird in the family Megapodiidae. First described by René Primevère Lesson in 1828, it contains the following species:
* Red-billed brushturkey (''Talegalla cuvieri'')
* Black-billed brushturkey (''Talegalla fusci ...
''
*** Red-billed brushturkey
The red-billed brushturkey (''Talegalla cuvieri'') also known as red-billed talegalla or Cuvier's brushturkey, is a large, up to 57 cm long, black megapode with bare yellow facial skin, a reddish orange bill, yellow iris, and orange feet. Th ...
, ''Talegalla cuvieri''
*** Black-billed brushturkey
The black-billed brushturkey, yellow-legged brushturkey or black-billed talegalla (''Talegalla fuscirostris'') is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It is found in the Aru Islands and New Guinea. Its natural habitat
In ecolog ...
, ''Talegalla fuscirostris''
*** Collared brushturkey
The collared brushturkey, brown-collared brushturkey, or red-legged brushturkey (''Talegalla jobiensis'') is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae.
It is found in the northern part of New Guinea.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tr ...
, ''Talegalla jobiensis''
** Genus: †'' Progura''
*** ''Progura gallinacea'' – Queensland, Pleistocene
*** ''Progura campestris'' – South Australia, Pleistocene
** Genus: †'' Latagallina''
*** ''Latagallina naracoortensis'' formerly ''Progura naracoortensis'' – New South Wales, South Australia, Pleistocene
*** ''Latagallina olsoni'' – South Australia, Pleistocene
* ''Incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
''
** Genus: †'' Garrdimalga''
*** ''Garrdimalga mcnamarai'' – South Australia, Pleistocene
Human uses
In their native Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
, indigenous peoples protect their nesting sites, as their eggs are considered to be delicacies. Their eggs are about twice the size of chicken eggs and the yolks are roughly four times as massive.
See also
* List of recently extinct birds
* Late Quaternary prehistoric birds
Late Quaternary prehistoric birds are avian taxa that became extinct during the Late Quaternary – the Holocene or Late Pleistocene – and before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by ornithol ...
* List of fossil bird genera
Birds evolved from certain feathered theropod dinosaurs, and there is no real dividing line between birds and non-avian dinosaurs except that some of the former survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event while the latter did not. For ...
Footnotes
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
*
Taxa named by René Lesson