Family MEGAPODIIDAE Lesson, 1831

Museums

Museum list

Regional Maps

Family MEGAPODIIDAE Lesson, 1831

Mound Builders

Compiler and date details

29 Apr 2011 - N.W. Longmore

Alecturidae Mathews, 1946.
Type genus:
Alectura Latham, 1824.
Leipoidae Reichenbach, 1862.
Type genus:
Leipoa Gould, 1840.
Catheturidae Sundevall, 1872.
Type genus:
Catheturus Swainson, 1837.

Introduction

Megapodiidae (mound builders) are recognised as a family (Peters 1934; Clark 1964a, 1964b; Dekker 1992; Christidis & Boles 2008). DNA analysis and interpretation of the family has confirmed the position of the family as part of the order Galliformes (Birks & Edwards 2002). The family is centred in the west Pacific from the Philippines south to Australia, and from South-east Asian islands east to Fiji (formerly). There are 19 species in seven genera, three of which are Australian and represented here by six subspecies.

Megapodes are more often seen in pairs but some species have gregarious tendencies, their vocalisations are generally restricted to communication between pairs but they do have loud alarm calls. All inhabit dry habitats, Malleefowl — mallee and associated dry woodlands; scrubfowl — tropical scrub and forest; and brush turkeys — showing the most eclectic of habitat choices, using most habitats apart from open grassland. Only Megapodius and Alectura are known to intrude into urban situations. All are omnivorous, feeding principally on both vegetable matter and invertebrates.

Breeding behaviour in the family is complex: pairs are not maintained as succinct pairings, males construct the ‘nest’ a large mound of accumulated decomposing vegetation, sand and soil. Temperature regulation is undertaken by the male and the mound either opened or added to, according to temperature fluctuations. Females may mate with several males and deposit eggs in several mounds; eggs are elliptical, varying in base colour from a pale cream-pink becoming darker with age owing to staining from decaying vegetation used in the mound, the eggs are unmarked. Males provide the care during incubation through temperature regulation as described. Megapodes have the most precocial young of any bird; young birds are totally independent from hatching and emerging from their nest mound; they are capable of weak flight almost immediately on emerging and fend for themselves from that instance.