Orange-footed Scrubfowl
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| Megapodius reinwardt Dumont, 1823 |
The Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Megapodius reinwardt is a small megapode of the family Megapodiidae.
This species comprises five subspecies found on many islands in Wallacea as well as southern New Guinea and northern Australia. It is a terrestrial bird the size of a domestic chicken, dark-coloured with strong orange legs and a pointed crest at the back of the head. It utilises a range of forest and scrub habitats and has colonised many small islands throughout its range. In general, populations seem to be stable and the conservation status of the species is considered to be of Least Concern.
The Orange-footed Scrubfowl feeds on seeds, fallen fruit and terrestrial invertebtrates. As with other megapodes, it nests in large mounds of sand, leaf litter and other debris where the heat generated by the decomposition of organic material serves to incubate the eggs. Construction and maintenance of the mounds, which may reach 4.5 m in height and 9 m in diameter, takes place throughout the year.
[edit] References
- Jones, Darryl N.; Dekker, Rene W.R.J.; & Roselaar, Cees S. (1995). The Megapodes. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-854651-3
- Marchant, S.; & Higgins, P.J. (Eds). (1993). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553069-1
