Melanesian Megapode
Photo: Euan Moore · CC BY 4.0

Megapodes

Melanesian Megapode

Megapodius eremita

LCLeast Concern
Family
Megapodes (Megapodiidae)
Order
Galliformes

Overview

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 sources. This bird species is culturally important for Indigenous peoples in Melanesia.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Karkar (northeast of New Guinea), Bismarck Archipelago including Admiralty Islands, and Solomon Islands (except Rennell and Temotu).

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.