#megapode

[herpsandbirds]

Maleo (Macrocephalon maleo), male preparing a nest, family Megapodiidae, endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.

photograph by Eril Anwar

[scottpartridge]

The Micronesian Megapode for day 18 (Crest/Plume) of #birdtoberclub2025 hosted by @kaylafiskbirds and Week 4 of #BirdArtWeekly hosted by @migratorymay and featuring #BirdsofGuam this month. Also a Queen Alexandria's Birdwing for day 15 of #invertober hosted by @fossil.forager .

[sitting-on-me-bum]

The malleefowl is an endangered species of megapode found in Australia.

Source: AAP / Rights Managed/Mary Evans

[best-bird-tournament]

Incubator bird family (Megapode)

Which is the best bird?

Maleo

Tanimbar megapode

Nicobar megapode

Micronesian megapode

Malleefowl

Philippine megapode

Orange-footed scrubfowl

Australian brush turkey

Wattled brushturkey

Voting ended onOct 24, 2025

This family contains just nine eligible species in five genera (Macrocephalon, Megapodius, Leipoa, Alectura, and Aepypodius).

[otonkolos]

National animal of Tonga 🇹🇴

[rriverdrawss]

More human Orion and D bc I just finished their designs

D-16/Megatron

Orion Pax/Optimus Prime

And then an extra sketch of Megatron being sad bc he misses his wife (Optimus)

[proton-wobbler]

Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami)

"They make huge piles of leaves and branches as nests. Once I saw a solitary male in a wildlife park and the keepers said he was really annoying because he kept re-arranging the leaf litter which made keeping the footpaths clean a huge pain lol!" "Small gardener-dinosaurs! And these guys are just out here existing with zero parental care."

"Despite its name and their superficial similarities, the bird is not closely related to American turkeys, nor to the Australian bustard, which is also known as the bush turkey."

Australian Brushturkey are a megapode found on the Eastern edge of Australia, typically living in rainforests or wet sclerophyll (eucalyptus-heavy) forests- though they've more recently been moving into cities such as Brisbane and Sydney.

As megapodes, the most unique feature of these birds is the way they incubate and "raise" their young- which is to say, they don't raise them at all! Megapodes are a family of birds that create mounds of rotting vegetation for their eggs to incubate within, much like crocodiles and alligators. The males will tirelessly defend their mounds, checking the temperature with their bills and doing their best to attract females to lay her eggs within. This is the only care they give their young, however. Brushturkey eggs are quite large, and their chicks are born precocial, or "fully developed". Unlike other precocial species, like chickens or ducks, megapode babies can fend for themselves within hours of hatching, and don't need parental guidance in order to make it in the world. Which is good news, since mom invests no care in her young and dad is only concerned with keeping his nest mound in perfect condition!

Sources:

Australian brushturkey - Wikipedia

Image Source: eBird (Chris Barnes)

[birdstudies]

October 31, 2022 - Micronesian Megapode (Megapodius laperouse) Found in the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau, these small megapodes live in forests, coconut groves, coastal scrub, and rocky areas. They eat spiders, insects, snails, seeds, small fruit, and other plant foods, foraging on the forest floor, usually in pairs. Depending on the subspecies, they nest in burrows or build mounds. Females dig the burrows in areas heated by the sun or geothermal sources, often near fallen or live trees. Both parents build the mound nests mostly from leaf litter and sand. They are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due mostly to habitat loss from sea level rise and forest clearance, human disturbance, and invasive species.