Australia is lucky to be home to three of these very unique birds. The Megapodes are famous for the mound building prowess, and have very unique qualities when compared with other Wildfowl.
They are a species of bird that doesn't require direct body incubation to hatch their eggs, instead using the natural heat from their nesting area! This means that the chicks are some of the most developed and independent upon hatch; ready to fit into the natural order from the beginning.
Megapodes, in particular the Australian Brush Turkey, have adapted well to a modern world. Built up environments, that are close to forested areas, will often see these birds racing around or dragging vegetation over to their nesting mound.
The Malleefowl and Orange-Footed Scrubfowl are the other two species of Megapode in Australia, with the first being the only member of its genus. In fact the Malleefowl are listed as Vunerable, unlike the Brush Turkey which is remarkably prevalent throughout Eastern Australia.
We are currently working on species files for these birds. Once completed, they'll be available below.