Megapodiidae

Megapodiidae is a family of medium to large, ground-dwelling birds known as megapodes or mound-builders. They occur across tropical regions of Australasia and Southeast Asia, with the greatest diversity in Indonesia, New Guinea, northern Australia, and many Pacific islands. The family includes several genera, such as Alectura, Leipoa, Megapodius, Eulipoa, and Macrocephalon, and contains a number of species including the Australian brush-turkeys and the mallee fowl, as well as other island and coastal forms.

A defining characteristic of megapodes is their unusual incubation strategy. Instead of relying on body warmth, megapodes use external heat sources to incubate their eggs. Eggs are laid in large mounds of soil, vegetation, and other organic material that are warmed by microbial fermentation, geothermal heat, or direct solar heating. The birds construct and maintain the mounds, and incubation progresses as the mound reaches the appropriate temperature. In some species, incubation is primarily the responsibility of the male; in others, both sexes contribute, or the female may lay eggs in multiple mounds.

Megapodes are mostly terrestrial and are capable runners rather than strong fliers. Their diet is mainly omnivorous, including fruits, seeds, invertebrates, and occasionally small vertebrates. Chicks are precocial and leave the nest soon after hatching, often joining adults quickly.

Conservation status varies by species. Habitat loss, fire regimes, and introduced predators threaten several megapode populations. Some species remain common, while others are considered endangered or vulnerable due to restricted ranges and fragmented habitats. Megapodes are of interest for their distinctive reproductive biology and their role in the ecosystems they inhabit.