Melanesian Megapode (Megapodius eremita)
About the Melanesian Megapode
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. Two names are commonly used to refer to the species Megapodius eremita: the Melanesian scrubfowl and Melanesian megapode. M. eremita belongs to the family Megapodiidae (the megapodes) and genus Megapodius (the scrubfowl). Following this classification, some taxonomists prefer the common designation "scrubfowl" because it is more precise, identifying the species as part of its particular genus rather than the megapode family as a whole.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 28 recordings for this species: 7 CC BY-NC-SA · 2 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Related species you can hear
- Orange-footed ScrubfowlMegapodius reinwardtrecording
This species has no recording here yet — these relatives do, so you can hear what the family sounds like.