The Sula megapode or Sula scrubfowl is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It is found only in the Banggai and Sula Islands between Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, where its habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. It is threatened by habitat destruction.
Region
Wallacea, Indonesia
Typical Environment
Restricted to the Banggai and Sula Islands between Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands. It occupies subtropical and tropical dry forest, moist lowland forest, mangrove margins, and dense shrubland. Birds typically forage on the forest floor in leaf litter and along edges, and they may use secondary growth where cover remains. Nesting mounds are placed in well-drained sites within forest clearings or beach forest with abundant organic material.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Megapodes incubate their eggs using external heat, typically from large mounds of decaying vegetation that the adults build and tend. Chicks hatch fully feathered and are capable of flight shortly after leaving the mound, receiving no parental care. The Sula megapode is highly sensitive to forest loss and disturbance, which reduces suitable foraging areas and nesting sites.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs within dense forest undergrowth. Pairs or small groups construct and maintain large incubation mounds of soil and leaf litter; males often tend the mound temperature by adding or removing material. Females lay multiple large eggs over an extended season, and chicks disperse independently soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include low, booming calls and resonant duets at dawn and dusk, often given from concealed perches. Harsh clucks and cackles are used during territorial interactions near nesting mounds.
