The Vanuatu megapode or Vanuatu scrubfowl is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It was formerly known as the New Hebrides scrubfowl. It is found only in Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. The species is threatened by habitat loss and egg collecting.
Region
Southwest Pacific (Vanuatu)
Typical Environment
Occurs on multiple islands across Vanuatu, favoring subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, coastal scrub, and secondary growth. It frequents forest edges, plantations, and gardens where leaf litter is abundant for foraging. Nesting often takes place in geothermally heated soils near fumaroles or in sandy areas where solar heating and decomposition provide warmth. It avoids dense high montane forest but uses a variety of low to mid-elevation habitats. Human-altered habitats with sufficient cover can be used if disturbance is limited.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This megapode incubates its eggs using external heat sources, especially warm volcanic sands and decomposing vegetation, rather than body heat. Chicks hatch fully feathered and are capable of flight shortly after emerging. Egg collecting by people has a long tradition in parts of Vanuatu, and while culturally important, it can impact local breeding success. The species was formerly called the New Hebrides scrubfowl.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, foraging quietly on the forest floor. Pairs may maintain territories around nesting areas, which can be communal where suitable heated substrate is limited. Eggs are buried in warm sand or soil; adults do not brood. Chicks are super-precocial, digging themselves out and dispersing soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include loud, cackling calls and repeated whistles, often given at dawn or dusk. Duet-like exchanges between pair members are common, and alarm calls are harsher and more abrupt.
Plumage
Mostly dark brown to sooty-brown with slightly paler underparts and a short, rounded tail; feathers often appear plain with a matte texture.
Diet
Forages by scratching through leaf litter for seeds, fallen fruit, and a variety of invertebrates such as insects, larvae, worms, and snails. Opportunistically takes small crustaceans or other ground-dwelling prey near coastal areas. Diet composition varies with seasonal fruiting and invertebrate availability.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on the shaded forest floor, along edges, in secondary growth, and occasionally in gardens or plantations with ample leaf litter. It favors quiet areas with dense ground cover where it can forage and remain concealed.
