From Opus

Alternative names: Philippine Megapode; Philippine Scrubfowl

Megapodius cumingii

Photo by Rob Hutchinson
Location: St. Paul's N.P.Palawan, Philippines

[edit] Identification

35 cm. Scarlet face. Upperparts brown, underparts grey. There is almost no crest and the tail is short. The sexes are alike. Immature birds are brown, barred and blotched with black. Iris - brown; bill- yellow; feet - blackish, reddish at back.

[edit] Distribution

Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 21 species of Megapodes, all found in Australasia.

[edit] Habitat

Coastal scrub to montane forests.

[edit] Behaviour

Ground-dwelling and fast runners.

[edit] Breeding

They build mounds of decaying vegetation that incubates their eggs. Eggs from several females are laid deep in a mound of rotting vegetation or loose sand. The nests are built up over many years. The female bird tunnels into the top of the mound and lays a large, pinkish red egg which becomes pale pink as it ages. The fully feathered young finally emerges about 70 days later, already able to fly.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages