Family Megapodes (Megapodiidae)
Vulnerable
Moluccan Scrubfowl (Eulipoa wallacei)
Taxonomy
French: Mégapode de Wallace German: Wallace-Großfußhuhn Spanish: Talégalo de Wallace
Other common names:
Moluccan Megapode
Distribution:
Moluccas from Halmahera S to Buru and Seram; Misool I, in W Papuan Is (off NW New Guinea).
Descriptive notes
c. 29–31 cm; male 510 g (one), female 490–510 g. Sexes alike including in size. Small size; has median and greater upperwing-coverts and feathers of mantle... read more
Voice
Some authors report loud territorial duets, but others state that duets have not been heard.... read more
Habitat
Forested areas in hills and mountains at 700–1950 m, occasionally inhabiting lowland forest,... read more
Food and feeding
No information available, although considered to be probably omnivorous.
Breeding
Laying Sept–Dec on Buru; peak Mar–May in N Halmahera where 500–1000 birds may visit per night; peak Oct–Apr (dry... read more
Movements
Large communal nesting grounds on Haruku receive many birds flying in over sea at night, probably... read more
Status and conservation
VULNERABLE. Mace Lande: Endangered/Critical. Total population suggested to number 20,000–50,000 individuals; declining. Main threat is overexploitation of communal... read more
Often included in genus Megapodius, but plumage fairly different from that shown by the rather uniform members of that genus; secondaries said to be shorter than primaries in present species, but of equal length in Megapodius; breeding habits differ from those of most members of Megapodius. Recent phylogenetic study confirms distinctiveness of Eulipoa, but that it forms a clade with Megapodius, and suggests that this clade is sister to Macrocephalon#R. Monotypic.