Megapodiidae

E6418

bird family taxon

Megapodiidae is a family of ground-dwelling birds known as megapodes or mound-builders, notable for incubating their eggs in large mounds of decaying vegetation or warm sand instead of brooding them with body heat.

Aliases (1)

Australian brush-turkey ×1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	bird family → taxon →
behavior	ground-dwelling →
class	Aves →
commonName	megapodes → mound-builders →
conservationNote	some species threatened by habitat loss and predation →
containsTaxon	Alectura lathami → Eulipoa wallacei → Leipoa ocellata → Macrocephalon maleo → Megapodius freycinet → Megapodius species → Talegalla species →
development	superprecocial chicks →
diet	fruits → invertebrates → omnivorous → plant material → seeds →
distribution	Australasia → Australia → Indonesia → New Guinea → Pacific islands →
eggCharacteristic	eggs incubated in substrate rather than under parent → relatively large eggs →
habitat	terrestrial →
incubationStrategy	external incubation in mounds → use of decaying vegetation for heat → use of warm sand or soil for heat →
kingdom	Animalia →
locomotion	capable of flight but often reluctant fliers → strong runners →
nestType	burrow nest in warm sand or soil → mound nest →
notableTrait	build large nesting mounds → large feet adapted for scratching and digging →
order	Galliformes →
parentalCare	chicks are largely independent at hatching → do not brood eggs with body heat →
phylum	Chordata →
reproduction	egg-laying →
systematicsNote	belongs to superfamily Megapodioidea →
taxonRank	family →
thermoregulationOfNest	adjust mound composition and structure → use decaying organic matter to generate heat → use solar-heated sand or geothermal heat →

Referenced by (9)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Alectura lathami → Eulipoa wallacei → Leipoa ocellata → Macrocephalon maleo → Megapodius freycinet → Nicobar megapode →	family
Alectura lathami ("Australian brush-turkey") →	commonName
Galliformes →	containsFamily
Aves →	hasSubgroup