New Guinea Megapode
Megapodius decollatus
A dark scrubfowl of lowland and foothill forest. Dark, sooty gray underparts and neck, dark brown back and wings, dark legs, reddish face or throat, yellowish bill and an obvious pointy crest at the back of the head. Very adept at scraping and digging with its large feet. Defends its nest mound by kicking material over potential nest predators. Vocal with yelping, parrotlike calls. Much smaller than Red-legged Brushturkey and New Guinea Scrubfowl has dark legs.
Identification
A dark scrubfowl of lowland and foothill forest. Dark, sooty gray underparts and neck, dark brown back and wings, dark legs, reddish face or throat, yellowish bill and an obvious pointy crest at the back of the head. Very adept at scraping and digging with its large feet. Defends its nest mound by kicking material over potential nest predators. Vocal with yelping, parrotlike calls. Much smaller than Red-legged Brushturkey and New Guinea Scrubfowl has dark legs.
Taxonomy
Genus: Megapodius; Family: Megapodiidae; Order: Galliformes.
- Scientific name
- Megapodius decollatus
- Authority
- Oustalet, 1878
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Megapodiidae
- Genus
- Megapodius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Thick-billed Seedeater
Crithagra burtoni
Large brown seedeater with two pale wingbars and a big, bulging bill. Varies geographically in the amount of streaking on the crown and underparts and the presence or absence of a pale forehead patch. Found in montane habitats including forest, forest edge, bamboo, and scrub. Generally inconspicuous, but will perch up to sing. The call is a high, thin “tsreep-tseet,” and the song is a complex and exuberant jumble of whistled and rattling notes. Somewhat similar to Streaky Seedeater, but larger and heavier-billed, with a much darker and less patterned head.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
Common hummingbird of high elevations. Breeds in open woodland with meadows and scrub. In winter, found at lower elevations. Male is distinctive in range with beautiful rosy-red throat and glistening green upperparts. Female is duller with buffy sides and speckled throat. Note broadly rounded tail feathers with restricted rufous. Feeds on nectar and small insects. Visits feeders.
California Towhee
Melozone crissalis
Large, stocky, long-tailed sparrow. Uniform matte brown, with rich cinnamon tones on face and orange undertail coverts. Also note very limited streaking on upper breast with no central spot. Occurs in chaparral and other tangled shrubby, dry habitats. At home in neighborhoods and gardens in lowland California towns. Forages primarily for seeds by running and hopping on the ground. Visits feeders. Essentially no range overlap with the very similar Canyon Towhee; also note California has plain brown crown and obvious rusty tones on face.
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