Environmental Relationships of Orange-footed Scrubfowl Megapodius reinwardt Nests in the Northern Territory

Abstract

The occurrence of Orange-footed Scrubfowl nests within monsoon rainforest patches was recorded during a comprehensive survey of this vegetation type in the Northern Territory. The occurrence of active and extinct nests in nearby surrounding habitats was also noted. Of the 1223 rainforest patches sampled, 25% contained scrubfowl nests. No active nests were recorded in savanna habitats. Nests typically occur in large (mean = 64 ha) coastal monsoon rainforests on siliceous substrates. The occurrence of extinct nests in savanna surrounding rainforest patches that contained active nests was infrequent (7% of the sample) but may indicate a contraction of the habitat of Orangefooted Scrubfowl in the Northern Territory. Localised extinction of Scrubfowl populations may have occurred at two rainforest patches which did not contain nests but had extinct nests in the surrounding savanna. The cause of this apparent habitat contraction remains unclear.