NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Vanuatu Megapode
Megapodius layardi Tristram, 1879
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Megapodius layardi, Vanuatu, 2025-10-29 (iNaturalist).
Euan Moore · CC BY 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Vanuatu megapode or Vanuatu scrubfowl (Megapodius layardi) is a species of bird in the family Megapodiidae. It was formerly known as the New Hebrides scrubfowl. It is found only in Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. The species is threatened by habitat loss and egg collecting.
Wikipedia contributors, Vanuatu megapode; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:46:23.498113+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Megapodius layardi Tristram, 1879
- Name authority
- Tristram, 1879
- Common name
- Vanuatu Megapode
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Megapodiidae
- Genus
- Megapodius
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderGalliformes
- familyMegapodiidae
- genusMegapodius Gaimard, 1823
- speciesMegapodius layardi Tristram, 1879
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Megapodius. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Nicobar MegapodeMegapodius nicobariensis Blyth, 1846 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Orange-footed MegapodeMegapodius reinwardt Dumont, 1823 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tanimbar MegapodeMegapodius tenimberensis P. L. Sclater, 1883 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sula MegapodeMegapodius bernsteinii Schlegel, 1866 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| New Guinea MegapodeMegapodius decollatus Oustalet, 1878 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Melanesian MegapodeMegapodius eremita Hartlaub, 1868 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Biak MegapodeMegapodius geelvinkianus A. B. Meyer, 1874 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| La Perouse's MegapodeMegapodius laperouse Gaimard, 1823 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Niuafoou ScrubfowlMegapodius pritchardii G. R. Gray, 1864 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=553827 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3YWV4. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.