NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Niuafoou Scrubfowl
Megapodius pritchardii G. R. Gray, 1864
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.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Tongan megapode (Megapodius pritchardii) is a species of bird in the megapode family, Megapodiidae, currently endemic to Tonga. The species is also known as the Polynesian megapode, and as the Niuafo'ou megapode after the island of Niuafo'ou to which it was restricted for many years. The specific epithet honours British consul William Thomas Pritchard.
Wikipedia contributors, Tongan megapode; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:14:35.980918+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Megapodius pritchardii G. R. Gray, 1864
- Name authority
- G. R. Gray, 1864
- Common name
- Niuafoou Scrubfowl
- 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 pritchardii G. R. Gray, 1864
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 |
| Vanuatu MegapodeMegapodius layardi Tristram, 1879 | MegapodiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Megapodius pritchardi G. R. Gray, 1864 G. R. Gray, 1864 | synonym |
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=553828 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:3YWV6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.