Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata)

The malleefowl is one of just fourteen megapodes on Earth, others include the New Guinea Scrubfowl and Australian Brush-turkey. Megapodes are distinguished by their mega-feet! Like other megapodes, the malleefowl lives on the ground and uses its large, powerful feet to build giant nest mounds. Its large feet also support a large body, measuring 50–60 cm long and weighing up to 2.5 kg. It is well camouflaged, with its upper body intricately patterned with bars, fringes and streaks of grey, white, black and chestnut. Its breast and belly are creamy-white; its face is grey with a chestnut chin and a white line under each eye. Its wings are short, broad and rounded at the tip, and it only flies when it is frightened or chased.

The malleefowl was once common in arid and semi-arid tall mallee and low wattle scrub across much of western, southern and central Australia. Today its range is restricted to scattered pockets in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

In Shark Bay, the malleefowl has been reintroduced into Francois Peron National Park as part of a local conservation program, Project Eden. The birds have established and are breeding well, with many sightings of birds, tracks, chicks and active nesting mounds across the Peron Peninsula. Sightings are particularly common around the Peron Homestead.

The malleefowl is well adapted to its dry habitat. Although it will drink if water is available, it can usually live without it. The bird instead gets its moisture from leaves, fruits, flower buds and seeds, as well as insects pecked off the ground.

The malleefowl lives for 30-40 years and mates for life. The male takes most of the responsibility for building the nest mound. In August he rakes up a heap of leaf litter, waits for rain to moisten it, then covers it with a mound of soil. From September to April the female re-visits the mound, each time laying a single egg in a chamber carefully covered by her partner. Each egg weighs 10% of the female’s body weight – no wonder she can only squeeze out one egg every 5–7 days! Up to 35 eggs are eventually laid, with the average being 18-20 eggs. The nest is used year after year and can end up 1 m high, 5 m wide and 20 m in circumference!

Inside the mound the moist decaying leaf litter produces heat, which incubates the eggs. Rainfall also helps maintain the humidity within the nest. Using his beak as a thermometer, and sensors in his feet, the male monitors the temperature. By carefully adding or removing soil he keeps the mound at a constant temperature of between 32-34° C. The chicks hatch 50-65 days after laying, depending upon the temperature. After digging themselves out they flee into the bush to fend for themselves. Although their body is downy, their wings are well-feathered, and they can fly when they are just one day old!

The malleefowl is an endangered species. In some areas, more than 98% of chicks are killed by foxes, feral cats and native birds of prey. Land clearing for agriculture has destroyed much habitat, and the malleefowl must compete with sheep, cattle and goats for its food. Frequent bushfires are also a threat, since they burn the leaf litter needed for nest mounds. After very large fires it can be decades before breeding birds return!

The malleefowl is protected under Western Australia’s Wildlife Conservation Act as well as Federal law. Nationwide efforts to save the bird are having some success: the removal of sheep and foxes from Francois Peron National Park, for example, is helping the malleefowl thrive once more.

For more information about Western Australian wildlife check out the WA Museum Fauna Base website.

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