• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Jones, D.N., Dekker, R.W.R. and Roselaar, C.S. 1995. The Megapodes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Near Threatened	B1b(iii); C2a(i)
2016	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2012	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2008	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2007	Vulnerable
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1994	Not Recognised
1988	Not Recognised

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	medium
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	12,600 km2	medium
Number of locations	11-100	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	2500-9999 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2000
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	2010-2026
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	5-15%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	5-15%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	5-15%	-	-	-
Generation length	5.43 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-5,3	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The total area of the potentially occupied range of the species is 2,951 km². The species is regularly detected by voice at rates similar to another closely related member of the genus occurring in equivalent habitat, M. reinwardt, which has been estimated to occur at densities of 5.6 inds/km² in similar habitat (Marsden et al. 1998). If M. geelvinkianus occurs in 30% of the available area, and occurs at similar densities to M. reinwardt, the population is very provisionally estimated at 4,950 individuals, which is placed in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals, noting that the density estimate is derived from calling birds that are likely to be mature.

The species occupies several separate islands. Birds on satellite islands around Biak-Supiori and those around Numfor are more likely to be connected, but regular dispersal between Biak, Numfor and Mios Num appears unlikely, hence the most plausible number of subpopulations is three. The largest of these is Biak-Supiori, on which thee extent of habitat remaining on Biak-Supiori, especially to the north, indicates that more than half of the population would be expected to be present in this subpopulation and exceeds 1,000 mature individuals. In southern Biak the population is reported to have noticeably declined due to a recent increase in the human population and associated increase in hunting for food (M. Halaouate in litt. 2021). On the tiny island of Mios Korwar/Pulau Bepondi landslips caused a sudden dramatic loss of forest area in 2018 (Global Forest Watch 2021), likely to have considerably reduced the population present. Consequently the species is inferred to be suffering a continuing decline in population size, at a suspected rate of between 5-15% over the past and future three generations.

Trend justification: The species is inferred to be declining at a slow to moderate rate, owing to on-going habitat loss and degradation, coupled with localised hunting pressure (Global Forest Watch 2021, M. Halaoute in litt. 2021). Across the range 4.6% of forest cover has been lost over the past three generations (data from Global Forest Watch 2021). While the species has been noted in disturbed habitats, it is believed to have at least a medium-high level of forest dependency, such that the area of forest cover is suspected to be directly related to the number of individuals that can be supported, and hence the rate of forest cover loss is suspected to approximate a rate of population reduction. In addition, the species is hunted, at least on Biak island, and a noticeable decline in the population there has coincided with a rapid increase in the human population (M. Halaouate in litt. 2021). Hunting is therefore considered likely to be having an additional population impact, such that the suspected rate of population reduction is placed within a band of 5-15% over three generations.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Indonesia	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	suitable	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Moist	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 450 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Temperature extremes	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Canis familiaris	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Tourism & recreation areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Biak Scrubfowl Megapodius geelvinkianus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/biak-scrubfowl-megapodius-geelvinkianus on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.