Orange-footed Scrubfowl

Orange-footed Scrubfowl

Megapodius reinwardt

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
at Komodo National Park
257 Verified sightings at Komodo National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,388 Verified sightings across all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Orange-footed Scrubfowl

The orange-footed scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt), also known as orange-footed megapode or just scrubfowl, is a small megapode of the family Megapodiidae native to many islands in the Lesser Sunda Islands as well as southern New Guinea and northern Australia.

It is a terrestrial bird the size of a domestic chicken and dark-coloured with strong orange legs and a pointed crest at the back of the head. It utilises a range of forest and scrub habitats and has colonised many small islands throughout its range. It is prolific in suburban Darwin gardens, where people refer to it as a bush chook, bush chicken, bush turkey, or most commonly, the bush boiby

In general, populations seem to be stable and the conservation status of the species is considered to be of Least Concern. The orange-footed scrubfowl feeds on seeds, fallen fruit and terrestrial invertebrates. As with other megapodes, it nests in large mounds of sand, leaf litter and other debris where the heat generated by the decomposition of organic material serves to incubate the eggs. Construction and maintenance of the mounds, which may reach 4.5 m (15 ft) in height... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
2 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
3 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
4 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
5 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Orange-footed Scrubfowl in Komodo National Park?

About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-footed Scrubfowl sighting in Komodo National Park, based on 257 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Orange-footed Scrubfowl in Komodo National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Orange-footed Scrubfowl in Komodo National Park in our monthly data.

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