What megapodes do you know of in captivity? What are they fed, how are they kept (walk-through aviaries, mixed species aviaries)? Do they do well in captivity?
I know of at least one Australian brush turkey at the fort worth zoo that has a large amount of space that used to be used for kangaroos and wallabies. They originally had it in a small mixed species exhibit with parrots such as gallah, but all the dirt was kicked into one corner by the turkey and it was moved to where it is now. I know very little about how it is kept. The Bronx zoo also has maleo but I know very little about how they are cared for.
I only know of three species kept in the US: -As mentioned above, Australian brush turkey. I don't know how common they are. -maleo. Four institutions keep them, but as far as I'm aware, only Bronx has bred them (but does so successfully). -Tongan megapode. Only one individual left at the San Diego Zoo, from an import of 2.2 in I think the late 1980s. No breeding occurred. I can't be of any help on their care, sorry.
All three Australian megapodes, the orange-footed scrubfowl, malleefowl and brush turkey, would be kept in Australian zoos at various times, and I think it fair to say you would find that each of them would be present in at least one zoo or wildlife park at any one time. They are not as popular as you would think though, probably because of the damage their digging habits cause exhibits, and the size of their mounds.
So has the Misool wattled brush-turkey at Walsrode gone to the great Christmas dinner table in the sky?
Indeed; one which I was somewhat sad to miss out on last June but I cannot complain, given the fact that even counting species which had died out recently I only missed four of my target species at Walsrode, and managed to spot one or two taxa which have since passed away.
Does anyone know if the various pacific island megapodes are kept in captivity? Like the Tongan, Nicobar, Melanesian, Vanuatu and Polynesian megapodes?
