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The grouse comprise a group of high profile species that are among the most well-known species in the countries where they occur; they are often considered the embodiment of the landscapes in which they live. Today, many of these species are under threat.

In the five years since publication of the 1995-99 action plan, the Megapode Specialist Group has been active in promoting, initiating and executing conservation and research projects on thermometer birds. But the conservation outlook for many species remains bleak.

Grouse have long attracted and fascinated people. Their display behaviour, and their traditional communal mating grounds or "leks", have inspired poetry and folklore as well as scientific theories on sexual selection and mating systems.

The 22 species of Megapodes or "thermometer-birds" are found in Australia, New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, the Philippines and some Pacific islands.