Megapodes : status survey and conservation action plan 2000-2004

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. Their habit of nesting on or near beaches, often on small islands, make them vulnerable to disturbance and egg-collection, and several species are greatly threatened. The greatest threats are over-exploitation of their eggs, loss of forested habitats, and introduction of predators. A great variety of work is proposed, from small-scale surveys suitable for students, to more in-depth research programmes requiring greater financial and logistical resources. Governments and politicans can use the larger projects as a basis for high-profile conservation initiatives, either alone, or in conjunction with other conservation projects in the region