World Pheasant Association, UK

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.

As large ground-dwelling birds, pheasants are widely hunted for food, plumage and the live bird trade - consequently many species are threatened. They are largely dependent on forested habitats, making them highly vulnerable to deforestation and habitat degradation. The first edition covered 1995-1999, and many of its recommendations have been addressed.

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. Im many parts of their range, hunting plays a major role in the culture, economy, and subsistence of local communities.

The 22 species of Megapodes or "thermometer-birds" are found in Australia, New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, the Philippines and some Pacific islands. With changing traditions and demographic patterns, and habitat loss, uncontrolled harvesting has reduced some populations to a point where sustainable use has become untenable.