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Megapodes

Megapodes, a distinctive group of medium to large-sized terrestrial birds known for their large feet and heavy legs, are a common spectacle in the Australasian region, spanning across Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia's eastern islands, and the western Pacific's islands. These chicken-like birds, with their small heads, short beaks, powerful legs, and rounded wings, exhibit varying flying abilities. Notably, the megapodes are renowned for their unique reproduction method, as they do not use body warmth to incubate their eggs. Instead, they construct extensive mounds of decaying plant material or utilize natural heat sources like geothermal vents or sun-warmed sands to maintain egg temperature. With eggs rich in yolk, megapode chicks emerge highly developed, capable of running, foraging, and even flying shortly after hatching. This level of independence at birth is termed superprecociality, a trait that differentiates them from most other birds. While megapodes generally are solitary, the way these birds recognize their species' members at hatching remains a curiosity, as they lack parental instruction and seem to rely on instinctive visual cues. The more than 20 species of megapodes are classified within seven genera, characterized by clear physical forms, despite uncertainties in their evolutionary connections.

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Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Treecreepers
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australian Mudnesters
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Berrypeckers, Longbills
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bowerbirds
Bristlebirds
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
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Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Cranes
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Logrunners
Lyrebirds
Magpie Goose

Megapodes

Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
New World Quail
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Ostriches
Owlet-nightjars
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Oystercatchers
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Painted-snipes
Pardalotes
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Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
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Pittas
Plains-wanderer
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Satinbirds
Scrubbirds
Shrikes
Shriketit
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treeswifts
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
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Species Categories

AlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian TreecreepersAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralian MudnestersAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBerrypeckers, LongbillsBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBowerbirdsBristlebirdsBulbulsBuntingsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoopoesHornbillsIbises, SpoonbillsIfritJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLeaf Warblers & AlliesLogrunnersLyrebirdsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNew World QuailNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlet-nightjarsOwlsOystercatchersPainted BerrypeckersPainted-snipesPardalotesPelicansPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPlains-wandererPloughbillPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesSatinbirdsScrubbirdsShrikesShriketitSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreeswiftsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies

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What Our Birders Say
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
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Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
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Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
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Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
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