Tongan megapode factors that caused its decline in the rest of Polynesia. Its eggs are still harvested by local people in spite of theoretical government protection, and some hunting still occurs. The species is apparently afforded some protection by the difficulty in reaching its habitat. Because of the vulnerability of the single population an attempt was made to translocate eggs of this species to new islands, Late and Fonualei. The translocation was successful on Fonualei and an estimated 350–500 birds now breed there, but surveys of Late subsequently found that the translocation there had failed. Tongan megapode The Tongan megapode ("Megapodius pritchardii")
Dusky megapode subspecies of this species, but the two are increasingly treated as separate species. At the same time, many authorities consider the taxon "M. forstenii" a separate species, Forsten's megapode, but measurements and molecular evidence suggest the two are very close, and arguably better considered conspecific. Traditionally, most members of the genus "Megapodius" have been listed as subspecies of "M. freycinet", but today, all major authorities consider this incorrect. The specific name commemorates the French explorer Louis Claude Desaulses de Freycinet. A fairly common species throughout a large part of its range, the dusky scrubfowl is evaluated as least concern on