Noble megapode Fiji. The bird’s flightlessness is evident in its large body size, the extreme reduction of pectoral girdle elements and the loss of a keel on the sternum. The size and proportions of the bill are unlike those of any living fowl and, with a depth of 28% of the length, extraordinarily deep compared to modern galliforms. Worthy speculates that it was used for cracking the hard seeds of large forest fruits; there are several tropical forest trees native to Fiji producing hard seeds that cannot be cracked by any living birds or bats in the islands. Noble megapode The noble
Micronesian megapode the multiple threats across its range, it is likely to be suffering from a continuing decline. It seems that the only way for the species to be safe is to protect a few small islands and release a small population of megapodes there. That way, a safe population is secured. On the larger and higher islands, an increase of people and introduced pests will sooner or later destroy any megapode populations. The Marianas Island megapode or "Megapodius laperouse laperouse" is the nominate subspecies of the Micronesian megapode found in the Mariana Islands. It is rare, localised and in danger of