Noble megapode Noble megapode The noble megapode ("Megavitiornis altirostris"), also known as the deep-billed megapode, is an extinct, flightless, giant stem-galliform bird that was endemic to Fiji. Originally thought to be a megapode, more recent morphological studies indicate a close relationship with "Sylviornis", in a clade outside of the Galliformes crown group. It is likely that it became extinct through overhunting shortly after the colonisation of the Fiji Islands by humans. The genus is monotypic, with the generic name "Megavitiornis" derived from the Greek "mega" (great), "viti" (Fiji), and "ornis" (bird). The specific epithet "altirostris" comes from Latin "altus" (high or noble),
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