This megapode occurs only on Niuafo’ou in Tonga. Forest on the island supports its small, restricted population.
The sexes are similar, with slate-grey plumage, red bare skin on the head and neck, and yellow bill and legs.
Niuafoou Scrubfowl bury eggs in geothermally heated soil. Females dig to a warm depth, lay an egg and refill the tunnel. Chicks hatch underground and dig their own way to the surface.
Wild birds on Motu Molemole, an islet in Niuafoou’s crater lake, were studied from October 1991 to January 1993. The 2004 paper described prolonged pair associations. In ten pairs with both partners marked, no bird was observed with a different partner.
Pairs often foraged close together, sometimes scratching leaf litter head-to-head. Females repeatedly picked up invertebrates disturbed by males, and twice took an earthworm held in the male’s beak. Geothermal heat incubates the egg, while the pair shares time searching for food in the forest.
IUCN Red List · Vulnerable · Global
The global assessment dated 6 August 2019 lists the species as Vulnerable. A native remnant population on Niuafoou is complemented by a translocated population on Fonualei. Identified threats include egg collection, hunting, volcanic activity and introduced predators. Conservation priorities include island-specific monitoring, managing egg harvest and preventing predator incursions on Fonualei.