(Megapodiidae), a family of birds of the order Galliformes. The legs are strongly developed (hence the name). There are seven genera, comprising 12 species, distributed from the Nicobar Islands and the Philippines to Australia and the Fiji Islands. The eggs, which are very large, are not hatched by the parent bird but are buried in warm sand or near hot springs. The forest species dig a pit, fill it with rotting leaves on which they place the eggs, and cover the eggs with a layer of sand. The process of decomposition produces heat, and by scratching sand together or away, the parent regulates the temperature of the eggs. The young emerge fully feathered and live independently. They are hunted for their meat.