1) Family name: Megapodiidae
2) Scientific name: Leipoa ocellata
3) English name: Malleefowl
4) Subspecies survival status: Extinct in some places, endangered (the species has disappeared from much of its former range, especially in the east, and even in undisturbed habitat appears to affect populations.  Population may have declined by >1% per year for the last 10 years.
5) Former distribution:.  Mallee regions of southern Australia including south-west New South Wales, north-west and central-west Victoria, most of South Australia, southern Northern Territory and south-west Western Australia.
6) Current distribution: Extinct in Northern Territory, northern South Australia and far south-west Western Australia; the rest of its range is much fragmented.
7) Habitat: Woodland, usually that dominated by malle eucalyptus but also occurs in Mulga Acacia and other sclerophyllous associations.  Density is correlated positively with rainfall.
8) Reasons for decline:  Clearance for agriculture (confirmed), high fire frequency (confirmed), competition with exotic herbivores, particularly sheep (confirmed), possible rabbits, goats, cattle and kangaroos, predation by foxes (speculative) and cats (speculative), inbreeding as a result of fragmentation (speculative), hunting for food (speculative).  In agricultural regions Malleefowl are eliminated by habitat clearance and may not persist in habitat fragments of less than 500.  In uncleared habitat many chicks and some adults are taken by foxes and sometimes by cats.  It is not known whether predation is affecting long-term recruitment.  Chicks that survive predation often starve, particularly in habitat supporting exotic herbivores.  Fire causes local extinction and it may be 15 years before habitat is suitable and at least 40 years before maximum destinies are attained.  Hunting for food may have affected some marginal populations in the past.
9) Conservation reserves on which subspecies occurs:  Buddigower Nature Reserve, Coolbaggie Nature Reserve, Gouldburn River National Park, Ingalba Nature Reserve, Loughnan Nature Reserve, Mallee Cliffs National Park, Nombinnie Nature Reserve, Pilliga Nature Reserve, Pulletop Nature Reserve, Round Hill Nature Reserve, Yathong Nature Reserve, Billiatt Conservation Park, Innes National Park, Yellabinna Regional Reserve, Murray-Sunset National Park, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Wyperfeld National  Park, Little Desert National Park, Big Desert Wilderness Area, Bronzewing State Fauna Reserve, Wathe Flora and Fauna Reserve, Wychitella Flora and Fauna Reserve, Fitzgerald River National Park, Cape Arid National Park.
10) Public land on which subspecies occurs: State forests and uncommitted Crown land in all states.
11) Other land on which subspecies occurs: Fragments of habitat on private agricultural land, Aboriginal land, in South Australia many heritage agreement areas.
12) Is knowledge about subspecies adequate for objectives and actions to be defined accurately?  No.
13) Recovery plan objectives: a) To stabilize population levels. b) To control foxes, cats and rabbits in mallee lands.  c) To establish a fire management program that will ensure the conservation of the species within its existing range.
14) Actions already initiated:
 New South Wales: a) Detailed research on the breeding biology was carried out in the last 1950s by CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research.  b) Surveys were conducted of densities on reserves in the early 1980s by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.  c) Detailed experimental research has been carried out on chick survival in the late 1980s by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.  d) Experimental work on food preferences is being conducted by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.  e) Fox baiting is being conducted in Malleefowl habitat by New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.  f) Active mounds are being monitored by New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.  g)  A breeding colony has been established at Dubbo Plains Zoo in collaboration with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.
South Australia: a) Surveys have been conducted in the Murray Mallee and baseline densities of active mounds established by the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service.  b) Monitoring of active mounds by the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service is continuing.  c) Experimental work on fox predation is being conducted by the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service.  d) Co-ordinated rabbit and fox control program in and around Bakara Conservation Park.
Victoria: a) Detailed research on adult home range and density was carried out at Wyperfeld National Park in the early 1980s by Monash University with assistance from Operation Raleigh, the Department of Conservation and Environment and the Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers.  b) The feasibility and efficiency of thermal detection of active nests by airborne scanners is being investigated by the Department of Conservation and Environment.  c) Extensive annual monitoring of breeding densities is being carried out by the Mildura Office of the Department of Conservation and Environment.
Western Australia: a) Surveys of active mounds are carried out annually at Eyre Bird Observatory by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union.  b) Numbers of Malleefowl present in Dryandra State Forest are monitored to determine the effectiveness of a fox control program by the Department of Conservation and Land Management.
National: Fox and rabbit control programs using genetically-modified organisms is being investigated by CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology with funding from the Endangered Species Unit of Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service.
15) Actions required: a) Maintain or initiate active fox control programs, particularly near small reserves.  These should be followed by monitoring to test their effectiveness.  b) Study the effects of timing and frequency of fire on the species, particularly its ability to recolonize isolated patches of habitat that have recovered from fire.  c) Prepare a mallee fire management plan that takes account of the requirements of this and other threatened species.  d) Further validate and perfect monitoring technique using heat sensors on aircraft.  e) Survey suitable habitat in Western Australia from the air to establish a baseline from which subsequent population trends can be assessed.
16) Organizations responsible for conservation os subspecies: New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service/Dave Piddel, John Brickhill, South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service/Peter Copley, Victorian Department of Conservation and Environment/Bill Emison, Ian Sluiter, Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management/Tony Friend.
17) Other organizations and individuals involved: Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service/Endangered Species Unit, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology/Hugh Tindale-Biscoe, Monash University/Joe Benshemesh, Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union/Eyre Bird Observatory wardens, New South Wales Department of Agriculture and Fisheries/Terry Kern, Malleefowl Preservation Society.  Archie Vann.
18) Can the recovery plan be carried out with existing resources? No.