Though there is limited knowledge on the Sumatran ground cuckoo itself, it is thought to face many of the same population pressures as the Sumatran elephant, orangutan, rhinoceros, and tiger. Deforestation is the main threat and was found to result in an average 2% loss of forest within Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, one of the bird's primary refuges, between 1985 and 1999. The park's lower montane forest is usually removed to make way for palm oilplantations; since 2006 Indonesia has been the biggest producer of palm oil and has seen a 400% growth in production between 1994 and 2004. Production is expected to double by the end of 2030. As the Sumatran ground cuckoo prefers primary forest with dense undergrowth, reforestation is unlikely to be as effective as protective measures for currently-existing habitat. Even protected areas, however, are experiencing significant rates of deforestation. The type locality, Gunung Singgalang, has seen reduction of forest up to 1,800-1,900m as early as 1917.