▁mo ist ▁low land ▁for ests . ▁On ▁Ni ua fo ' ou ▁it ▁is ▁most ▁common ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁cal der a . ▁The ▁T ong an ▁meg ap ode , ▁like ▁all ▁meg ap odes , ▁does ▁not ▁inc ub ate ▁its ▁eggs ▁by ▁sitting ▁on ▁them ; ▁instead ▁the ▁species ▁bur ies ▁them ▁in ▁warm ▁vol can ic ▁s ands ▁and ▁soil ▁and ▁allows ▁them ▁to ▁develop . ▁On ▁islands ▁in ▁former ▁parts ▁of ▁its ▁range ▁without ▁vol cano es ▁it ▁pres umably ▁created ▁m ounds ▁of ▁ro tt ing ▁veget ation ▁and ▁laid ▁the ▁eggs ▁there . ▁The ▁young ▁birds ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁flying ▁immediately ▁after ▁h atch ing . ▁ ▁Status ▁and ▁conservation ▁ ▁The ▁T ong an ▁meg ap ode ▁is ▁princip ally ▁threatened ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁factors ▁that ▁caused ▁its ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Pol yn esia . ▁Its ▁eggs ▁are ▁still ▁har v ested ▁by ▁local ▁people ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁theoretical ▁government ▁protection , ▁and ▁some ▁hunting ▁still ▁occurs . ▁The ▁species ▁is ▁apparently ▁afford ed ▁some ▁protection ▁by ▁the ▁difficulty ▁in ▁reaching ▁its ▁habitat . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁vulner ability ▁of ▁the ▁single ▁population ▁an ▁attempt ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁trans loc ate ▁eggs ▁of ▁this ▁species ▁to ▁new ▁islands , ▁Late ▁and ▁Fon uale i . ▁The ▁trans location ▁was ▁successful ▁on ▁Fon uale i ▁and ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 3 5 0 – 5 0 0 ▁birds ▁now ▁bre ed ▁there , ▁but ▁surve ys ▁of ▁Late ▁subsequently ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁trans