It is a low density inhabitant of mountain forests above 620 m (Mauro 2006), including the extremely rugged karst interior of the island. Its habitat is characterised as structurally distinctive, wind-sheared and possibly locally edaphically controlled stunted cloud-forest (Mauro 2008). Males appear to be sedentary, although females may wander into the lowlands in years of drought (Mauro 2006). There may be some resource partitioning with M. freycinet, which occurs widely in coastal areas and on the slopes up to 400 m (Dekker and Argeloo 1993). Like other brush-turkeys, males build mounds for the incubation of the eggs (Mauro 2005). There is very little information on diet or foraging behaviour (Mauro 2002), although a wandering immature male, observed and photographed in August 2010, appeared to be attracted to seeds in a Wilson's Bird-of-paradise Cicinnurus respublica court (Plantema 2011). Reproductive behaviour appears to be greatly suppressed during droughts, which are tied to ENSO-reversal events and appear to be occurring with greater frequency over the past few decades. 

Aepypodius bruijnii is endemic to Waigeo, West Papuan Islands, Indonesia, where ten sites at suitable elevation for breeding (above 600 m elevation) are known, not all of which have confirmed records of the species (Mauro 2006). A minimum convex polygon including all these sites totals only 784 km². Only three sites were considered large enough to potentially hold viable populations: Mt Danai (36.2 km², 600-950 m), Mnier Hills (10.7 km², 600-870 m) and Mt Sau Lal (8 km², 600-970 m). There has been no update to the population since 2006, when the known population was 47 mound-owning males and 84 mature individuals, with an estimated global population of 349 mound-owning males and 977 mature individuals (Mauro 2006). Up to 65% of these are likely to occur on Mt Danai (Mauro 2007). Non-breeding or immature individuals have been observed at lower elevations on several occasions, suggesting that it is the extent of the suitable habitat on which mounds are built that restricts the range. 

Prior to 2002 the species was only known from 21 specimens (most recently collected in 1938) (Holmes 1989, Jones et al. 1995, Voisin et al. 2000) with the only specified locality being Jeimon, on the east side of Majalibit Bay. Despite more than 15 ornithological expeditions and reconnaissance visits actively searching for this bird, it was not relocated until 2002, when one was seen in hill ridgetop forest on Mount Nok near Majalibit Bay (Mauro 2002, Mauro 2005); a subsequent two-month survey revealed 28 incubation mounds in a relatively small area (R. W. R. J. Dekker in litt. 2003, Mauro 2005). In April 2007, an adult male was photographed on Mt Danai, displaying and tending a nest-mound, representing the first photograph of the species in the wild (Anon. 2007, C. Davies and I. Mauro in litt. 2008), and further photographs (eBird 2020: though some locations may not be accurately plotted) and the first video (from camera-trapping) have subsequently been obtained (Knight 2016).

Conservation Actions Underway
Cagar Alam Waigeo Barat/Timor Nature Reserve covers the majority of the island of Waigeo, and the entire area within suitable elevations for breeding (UNEP-WCMC 2020). In 2009 a Community Conservation and Ecotourism Agreement was announced for the Orobiai River catchment, totaling 92 km², providing direct payments to landowning groups on Waigeo for conservation outcomes and access for tourism (Anon. 2009). 

Conservation Actions Proposed
These proposals are derived from Mauro (2004, 2006, 2008). Updated information on any actions carried out or further proposals are needed. Ensure that the protected area is fully recognised by communities on Waigeo, and create a management plan incorporating multiple-usage zonations demarcated following full consultation. Set up an island-wide awareness campaign to prevent future wild fires. Declare the species's core locations as strict no-hunting areas. Conduct additional field work to re-estimate the population size at key sites, infer current population trend and survey the additional suitable locations where the species is inferred to be present. Study nesting site philopatry and the extent of gene flow across locations, preferably using a non-invasive molecular technique. Study the impact of ENSO-induced drought events and invasive species, such as pigs, on the species's reproductive success.