It inhabits lowland forest, particularly in coastal areas, and dense lowland scrub fringing farmland. Nesting mounds are visited daily by monogamous pairs.

Megapodius bernsteini is restricted to the lowlands of Banggai and Sula Islands Endemic Bird Area, Indonesia. They are known to breed on small satellite islands in the archipelago. Davidson et al. (1991) reported recent records on Mangole but not Sanana. There were thought to be some 7,000 birds in the Banggai Islands, mostly on Peleng, and as many as 38,000 (22,500-54,000) on Taliabu (BirdLife International 2001), but these populations are suspected to have declined significantly since. The results of fieldwork on Taliabu in 2009 (Rheindt 2010) indicate that encounter rates had fallen substantially since fieldwork conducted in 1991 (Davidson et al. 1991), and dramatic declines were also reported over the same timeframe from eastern Peleng (M. Indrawan per Rheindt 2010). 

Conservation Actions Underway
None are known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Reassess the population size, including a survey of offshore islets. Quantify the impact of hunting and the taking of eggs. Quantify the impact of introduced and feral predators and competitors. Regularly monitor the population at selected sites. Research its relative abundance in different habitats. Implement control measures against introduced animals if deemed appropriate. Protect areas of suitable habitat. Raise awareness of the species and its status in an effort to reduce hunting and nest-robbing.