 At the same time, many authorities consider the taxon "M. forstenii" a separate species, Forsten's megapode, but measurements and molecular evidence suggest the two are very close, and arguably better considered conspecific.Traditionally, most members of the genus "Megapodius" have been listed as subspecies of "M. freycinet", but today, all major authorities consider this incorrect.The specific name commemorates the French explorer Louis Claude Desaulses de Freycinet.