CreatureData

Nicobar megapode

Megapodius nicobariensis Blyth, 1846

VUVulnerablebirds

The nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis) is a species in the family Megapodiidae, order Galliformes. Recorded adults weigh 750 g to 935 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Vulnerable.

Nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis)
Photo: Mahesh Iyer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the nicobar megapode

Weight
750 g – 935 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Omnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
forestsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
77 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
10src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the nicobar megapode live?

Not recorded

What is the nicobar megapode?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The Nicobar megapode or Nicobar scrubfowl (Megapodius nicobariensis) is a megapode endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. Like other megapodes, it builds a large mound nest of soil and vegetation, with the eggs incubated by the heat produced by decomposition. Newly hatched chicks climb out of the loose soil of the mound and, being fully feathered, are capable of flight. The Nicobar Islands lie on the western edge of the megapode distribution, well separated from the nearest ranges of other megapode species. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reduced the global population by an estimated 66–75% and completely submerged Megapode Island; the species is now considered globally Vulnerable under IUCN criteria A1bc; D1, with a stable but small post-tsunami population.

From the Wikipedia article “Nicobar megapode” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicobar_megapode&oldid=1380574729), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the nicobar megapode endangered?

The nicobar megapode is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List: it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Vulnerable species.

How is the nicobar megapode classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderGalliformes
  5. familyMegapodiidae
  6. genusMegapodius
  7. SpeciesMegapodius nicobariensis Blyth, 1846

Synonyms Megapodius freycinet nicobariensis, Megapodius nicobarensis

Other names and names in other languages (43)
  • Nicobar scrubfowlEnglish
  • Nicobar scrubfowlEnglish
  • Nicobar scrubfowl or Nicobar megapodeEnglish
  • Nicobar scrubfowl or Nicobar megapodeEnglish
  • شقبان نيكوباريArabic
  • Megàpode de les NicobarCatalan
  • megàpode de les illes NicobarCatalan
  • aderyn tomen NicobarWelsh
  • NicobarbuskhøneDanish
  • NikobarenhuhnGerman
  • Nicobar-HuhnGerman
  • Nikobar-GroßfußhuhnGerman
  • Nikobaren-GroßfußhuhnGerman
  • NikobarengroßfußhuhnGerman
  • nikobara megapodoEsperanto
  • Nikobara nestamasuloEsperanto
  • Megapodio SelvaticoSpanish
  • Talégalo de NicobarSpanish
  • nicobari rihukanaEstonian
  • nikobaarienisojalkaFinnish
  • Mégapode des NicobarFrench
  • निकोबार मॅगापोडHindi
  • nikobarska kokošinaCroatian
  • nikobári ásótyúkHungarian
  • Megapodio delle NicobareItalian
  • ニコバルツカツクリJapanese
  • nikobarinė didžiakojė vištaLithuanian
  • နီကိုဘာကြက်Burmese
  • NicobarenboshoenDutch
  • nikobarovnhøneNorwegian
  • nogal nikobarskiPolish
  • نکوبار سکربفاؤلWestern Panjabi
  • frango-do-mato-de-nicobarPortuguese
  • frango-do-mato-das-nicobarPortuguese
  • Никобарская курицаRussian
  • Никобарский большеногRussian
  • tabon nikobarskýSlovak
  • Nikobarska megapodaSerbian
  • nikobarstorfotshönaSwedish
  • Nikobar MegapoduTurkish
  • великоніг нікобарськийUkrainian
  • 尼柯巴塚雉Chinese
  • 尼科巴塚雉Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the nicobar megapode

Other species in the same genus Megapodius.

CompareNicobar megapode vs Orange-footed scrubfowlNicobar megapode vs Tongan megapodeNicobar megapode vs Philippine megapodeNicobar megapode vs Dusky megapode

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the nicobar megapode?

An adult nicobar megapode weighs 750 g – 935 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the nicobar megapode endangered?

The nicobar megapode is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.

What kind of animal is the nicobar megapode?

The nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis) belongs to the family Megapodiidae in the order Galliformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/nicobar-megapode

MLA

“Nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/nicobar-megapode.

BibTeX
@misc{nicobar_megapode_2026,
  title = {Nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/nicobar-megapode},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}