Pile-builder megapode he named "Tetrao australis". Considering that all "Tetrao" species have feathered legs, Anderson's bird might well have been a megapode. Pile-builder megapode The pile-builder megapode ("Megapodius molistructor") is an extinct species of megapode. The subfossil remains were found by Jean-Christophe Balouet and Storrs L. Olson in the Pindai Caves of New Caledonia. Its remains have also been found on Tonga. With a weight of 3.5 kg, "M. molistructor" was heavier than all existing "Megapodius" species. On Tonga, it was the largest ground-dwelling bird species. The fossil material consists of a left tarsometatarsus, a complete left scapula, a half right scapula,
Nicobar megapode Nicobar megapode The Nicobar megapode or Nicobar scrubfowl ("Megapodius nicobariensis") is a megapode found in some of the Nicobar Islands (India). Like other megapode relatives, it builds a large mound nest with soil and vegetation, with the eggs hatched 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 are on the edge of the distribution of megapodes, well separated from the nearest ranges of other megapode species. Being restricted to small islands and threatened by hunting, the species is vulnerable