Nicobar megapode may be used by more than one pair of birds. Microbial activity is the primary source of heat within mounds for incubation. The incubation period is approximately 70–80 days varying based on the incubation temperature. The young birds hatch fully feathered, and as soon as the feathers dry up, can fly. They do not need any parental care and join the group immediately. In the 1900s, eggs taken to Calcutta zoo hatched and the chicks, reared on a diet of termites, grew very tame. Nicobar megapode The Nicobar megapode or Nicobar scrubfowl ("Megapodius nicobariensis") is a megapode found in some
Dusky megapode subspecies of this species, but the two are increasingly treated as separate species. 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. A fairly common species throughout a large part of its range, the dusky scrubfowl is evaluated as least concern on