maleo

Thân thiện

A maleo buries its eggs in the warm sand of a beach.

Definition

Noun: 1. A large bird of the megapode family: The maleo is a distinctive bird native to Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is known for its unique reproductive behavior of laying its eggs in holes dug in sandy beaches or sun-warmed volcanic soil, relying on geothermal or solar heat for incubation instead of body heat.

Usage Examples

• The maleo is an endangered species due to habitat loss and egg harvesting.
• Conservationists are working to protect the nesting grounds of the maleo.
• Unlike most birds, the maleo chick is superprecocial, meaning it can fly almost immediately after hatching from its underground nest.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used specifically in ornithological and conservation contexts to refer to .
• It can be used attributively as a noun modifier (e.g., maleo nesting site, maleo conservation program).

Variants and Related Words

• Megapode (n): The broader family of birds to which the maleo belongs, all known for building incubation mounds or using environmental heat sources for their eggs.
• Macrocephalon maleo (n): The full scientific binomial name for the species.

Synonyms

• Megapode (general category)
• Incubator bird (descriptive term for the family's behavior)

Notes

• There are no specific phrasal verbs or idioms commonly associated with this highly specific zoological term. Its usage is almost exclusively literal and scientific.

Học thuật

Noun

1. Celebes megapode that lays eggs in holes in sandy beaches

Từ đồng nghĩa

• macrocephalon maleo