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mallee fowl
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Illustration of a mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata), a ground-dwelling bird with brown, black, and white patterned feathers, long legs, and a slightly curved beak.
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mallee fowl

bird
Also known as: Leipoa ocellata, lowan, mallee bird
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Illustration of a mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata), a ground-dwelling bird with brown, black, and white patterned feathers, long legs, and a slightly curved beak.
Mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata)

The mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata) is a chicken-like bird native to the scrub vegetation of southern interior Australia. This bird is known for its unique nesting behavior. The male constructs a large mound of decaying vegetation, which can take up to 11 months to build. This mound, reaching about 1 meter deep and 4.5 meters across, is covered with sandy soil.1

The female lays her eggs in a central chamber within the mound. The heat generated by the fermenting plant matter, maintained by the male at approximately 33° C (91° F), incubates the eggs. After about seven weeks, the hatchlings emerge and are capable of flight within a day or two, fending for themselves immediately.1

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. megapode
  2. mallee bird
  3. Mayfowl

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