With the scientific name Macrocephalon maleo, the Maleo bird is a large megapode (incubator birds or mound-builders) and the only member of the monotypic genus Macrocephalon. By all accounts, they are exceptional birds. They are chicken-like creatures with duotone plumage; a minimalist contrast of coal-black above and soft, peach-pink below. The bare, multi-colored skin of their heads — somewhat reminiscent of a vulture — is capped by an unusual, bulbous protrusion called a casque. This adornment has affectionately been described similar to a football helmet or a walnut. The Maleo ranges from 55–60 cm long, and their greyish blue feet have four long sharp claws, separated by a membranous web.
The Unique Maleo Bird of Sulawesi
Maleos are swift, plump birds built on stout legs that help them wend their way through the forest undergrowth as well as build their nests. Unlike many other birds, megapodes such as the maleo do not incubate their nests using their body heat, rather they let nature do the work. As their name suggests, most mound-builders scrape together enormous piles on the forest floor; a layer of decomposing vegetation at the bottom, with a layer of soil or sand on top, and the eggs sandwiched in between. The chemical process of vegetative decay below releases heat which is then trapped by the blanketing layer of earth, resulting in incubation.
However, unlike other megapode species that dutifully attend their mounds — adding or removing content to maintain the proper temperature within — maleos evolved using a different strategy. Maleos on Sulawesi tap the natural resources of the island, relying on heat from thermal vents or sun-warmed sand to incubate their eggs. Moreover, instead of building up like other megapodes, maleos dig down. A maleo pair works together to excavate a hole at a communal nesting area, sometimes surrounded by other maleos doing the same thing. The birds regularly sample sand or earth with their mouths as they dig, thus “tasting” the temperature as they go. When they find a pocket with the right temperature (somewhere around 33 degrees Celsius), the female then lays a single, massive egg, which she carefully places upright in the hole, then covers it. This is why their nests are found in the open sandy areas, volcanic soil, or beaches.
The Strange Maleo Bird Egg
The egg, five times larger than an ordinary chicken egg and containing twice as much yolk, is the largest laid by any megapode. Females can lay anywhere between 8-12 eggs over the course of a year. Maleo birds breed all year round, but peak breeding season varies depending upon the location on the island.
The hot sand of Sulawesi acts as an incubator for maleo eggs, which are warmed with geothermal heat or solar heat. A maleo chick is completely self-sufficient only hours after hatching. For this reason, maleo eggs are approximately five times the size of a domestic chicken’s, as they contain nearly full-formed maleo birds inside. It must dig its way up through the sand immediately after birth, and subsequently has the ability to fly and feed itself.
Since 1972, this species has been fully protected under Indonesian law. As of 2005, it is estimated that only 4,000-7,000 breeding pairs currently exist in the wild. Due to the egg poaching threats, current population number of the species is shrinking, and the maleo is now evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Conservation efforts are continuously undertaken in a number of National Parks and Nature Reserves in Sulawesi Island including the Lore Lindu National Park, Tangkoko Nature Reserves, and Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park. Protecting and ensuring the existence of these magnificent creatures, these national parks and nature reserves are the only places where one can observe maleo birds in the wild in their natural habitat.
0 comments:
Post a Comment