megapode
/ˈmɛɡəˌpoʊd/
noun
- A bird of the family Megapodiidae, found in Australasia, that builds large mounds of earth and vegetation to incubate its eggs using heat from the sun or decaying matter.
- Unlike most birds, megapode chicks hatch fully feathered and can fly almost immediately.
- We spotted a megapode scratching through leaves in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea.
- The megapode uses volcanic heat to warm its eggs instead of sitting on them.