Malleefowl

## Description

The malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata ) is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental care after the chicks hatch. It is the only living representative of the genus Leipoa, though the extinct giant malleefowl was a close relative.

## Appearance

The Malleefowl is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental care after the chicks hatch. Adult males and females look similar; they are pale grey-brown in color and have black markings on the throat. These birds have a white stripe under the eyes, blackish bill, and their legs and feet are grey in color.

## Distribution

Malleefowl are found in southern Australia, where they are now reduced to three separate populations: the Murray-Murrumbidgee basin, west of Spencer Gulf along the fringes of the Simpson Desert, and the semiarid fringe of Western Australia's fertile southwest corner. These birds inhabit semiarid mallee scrub, savanna, and woodlands dominated by eucalypt and acacia.

## Behavior

Malleefowl live in pairs that occupy a territory, but usually roost and feed apart. They are shy and wary birds that generally fly only to escape danger or reach a tree to roost in. They are very active, but very seldom seen as they freeze if disturbed, relying on their intricately patterned plumage to render them invisible; they also fade silently and rapidly into the undergrowth (flying away only if surprised or chased). These birds have many tactics to run away from predators. Malleefowl forage during the day on the ground or on low shrubs. They search for food walking through the woodlands, or scratch around leaf litter where they hope to find ants or other insects. To communicate with each other malleefowl make crooning noises and grunts.

## Diet

Malleefowl are omnivores. Their diet consists of seeds, herbs, fruit, fungi, flower blossoms, buds, tubers as wells as small insects and lerps.

## Reproduction

Malleefowl are monogamous and mate for life. In winter, the male selects an area of ground, usually a small, open space between the stunted trees of the mallee, and scrapes a depression about 3 m (9.8 ft) across and just under 1 m (3.3 ft) deep in the sandy soil by raking backwards with his feet. In late winter and early spring, he begins to collect organic material to fill it with, scraping sticks, leaves, and bark into windrows for up to 50 m (160 ft) around the hole, and building it into a nest mound, which usually rises to about 0.6 m (2.0 ft) above ground level. After the rain, he turns and mixes the material to encourage decay, and if conditions allow, digs an egg chamber in August (the last month of the southern winter). The female sometimes assists with the excavation of the egg chamber, and the timing varies with temperature and rainfall. The female usually lays between September and February, provided enough rain has fallen to start organic decay of the litter. The male continues to maintain the nest mound, gradually adding more soil to the mix as the summer approaches (presumably to regulate the temperature). The female lays a clutch of 2-3 to over 30 large, thin-shelled eggs, mostly about 15. Incubation time depends on temperature and can be between about 50-100 days. Hatchlings use their strong feet to break out of the egg and then scratch their way to the surface. The chicks then quickly emerge from the hole and roll or stagger to the base of the mound, disappearing into the scrub within moments. Within an hour, they will be able to run reasonably well; they can flutter for a short distance and run very fast within two hours, and despite not having yet grown tail feathers, they can fly strongly within a day. Chicks have no contact with adults or other chicks; they tend to hatch one at a time, and birds of any age ignore one another except for mating or territorial disputes.

## Population

### Population threats

Malleefowl are threatened by fire regimens and the ongoing destruction and habitat fragmentation. These birds are particularly vulnerable to the increasing frequency and severity of the drought that has resulted from climate change. They also suffer predation from cats and the introduced red fox.

### Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, the total Malleefowl population size is around 100,000 mature individuals, roughly equating to 150,000 total individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

## Fun Facts for Kids

The name of these birds originates from the type of habitat that they live in. Mallee is a certain eucalypt species and is the dominant vegetation throughout the semiarid areas of Australia.

In the central desert of Australia, Malleefowl is known by the aboriginal name Nganamara.

Male malleefowl usually build their first mound (or take over an existing one) in their fourth year but tend not to achieve as impressive a structure as older birds.

Although malleefowl form long-lasting pair bonds and the males always stay nearby to defend the nests for nine months of the year, they still can wander at other times and not always return to the same territory.

Each egg that the female malleefowl lays weighs about 10% of the female's body weight, and over a season, she commonly lays 250% of her own weight.

Female malleefowl don't incubate their eggs, instead, the mound generates heat to incubate the eggs. Males are usually responsible for controlling the temperature of the mound which should be about 33°C; they test the temperature by dipping their beak into it and then carefully add or remove material to the mound.

In order to make their way to the surface after hatching Malleefowl chicks lie on their backs and scratch their way to the surface, struggling hard for 5-10 minutes to gain 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) at a time, and then rest for an hour or so before starting again. Reaching the surface usually takes between 2 and 15 hours.

When the chicks pop out of the nesting material they show little or no warning; their eyes and beaks are tightly closed and they immediately take a deep breath and open their eyes, before freezing motionless for as long as 20 minutes.