Maleo

## About

A maleo on a beach.

The maleo ***(Macrocephalon maleo)*** is a species of ground-nesting Megapode bird which inhabits the coastal areas of Sulawesi and Buton, Indonesia. Maleo have black plumage across most of their body, excluding the chest and underbelly, which are a salmon colour. The head is small and the eyes are framed with un-feathered orange-yellow skin. The head is also crowned by a tough black structure known as a 'helmet' or 'casque'. They also have relatively large bluish-grey feet, with long toes. Despite their appearance and characteristics of a terrestrial lifestyle, maleo can fly and often perch in trees. Maleo grow from lengths of 55-60cm (22-24in) and weigh only 1.6kg (3.5lbs). There is little to no apparent sexual dimorphism exhibited within the species.

## Diet

Maleo eat mostly small invertebrates including ants, termites, beetles, molluscs and others. They will also eat fruit and seeds.

## Conservation Status

Maleo are classed as critically endangered by the IUCN and have suffered a population decline of as much as 90% in the last 60 years. A lot of this decline in population can be attributed to nest disturbances caused by humans, which have caused many nesting colonies to abandon eggs and nesting sites. Additionally, egg poaching is also common practice. Contributing to nest abandonment is also forest degradation and deforestation, which destroy maleo habitat and create poor nesting conditions. Destructive forest fires which occurred in 2000 and 2004 have also been blamed for disjointed nest connectivity in nesting colonies. This is no more apparent than in nesting statistics. To elaborate, 147 nesting sites are known to exist, yet only 49 are being utilised and only 3 have been found on Buton and all of which are at risk of abandonment. The maximum amount of individuals routinely attending nesting sites decreasing by more than 80% over the past three decades. Deforestation is most common in Sulawesi and Buton for the purpose of increasing infrastructure and agricultural plantations however, this has caused substantial population fragmentation among the maleo population, particularly between the coastal breeding sites and the non-breeding habitat. This has led to an increase in chick predation and overall mortality. These practices are continually common around national parks where maleo reside, in addition to gold-mining, maleo hunting for sport and deforestation at the hands of invasive vegetation. Other invasive threats include the introduction of predatory species like dogs, cats, pigs and mice due to the increase in human population.

## Range and Population

Maleo occur only on two Indonesian islands, being Sulawesi and neighbouring Buton to the southeast. Maleo inhabit the wooded areas like dense rainforest and swampy lowlands however, they are most commonly found in coastal and wetland areas, where they lay their eggs. There are an estimated 8,000-14,000 mature individuals, with 12,000-21,000 individuals in total. Additionally, an estimated 4,000-7,000 mature individuals are breeding pairs. Despite the large figures, continued surveys have again proven that the maleo population is in rapid decline. Evidence has shown however, that continual conservation efforts can restore population numbers, such as in the key areas of Sulawesi, where individuals in Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, Tanjung Nato and Tanjung Matop on the northern coast and Lore Lindu National Park, Morowali Nature Reserve and Sungai Bosu in central Sulawesi as well as three additional sites on the island's eastern peninsular. Local guardianship and nest ground management can be credited WCS Indonesia, which has protected the sites since 2001. Through a combination of community-based conservation efforts outside of nesting areas and supporting sustainable coconut-centric agricultural efforts, WCS Indonesia released 10,000 maleo chicks into the wild by the end of 2015. WCS Indonesia has also legally purchased nesting land for the continued protection of similar sites.

## Behaviour

Maleo are terrestrial birds which spend of their time foraging on the ground however, they are also fully flighted and are often spotted perched in trees, or in flight. Maleo use their large feet to dig and sift through sand while traversing the forest floor, usually in an attempt to forage food. Maleo breed year round and subpopulations see peaks in specific months or seasons depending on their respective ranges on the island. After a male and female maleo have paired up, the two will traverse the coastal areas of their range in search of ancestral nesting grounds. Unlike the other mound-nesting birds in their family, maleo do not form mud or mound nests and instead dig into the earth with their large feet in an attempt to dig a thermo-concentrated nest in the sand. Maleo have a complex understanding of their environment and will aim to create their nest in naturally warm sands under direct sunlight, or above apparent thermal vents. They will specifically search for nesting sites of approximately 33ᵒC (91ᵒF). Maleo are monogamous and dig these pits in pairs however, following this are uninvolved in the chick's life. While one digs, the other maleo surveys the land for predators. Multiple pairs can be found digging and burying nests at the same site, as they are a communally nesting species. The egg is then laid into the pit and buried, left to incubate for 2-3 months, before hatching and burrowing to the surface in a process which may take up to a few days. Once the chick reaches the outside world, it will instinctively fly or run into the bordering rainforest. A maleo egg is five times the size of a chicken's egg and possesses twice as much yolk, making the maleo egg the largest of the Megapodes.

### Relationship with Humans

Maleo eggs are often poached and adult maleo are infrequently hunted for sport. Outside of direct poaching, maleo are also threatened by habitat encroachment through mining, deforestation and creation of infrastructure.

## In Captivity

The maleo is uncommon in zoos however, the Bronx, Nashville and Houston zoos in the United States exhibit the species. Bronx Zoo is notable for attempting the breed the species. The breeding maleo pair at the Bronx Zoo were also spotlighted in the Animal Planet show: *'The Zoo'* where they were highlighted for their enigmatic nature.

## Sources

* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22678576/194673255
* Maleo | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleo
* Maleo: A success story of Indonesia's strange pit-digging bird | Mongabay - https://news.mongabay.com/2015/10/the-maleo-a-success-story-for-indonesias-strange-pit-digging-bird/
* Maleo | WCS Indonesia - https://indonesia.wcs.org/en-us/Wildlife/Maleo.aspx
* Maleo | Animalia.bio - https://animalia.bio/maleo
* Maleo | ZOOINSTITUTES - https://zooinstitutes.com/animals/maleo-2583/