Megapode - definition of megapode by The Free Dictionary Megapode - definition of megapode by The Free Dictionary (mĕg′ə-pōd′) n. Any of various large-footed, ground-dwelling birds of the family Megapodiidae, found in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific islands, that build mounds or burrows of earth and compost in which to incubate their eggs. Also called mound builder. [From Megapodius, type genus : mega- + New Latin -podius, masculine of -podium, -pod.] megapode (ˈmɛɡəˌpəʊd) n (Animals) any ground-living gallinaceous bird of the family Megapodiidae, of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands. Their eggs incubate in mounds of sand, rotting vegetation, etc, by natural heat.

Also called: mound-builder or moundbird See also brush turkey , mallee fowl ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: leipoa , Leipoa ocellata , lowan , mallee fowl - Australian mound bird; incubates eggs naturally in sandy mounds Alectura lathami , brush turkey - black megapode of wooded regions of Australia and New Guinea Macrocephalon maleo , maleo - Celebes megapode that lays eggs in holes in sandy beaches Translations megápodo Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: maleo References in classic literature ? He ate out of a sense of necessity and duty, and cared little for what he ate, save for one thing: the eggs of the megapodes that were, in season, laid in his private, personal, strictly tabooed megapode laying-yard.

The relationship between animal foraging and nutrient patchiness in south-west Australian woodland soils The Navy prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS) to consider the impact on migratory birds, consulted with the FWS under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (15) to assess the effects on the protected Micronesian megapode, and identified and implemented mitigation measures to avoid and minimize adverse impacts. "Excuse me, sir, do you have a permit for that bomb?" (military installations and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act) Spreading east from Wallace's Line, Wallacea is a sort of no-man's land between Asian and Australian realms, the exclusive home of many strange creatures like the dragons of Komodo, the dwarf buffalos of Sulawesi, and the megapode birds of the Moluccas. What does megapode mean?

definition and meaning (Free English Language Dictionary) Hypernyms ("megapode" is a kind of...): gallinacean ; gallinaceous bird (heavy-bodied largely ground-feeding domestic or game birds) Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "megapode"): leipoa ; Leipoa ocellata ; lowan ; mallee fowl (Australian mound bird; incubates eggs naturally in sandy mounds) Alectura lathami ; brush turkey (black megapode of wooded regions of Australia and New Guinea) Macrocephalon maleo ; maleo (Celebes megapode that lays eggs in holes in sandy beaches) Holonyms ("megapode" is a member of...): Megapode - Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki Megapode Jump to: navigation , search A strange, rare, and retiring mythological beast which apparently is only seen in Unseen University once every hundred years. It is apparently a man-high flightless bird and coloured scarlet and yellow. It is not, in the opinion of Smeems the Candle Knave , the Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography in a silly costume.

Once seen, it must be hunted, with cries of "Ho, the Megapode!" According to the Book of Traditions , the original Megapode was found in the under-butler's pantry eleven hundred years ago, escaped, and caused a veritable heyhoe-rumbelow as all the fellows pursued it through the college buildings with much mirth and good spirits. The new Master of the Traditions chose the wearer of the official Megapode costume because he wanted a creature skilled at running away who would give the Faculty a suitably long chase. Annotation Roundworld reference:Megapodes, also known as "incubator birds", are medium to large sized birds that do not incubate eggs with their body heat, but bury them in the ground, often building massive nests for that purpose - pantries of kitchen personell would be a feasible alternative if no other opportunity presents itself. They have typically large feet and strong legs (hence the name), making good use of them when running away from danger. They are mainly found in the roundworld counterpart to XXXX and surrounding areas, so that their appearance at Unseen University might be the result of the spatial nexus in the room of the Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography.

An example of a scarlet and yellow couloured species is the Australian Brush-turkey (Alectura lathami), here seen running away from something. [ [1] ]. Megapodes are superprecocial, that is they hatch from their eggs in very mature condition and are able to run, and in some species, to fly on the same day they hatch. They share this trait with the discworld Phoenix , who also does not use body heat for incubation, indicating a possible relation between the families. The University's Megapode Hunt bears some resemblence to the Mallard Hunt that takes place at All Souls College, Oxford once a century. This is in comemoration of a bird that flew out of the foundations when the College was being built, and involves a song with the chorus "Ho, by the blood of King Edward/It was a swapping, swapping mallard!" The ceremony last took place in 2001. The Earthlife Web - Birds as Builders Birds as Builders of Homes Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow has her nest, where she rears her brood besides thy altars, Oh Lord of Hosts, my King and my God.

Psalm 84 v.3 Birds, far more than any other animal besides man, are notable for their tendency to build a home in which to raise their young, and in some cases to use all year round. Birds are not the only animals to make a nest; fishes, mammals, insects and spiders also build nests, sometimes quite complex ones, for rearing young and for their own general protection. For the extent of this page we will define a nest as anything constructed by a bird or where a bird lays its eggs. This is the broadest possible definition and allows us to discuss the full extent of bird nesting habits. Bird nests range from non-existent to extensive, multi-chambered apartments which can be fully weatherproof and may last for years or even decades. Nests come in a wide range of categories, the following groups cover most nests you will find. Some of these 12 categories are quite small, others are large containing a huge diversity: Not Nests Introduction Before building a nest the pair have to decide on where to build. This is called 'nest site selection' behaviour. Different species go about this in various ways, in many species both partners work together to decide on the site.

Birds in this category include many gulls. In some species, though the pair work together the female takes a definite lead on the proceedings, i.e. Blackbirds, Turdus merula, and surprisingly the Red-necked Phalarope Phaleropus lobatus. This is surprising because once the site has been chosen the female lays her eggs and departs, leaving the male to do all the incubation. In other species such as the Dunnock, Prunella modularis, the female chooses the site and builds the nest. In contrast, with Blue tits, Parus caerulea, European Sparrows, Passer domesticus, and Wrens, Troglodytes troglodytes, it is the male who chooses the site and then tries to attract the female to it. The male Wren is a bit of a workaholic and builds several nets, normally 4 or 5, but up to 12. The female chooses one of these and the male uses another to roost in. Just to prove that variety is the spice of life, Scottish Crossbills, Loxia pinicola, show no definite patterns. In some couples the male leads, in others the female.

The second behavioural activity is material collection and building. These range from 'sideways throwing' - a simple single movement to get nesting material to the nest, this is limited to ground nesters only. 'Sideways building' is similar but involves more care in the placing of the material and results in a better constructed nest. Sideways throwing and sideways building are exhibited by many ducks, geese, gulls, petrels, pheasants swans and waders. Physically carrying material to the nest site is the next step up and is carried out by all the remaining nest building birds. At the simplest it is shown by penguins carrying a stone in their bills few metres to the nest site. At its most complex it involves birds searching out for particular substances such as cobwebs and feathers to bring to the nest. Once material is brought to the site it needs to be incorporated into the nest. For ground nesting species this can be as simple as just picking it up. For tree nesting species, it usually involves some degree of interweaving the individual items until they form some sort of matrix.

This can be fairly straight forward in the platform nests of pigeons, but reaches great sophistication in the weavers where material is actually sown together, where a considerable degree of manipulatory skill is needed. Whatever the type of nest, watching a bird build one is a fascinating and rewarding experience. No Nest The simplest nest of course is no nest at all. Quite a few birds do not build any nest at all, though they do make a choice of where to lay. Beyond this is a simple scrape in the ground. Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) do not make even a scrape. They lay their two eggs directly onto the ground. While Short-eared Owls, Asio flammeus, lay simply on some trampled vegetation. Many waders, such as Plovers, lay in a simple scrape on bare ground, relying on the cryptic colouration of their eggs to protect them from predation. Some of the more unusual examples of no nest laying include the Potoos, Nyctibius spp., which lay their single egg on top of a broken off tree stump. The bird then sits on top of the stump with its head pointing to the sky. In this position it looks like an extension of the dead timber.

It generally chooses stumps of similar diameter to itself. Even trickier are the 'nests' of Fairy Terns, Sterna nereis, another species which lays only one egg. The egg is laid on a branch on a rock face, generally on an area too small to support 2 eggs. Laying the egg in a position where it won't roll off is tricky and young birds often lose their first attempts before they get the hang of choosing a safe spot. Fairy Terns have two adaptations to help them survive this seemingly precarious nesting habit - The adults have evolved to be very careful when settling on and getting off the egg - both sexes incubate the egg. The second adaptation is that young Fairy Terns have disproportionally large feet and very sharp claws which help them hang on. The master of no nest nesting, however, has to be the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). These birds nest in the Antarctic during winter when the temperature can fall to less than -30 degrees C. They nest well inland and when the female has laid the single egg she leaves for the coast to feed. Meanwhile the male has immediately taken over care for the egg by moving it up onto the top of his feet.

He has special folds of skin on his belly which enfold the egg keeping it safe against all the severity of the elements. Here he stays, a living nest with an egg on his feed for the next 60 days without a meal or much movement until his mate returns and the egg hatches. During this time he has maintained the internal temperature of the egg at 40 degrees C, as much as 80 degrees C higher than the surrounding ambient temperature. Simple Nests Simple nests are constructed of either plant material, normally sticks or stones. They are quite common and like no nest nesters all the birds that use them are non-passerines. The best example of a simple stone nest is that of Adelie Penguins. The nest is basically a mound of stones which serves as protection against flooding. Most simple nests, however, are made of sticks and twigs built into a simple platform, which though it may have a depression in the middle and be quite extensive does not really have an inside and outside. A common example of a simple platform nest are those constructed by many doves and pigeons.

Those, like that of the Ruddy Quail Dove, Geotrygon montana, are often a simple lattice with just enough twigs to support the egg. In these cases the egg can often be seen through the nest from beneath. Sometimes a flimsy lining of grass and rootlets may be added and in some cases the lining may be more complete. Another bird which builds a simple platform is the Hoatzin from S. America. Another well known example of a platform nest and one which is more substantial than a pigeon's is that of the European White Stork, Ciconia ciconia, which has for centuries nested on chimneys and specially erected platforms across Europe. More complicated than the previous nests, it consists of sticks interwoven then plastered to some extent with mud. A depression in the middle is often lined with grass or paper. Mute Swans' (Cygnus olor)nests are an example of a different form of simple nest construction. No material is carried to the nest. Instead, once the site is chosen and the vegetation flattened, the eggs are laid and the female swan builds up the nest around her by dragging material within reach to her so that eventually it forms a rampart around her.

Other birds which build simple nests include many gulls and herons. The most spectacular nests in this category are those built by various eagles. Most build in trees and the nests of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)in N. America can be so heavy that they damage the tree supporting them. The largest nests on record, however, are those of the Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, which tend to build a new nest on top of the previous year's nest, resulting in huge structures often containing more than a ton of material. Fortunately, Golden Eagles prefer rocky alpine crags as nest sites which can often support these massive structures more easily than a tree. Golden Eagles are known to adorn their nests with sprigs of green boughs throughout the nesting season, well after the young have hatched. Many of the foremost researchers believe that this is evidence of a rudimentary aesthetic sense. Cup-shaped Nests The next step up from a simple platform nest is a cup-shaped nest. These are the most numerous form of nest and one that most people consider a typical nest. They are distinguishable because they have a definite inside as well as an outside and the inside is normally lined.

They require more effort to make but convey more protection to the eggs and young birds. Cup-shaped nests can be built in a variety of places, but normally they are built in trees. Often the simplest form is wedged into a 'Y'-shape division of a branch, but many birds bind or cement them directly to a bough. The smallest cup-shaped nests belong to the Humming birds and Woodstars which build perfectly shaped thimble sized nests of moss and cobwebs. Often the female bird flies during the whole construction, hovering here and there while building up the shape. Different birds' nests take different lengths of time to build. Some are completed in a day, others take 2-3 weeks to complete. Cup-shaped nests are often built of a mixture of substances. Redwings, Turdus iliacus, build nests of leaves, grasses and fine twigs cemented together and then lined with moss and feathers. Not all cup-shaped nests have a soft lining though. The female Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos, lines her nest with mud, dung and rotten wood all of which is cemented together to form a very hard inner surface.

The other extreme to the delicate nest of the Humming birds are the large scraggly looking structures built by crows. The initial outside of the nest, built of twigs and grass cemented together with mud, is larger than the adult bird. Within this rough exterior a deep cup lined with moss and feathers is made. Crows' Corvus corone nests often look rough and ready, but inside they are warm and comfortable. Crows build very well and their nests last for several years, but unlike the closely related but larger Raven Corvus corax, they never reuse a nest. Other birds, like Kestrels Falco tinnunculus, are happy to use them once the crow has finished with them. Enclosed Nests Enclosed nests are basically an extended cup nest where the basic cup has deeper walls and a roof, with an entrance hole. Domed or enclosed nests would seem to offer more protection for the eggs and young than a simple cup. In some cases they obviously do, and they also supply better protection from the elements, though there is not much scientific evidence to support the theory that they offer better protection from predators. As with all these categories of nests there is a gradient of complexity and quality among domed nests.

The simplest have only a loose roof like those of the Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita, or a separate roof constructed about the dome such as the nest of the Magpie, Pica pica. Wrens and Dipper build more solid domes. Many domed nests are very intricate and solidly constructed. They may be small and beautiful such as the nests of the Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus, which camouflages the outside with lichens and lines the inside with hundreds of thousands of feathers. The largest and most spectacular domed nests belong to the Hammerkop, Scopus umbretta. These birds build a huge dome of over 8000 sticks which can be 2 m high and nearly 2 m wide. This nest is easily strong enough to withstand a man walking across the top of it. They have a long entrance tunnel and are the avian equivalent of a fortress. A more unusual example of a domed nest is the nest of the Rufous-breasted Castle Builder, Synallaxis crythrothorax, which creates a dumbbell-shaped nest with a tube connecting both chambers, only one of which is used to rear the young.

Hanging and Woven Nests Hanging nests, particularly woven ones are perhaps the most admirable of bird architecture. They certainly look very beautiful and most require great skill on behalf of the bird to build. The simplest hanging nests are cup-nests slung from an overhead bough by a few cobweb supports such as the nests of the Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, the Fire Crest, Regulus ignicapillus, and various White Eyes Zosteropidae. An interesting variation is the hanging cup nest of the Hummingbird (Planalto Hermit), Phaethornis pretrei, which has only a single support cable for its nest. To help keep it stable it has a streamer of grass and cobwebs hanging down below the nest. Other birds which build hanging nests include the Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, the Fantailed Warbler, Cisticola juncidis, and the Rock Warbler, Origma rubricata, though this last species is not technically speaking a warbler. Better known than these are the hanging, often on mass, nests of the Icteridae and Oriolidae.

There are nearly 100 species of weaver birds renowned for their carefully woven hanging nests. These nests tend to be either hung from the tip of a branch or leaf, or suspended between two twigs. They are globular in shape with a single entrance hole. Apart form globular nests, weaver Birds also construct kidney-shaped nests and retort-shaped nests are basically globular nests with an entrance tunnel. Whatever their shape, nearly all weavers make their nests out of grass and the nests are truly woven with the bird moving from side to side, poking part of the strand of grass through the wall from the side and then pulling it completely through from the other. Holes in the Ground Many birds nest on the ground with nests of varying degrees of complexity but far fewer nest within holes in the ground. Nesting in holes would seem to be a better strategy than nesting in the open. One survey of over 180,000 eggs revealed that where non-hole nesters averaged 50% rearing success, hole nesters averaged 70%. Two main sorts of holes can be distinguished; those which open onto a cliff edge or a vertical edge of a river bank, and those holes in relatively flat ground.

A second plane of division is between those birds which dig their own holes and those which make use of other people's. Commonly recognised birds which nest in cliff edge holes include House Martins (Delichon urbica)and Sand Martins (Riparia riparia)and the widely distributed European Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). Other Kingfishers such as the Malachite Kingfisher, Alcedo cristata, several parrots in the S. American genus Conure and the Ground Woodpecker, (Geocoloptes obroceus) of S. Africa also nest in cliff edges. More unusual are D'Arnoud's Barbet, (Trachyphorus darnoudii), and the White-whiskered Soft-wing, (Malacoptila panamensis), which nest in holes dug into flat ground. These sorts of nests may all be lined to some extent and are generally dry well-protected homes. Excavating your own holes, of course, is hard work and many birds are happy to take possession of someone else's efforts. Thus the Shelduck, (Tadorna tadorna), among several ducks, and the Manx Shearwater, prefer to nest in abandoned rabbit holes.

Not as pleasant as this, Cinclodes sp. and Sharp-tailed Stream Creeper's (Lochmias nematura)nest in rodent burrows. In the latter case the burrows are often in the edges of open sewers giving the bird the nickname 'President of Filth' in Brazilian shanty towns. Holes in Wood Mud or earth, of course, is not the only place to make a hole and many birds nest in holes found or excavated in trees, cacti and even in termite nests. Making a nest in a hole that already exists in a tree is not really an architectural feat as it involves little effort on the bird's behalf. Still, holes in trees, alive or dead, make excellent nest sites and numerous bird use them. Some, like the Blue tit, Parus caerulea, and several of its relatives, Redstarts (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), the common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, and many of its relatives, as well as various Flycatchers use existing holes to nest in, making very little modification to the hole except to supply some lining as nest material.

Others, like the many hole nesting Parrots and Nuthatches, will modify existing holes to varying degrees. Fewer birds excavate their own holes in trees, but of those that do the woodpeckers, with their impressive hammer-drill impersonations are by far the best known. However, the prize for champion tree hole nester has to go to the various species of Hornbills, Bucerotiformes. These large birds, with the exception of the two species of African Ground Hornbill, all nest in hollows in trees. This is no simple matter. The Great Indian Hornbill is a large bird, nearly a metre from bill-tip to tail-end, which likes to nest between 20-45 metres up the tree trunk so can only nest in trees which have a diameter greater than 1-2 metres at this height. Trees this large are now rare in many forests putting serious pressure on the breeding capability of these birds. Both males and females help excavate the hole which needs to be quite extensive to house the female and several chicks for some weeks. Once the hole is large enough to accommodate the female, she gets inside and helps the male wall up the entrance with a mixture of guano, woodchips and mud.

The female will remain in the hole until the young are ready to fledge. Only a small slit will be left in the mud wall to allow the male to feed the female and her young. During this time she will not only raise the chicks in great security but also moult all her feathers in one go. Hornbills are long-lived birds and mate for life, so the male has a considerable vested interest in keeping the female well-fed. Nesting in holes may be secure form many predators and much of the weather, but it has one drawback. The warm, humid conditions make ideal breeding conditions for various avian pests and nest parasites such as bird and feather lice, ticks an fleas. With a captive food supply in the young birds, parasite loads in nest holes build up rapidly. Hornbills never use the same hole twice and the need to escape these pests may have something to do with this. Other favourite sites for nest holes are cacti, many of which grow as large as small trees, and termite nets. Each of these provides an interesting example of commensualism.

Firstly, the Orange-fronted Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) of Central America nests almost exclusively in mounds built by Nasutitermes termites. Unlike other birds, mammals, etc, which nest in termite mounds, Orange-fronted Parakeets do not have the nest hole sealed off from the rest of the termite mound. Soldier termites can wander around the nest and workers remove the young birds' faeces and any parasites they can find. Obviously, this is good for the Parakeet, but what the termites get out of it, no-on knows for sure. The second relationship is quite amazing. The Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) nests in holes which it excavates in the famous Giant Saguaro cactus of N. America. In the same hole with it, nests the Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi). The Elf Owl is tolerated because it has the amazing habit of catching Western Blind snakes and bringing them alive back to the nest. The snakes are insectivores so benefit by having a cosy home and free food in the form of avian parasites.

The woodpecker benefits because it gets a reduced parasite loading, thus improving the health of its young. The Owl gets not only a reduced parasite loading and a free nest site but also protection for its young while it is hunting at night when the woodpecker is roosting in the hole. Mound Nest One of the strangest nesting habits is that followed by the Megapodes. On Saro in the Solomon Islands, come nesting time the already mated female Scrub Hens leave the forest where they have lived all year and come down to the beach to look for an area of sand known as a geu. In a geu the sand is heated form below by geothermal energy as well as from above by the sun. Into this sand the females dig a hole about 60 cm (2 ft) deep, and after testing the temperature of the sun with special heat sensors on their tongues (about 33 degrees C is best), they lay their eggs and fill the hole in. The females then return to the forest and expend no further effort on their offspring's behalf.

This and similar systems by other Megapodes such as the use of hot springs on Celebes and rotting tree stumps on other Solomon Islands involve no building effort at all. However, these facilities are not always available and in Australia and Papua New Guinea various Megapodes use the heat generated by composting organic matter to hatch their eggs. These incubator composts can be huge and require a large input of effort on the bird's behalf. Malleefowl have the most complex nesting habits of all the Megapodes. A male will commence constructing an incubation mound months before the breeding season. He first scrapes a hole in the ground (Megapodes = big feed) about 0.5 m (1.5 ft) deep. On top of this he piles all the vegetation he can find, as well as nearby topsoil. The resulting mound will be about 5 m (16 ft) across and 1m (3 ft) high. Similar, but slightly less complex nesting rituals are shown by the Scrubfowl whose ancient nests may be 12 m (36 ft) across and 5 m (16 ft) high.

Also similar are Brush Turkeys, Alectura lathami, whose nests are similar in size to a Malleefowl. Less evolved species such as the Moluccan Megapode, Eulipoa wallacei, simply dig a hole in the soil, lay the eggs and then cover them up. No further control is exercised. (Floating) Aquatic Nests Though a number of birds build their nests at the water's edge, several groups build them out in the water. Coots build nests which though surrounded by water have a foundation of vegetation, which reaches the ground below. Interestingly the Horned Coot, Fulica cornuta, which breeds on mountain lakes in the Andes where water weed is scarce, build a foundation of stones nearly to water level before building the actual nest. More adventurous are various grebes. Grebes build the nests in shallow water, and though they are often anchored at one or two points they are basically floating on the water. This is necessary because grebes which are primarily water birds are very clumsy on land and find life works better if they can swim right onto the nest. Two other groups of birds build nests which are completely afloat.

These are the Jacanas (Lily Trotters) which build extremely flimsy nests which often sink into the water while the bird is sitting. Fortunately, the eggs are waterproof so getting dunked regularly does them no harm. The others are the 3 species of Marsh Terns (eg, the Black Tern, Chilodonias niger) which build nests of broken reeds in water up to 120 cm (4 ft) deep. These nests are sometimes anchored to nearby vegetation. Mud Nests Mud is often a common resource and it makes sense that birds somewhere should have evolved to use it for nest building. Flamingos are well known and colourful birds which build very basic nests of mud. In the middle of the soda lakes of Africa, you can find both species building up piles of mud and faeces. These structures are basically a hollow mound with a depression in the centre. They are not built all at once, but some mud is built up above water level and as this dries more is put on top. They can be as much as 45 cm (1.5 ft) high. There is no lining in these nests except the mud.

Many birds build cup-shaped mud nests which rest on boughs of trees. These nests often have straw or grass mixed in with the mud making them stronger when dried, much like ancient bricks. Normally, these nets are lined with grasses, leaves, moss and feathers. Some examples of cup mud nests in trees are the Magpie Bird, Grallina cyanoleuca, and the Willie Wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys, from Australia. Two other Australian birds, both communal breeders, the Apostle bird, Struthidae cinerea, and the White-winged Chough, Corcorax melanorhamphos, also build mud nests. In East Africa the Spotted Morning Warbler, Chichladusa guttata, also builds cup nests. A number of birds build more unusual mud nests. In southern Europe the Rock Nuthatch, Sitta neumayer, builds a large mud nest on the sides of cliffs that looks like a rounded volcano on its side, i.e. if the cliff was level ground the volcano would be the right way up. In S. America the two species of Oven birds, Furnarius rufus and F.

cristatus, build perhaps the most complicated mud nests of all. The nests are globular and often situated on tree stumps. They are about the size of a football. On one side is a domed entrance which leads to a passage which curves around the left hand side before going into the central chamber. The inner chamber is well lined and comfortable looking. The best known mud nest builders are the Hirundines. Swallows and Martins all over the world labour during the Spring to build their hemispherical nests on the edges of cliffs and under the eaves of houses. The mud is collected in small pellets and moistened with saliva before being applied to the wall or existing nest. Swallow and Martins, in Europe at least, build only in the morning, spending the afternoon feeding, this means that each day's work gets a chance to dry out and become strong before new mud is added. If this did not happen the whole thing would collapse under its own weight. Like other mud nesting birds, the nest is normally lined with dried grass and feathers. Edible Nests Perhaps the strangest nests of all are those built by the species of Swiftlet in the genus Collocalia. They nest in caves and build their nests of saliva.

To do this they have enlarged salivary glands during the breeding season. To make them even more amazing, these Swiflets often nest in pitch dark caves. They are able to do this by using echolocation, similar to bats. Quite a few species use saliva in their nests to glue various materials together. Three species however, Collocalia fuciphaga, C. esculenta and C. maxima, produce nests made almost entirely, or entirely, out of saliva. These are the nests used by Chinese chefs to prepare bird nest soup, one of the more expensive and tasteless dishes in the world. The nests are collected from Niah caves and though collecting is controlled by law, it still results in a huge and unnecessary death of eggs and young birds. Book Reviews The Bird That Invented Home Insulation The Bird That Invented Home Insulation Go to permalink There are some animals you look at and wonder: How in the world did they evolve? One such bird is the megapode. This is a bird that, to carry on its species, creates a nest that incorporates materials science, biochemistry, physics, and heavy construction work.

Advertisement How did this unusual-looking bird invent a self-heating building, thousands of years before we humans did? It's one of the mysteries of nature. Top image: Michael Jefferies/Flickr.com Advertisement If you are wandering around the forests of the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, or the countryside in Australia, you may chance upon a mound that looks like the kind of thing people would dump out while they were excavating for a swimming pool. You'd glance around nervously, wondering who else was out there, and if you were lucky you'd see what looked like a small black turkey. That turkey will already be angry at you for disturbing its nest, but if it could hear what you were thinking it would also be angry with you for underestimating its engineering prowess. This animal built the kind of self-heating building that humans wouldn't be able to manage for millenia. The megapode, for that is what you have just chanced upon, starts out its nesting process by digging a good ways into the ground — up to about a yard deep. Then it starts collecting leaf litter, filling the hole and building, building, until it creates a mound that's around ten to twelve feet in diameter.

On top of this they layer sand, and above that they have another layer of leaf litter. Between the leaf litter and the sand, they deposit their eggs. They then tend to the nest for the rest of the incubation period. And it is, quite literally, an incubation period. Most people, when walking through deep dead underbrush or jumping into a mound of raked leaves, will notice that it's slightly warm inside. As bacteria break down organic matter, they heat produce carbon dioxide, water, and heat. By building a giant mound full of nothing but packed dead leaves and twigs, the megapode has managed to make a heater that will keep its eggs warm while it goes about its business. Its business has to be constantly interrupted, though, because decomposition goes through many stages. One stage produces a small amount of heat, and later stages cranks the heating up. The megapode has managed to measure what stage the material of the nest is in, and adjusts its size and composition accordingly throughout the incubation of the eggs. Sponsored This creates two different puzzles for biologists. The first puzzle is how megapodes evolved to manage the thermodynamics of their decomposing leaf litter.

It's hard enough to keep eggs at a constant temperature under the best of conditions. This bird is managing both the biochemistry and physics of a structure much larger than itself, for weeks at a time. The other, and stranger, puzzle revolves around how megapodes manage to recognize each other. The layer of sand at the top of the mound insulates the nest and keeps predators out. It also would keep helpless baby birds in. Baby megapodes, however, are not helpless. They are superprecocial, and claw their way out of the giant nest fully able to run, hunt, and fly on the very first day. They then scatter and live alone, skipping even the slightest bit of imprinting. Advertisement Advertisement This fact causes biologists to wonder how the birds even manage to recognize other birds of the same species enough to mate, and create the necessity for nests in the first place. Some researchers speculate that the birds have an instinctive way of recognizing movements or scents that are enough like their own, but it seems these creature's entire lives are simply pre-programmed into their heads — with no examples, no instructions and no blue prints.

When going on instinct means building structures so large that a human family could shelter in them for the night, it starts to look like the forces of evolution are just having sport with us. [A] Some annotations to UA - Google Groups [A] Some annotations to UA Showing 1-16 of 16 messages Some, rather trivial, annotations on Unseen Academicals. Mostly about the names. But first: On page 189, Professor Macarona is introduced as being on an exchange scheme, swapped with Professor Maidenhair. As it happens, both macaroni a.k.a. maccheroni, and maidenhair spaghetti, ar kinds of pasta. Page 199 mentions a Dr. Able Baker. This should be obvious to English readers, but foreigners may not realise that Able and Baker were the first "letters" of a previous British phone alphabet, like Alpha and Bravo in the NATO alphabet. Also on page 199, and later on as well, the brand Wizla is mentioned. Apparently the ciggie paper brand called Rizla is sold in the UK as well. On page 215, the Master of the Music is called Ritornello.

If you were wondering whether that is a musical term, wonder no more: it is. It's the name of a recurring fragment (a kind of refrain, as it were) in some types of Italian baroque music. Finally, on page 268, Trev claims that the word for the front claws of a bird of prey is "pounce", and that "talon" should only be used for the hind claws. Perhaps he is correct in current falconer slang, but in ordinary usage, the word "talon" is of older provenance as used for both kinds of claws - at least, according to the OED. Richard You missed the Small Gods reference during the street match when Trev calls Nutt "Brutha" deliberately written that way too. Just to tease us. Then we discover later Nutt was freed by Pastor Oats with an axe. Isn't it an axe he carries in Carpe Jugulum to placate Granny Weatherwax. Also oddly enough Glenda (the name of a famous movie witch) learned her cookery skills from her Granny. And The Patrician does ask if any magic is involved in their manufacture when she uses one to gain entry to his palace.

Shades of Nanny Ogg and her famous recipes? And Glendas "rounds" "helping people" sound very much like the work a witch does. Its all wheels within wheels, eh? >>> Another example is 'microtome', which should mean 'a very small book'. >>> >> A book that has encountered a microtome will indeed be very small. >> Thin, anyway. > And Lesley's use of the word is closer to the original meaning. The word > "tome" is from the Greek word meaning "cut", so a microtome is using the > word in its correct sense. That would be why the main instrument used by histologists is one or other form of a microtome. Histologists spend their time cutting unreasonably thin slices (normally around 50 nm thick for EM) of things and looking at them under various types of microscopes. > The bookish meaning came from referring to a > single volume of a multi-volume work, so the tome had been "cut" from > the body of the work. So it's odd that "tome" has come to mean an unusually large and heavy book.

-- Lesley Weston The giant chickens of New Caledonia | Earth Archives The "giant chicken" Sylviornis was a strange creature even among other large island birds. Franz Anthony Sylviornis is an example of what island life may do to most bird species. Not only was it very much bigger than any of its relatives but it was also flightless. It was a ground-dwelling herbivore that had a deep bill and a rather long neck and short, strong legs. Above its beak was a small crest that was probably used for display within the species. Avian evolution on islands has repeatedly created flightless giants, from the dodos of Mauritius to the moas of New Zealand and to Madagascar’s elephant birds. Sylviornis was 1.75 meters long, and weighed approximately 30 kg (66 lbs), making it the most massive of the gamebirds. There are even clues to the birds’ extinction, and probably the extinction of many of the native New Caledonian fauna. Six years ago members of the same research team of Anderson and Worthy and a few other colleagues published a study about the end of these animals.

It was published in the Journal of Pacific Archaeology, and included research material from New Caledonia’s Pindai Cave system. Pindai is one of the richest of the island’s fossil sites and contained the bones of about 45 species of birds. These included kagu, still alive today, species of snipe, owlet-nightjars and of course Sylviornis. Birds were not the only creatures here though. The animals found in Pindai include mice, rats, bats, monitor lizards and even the terrestrial crocodile Mekosuchus, the island’s apex predator. Radiocarbon dating of the fossils told the team that the chronologically youngest remains of the “giant chicken” were about 3000 years old. The researchers also found out that Pindai contained charcoal remains, evidence of the island’s human settlers. This indicates that many of the native fauna survived well into the common era, living alongside the island’s first people, who were probably hunter-gatherers. One thing the team could not reveal though, was whether people were entirely to blame for Sylviornis’ extinction.

The bird had certainly pulled through for a while before finally dying out so whether or not we caused its extinction or simply represented the final nail in the coffin is unknown. Most of the large and extinct New Caledonian birds were megapodes as well. Many megapodes are still alive today in Australia especially, with famous examples including the Australian brushturkey and the malleefowl. Megapodes are known for building huge mound-shaped nests, and their young are somewhat precocial, being able to run around soon after hatching. Megapodes are also members of the larger gamebird group, the Galliformes which includes birds like pheasants, partridges and chickens. None of these birds are great fliers and instead spend their lives scratching the ground for their meals. Sometimes there is marked sexual dimorphism among gamebird species, taken to an extreme by the beautiful plumes of the peacock and several pheasants.

Vasika Seacology Island Environment Blog: Island Species Archives Indonesia marine reserve update: "There were so many fish our heads were spinning" By Henry Jones on October 26, 2011 10:48 AM | Permalink We just got this GLOWING update via email from our field rep in Indonesia about the 99,000-acre marine reserve off the coast of Daram Island. (Seacology is funding the construction of a community center in nearby Fafanlap village in exchange for their support of the reserve) It was so great we just had to share: The last time I dived this site was with the Seacology trip in 2007 and while it was spectacular four years ago, the reef has exploded with fish life since then. For the first time we saw schools of Napoleon wrasse, blacktip sharks and aggregations of big grouper, all of which seem to have been locally extinct on most Indonesian reefs for over a decade. There were so many fish on this dive that our heads were spinning. I was emphatically pointing one way and Mark was emphatically pointing another way the whole dive.

I came out of that dive exhilarated and full of joy and hope that other reefs in the Misool area, with continued protection, will also look like Fafanlap in just a few short years. If they do, I can foresee that S.E. Misool will have THE best diving in the world, hands down. Saving Haiti's dying reefs: "It's probably the worst overfishing I've seen anywhere in the world" By Henry Jones on September 8, 2011 2:28 PM | Permalink This Times article about Haiti's dying reefs I think illustrates an important point about marine conservation efforts: it's not necessarily a case of environmentalism-vs-industry. You need to protect reef habitats in order to prevent the kind of " Tragedy of the Commons " scenario we're seeing unfolding in Haiti, where over-fishing continues even when it's obvious it's bad for everyone in the long run. In Haiti 54,000 fishermen rely on the ocean for their livelihood...

[and in] recent decades, as their usual catches of Nassau groupers and snappers have dwindled and disappeared, many of them have subsisted by netting and spearing small reef fish that keep coral clean of algae. Now those too are almost gone, and the algae have taken over.... Pierre Guy LaFontant, Haiti's director general of fisheries, acknowledged that overfishing was a problem and said that officials were receptive to the idea of establishing protected waters. But if the government cannot enforce its existing fishing regulations, can fishermen be persuaded to abide by an invisible line in the water? But of course it's not as simple as just protecting and waiting, since these Haitian fishermen have basic short-term needs that can't easily be put on hold. Henry Hilaire, who has fished for 36 years, gathered nets from a sailboat with several other Haitians in waters that Reef Check hopes will eventually be protected.... Mr. Hilaire pulled two small fish, each about five inches long, from his basket. "It's really too young to keep," he said, but "circumstances are such that if we didn't keep them, we'd go hungry."....

They're desperate, trying to survive, so how do you tell them not to fish here?" asked Romain Louis, 37, a literature teacher hoping to become part of the eco-diver team. Mr. Louis suggested that the fishermen would need an incentive... "Maybe, if these fishermen got a trade-off, they'd stop fishing on overfished reefs." The whole article is worth a read... As bad as things are for Haiti's coral reefs, it's good to know that conservation efforts are beginning. Animal Round-Up: Banjar Anyar edition By Henry Jones on August 16, 2011 9:48 AM | Permalink Seacology is funding the construction of a new community center in Banjar Anyar, a small village on Indonesia's island of Bali. Part of the agreement is that the good pepole of Banjar Anyar continue to serve as the guardians of the surrounding Batukahu Forest. So what kinds of creatures are being protected?

Here's a quick tour of some of Batukahu Forest's residents: Health Care for Thresher Sharks By Carynne McIver on April 1, 2011 11:29 AM | Permalink Within the animal kingdom, sharks are known for their sharp teeth , and their increasingly threatened conservation status due to the popularity of shark fin soup . But now, a study suggests that sharks are also unique for the importance they place on good hygiene and healthcare! Scientists at Bangor University in Wales have observed thresher sharks (seen in image below) visiting shallow coral reef ecosystems near the Philippines for what appear to be full-body cleanings . Upon arriving at the reef, the sharks slow down and swim in a small circle, apparently to attract the cleaner wrasse , a small fish with excellent shark-grooming skills. One scientist describes the process as "a bit like a surgery...The sharks come in with cuts and scrapes where they might have scabs and these are treated by the cleaner wrasse, which remove dead tissue from the wound area and any parasites from the skin." The sharks remain for their cleaning for up to 45 minutes, swimming in small circles near the reef.

This shark medical care is just another example of the often surprising interactions between different species within an ecosystem. Unfortunately, with threats to sharks on the rise, sometimes a trip to the cleaner wrasse may have a tragic ending. The shallow reefs where these cleanings take place are often shared by fishermen, who either hunt the sharks (or, more brutally, remove only their fins), or use dynamite or hooks on other marine species, inadvertently killing the sharks along with them. These practices, along with irresponsible tourists who hurt the reefs while observing the sharks, also cause immense harm to the cleaner wrasse fish and all other species who depend on the coral reef. Seacology has many projects that work to protect the sharks, fish, and other wildlife in the coral reefs of the Philippines and other areas around the world. Image courtesy of NOAA Old Mother Albatross By Carynne McIver on March 11, 2011 3:08 PM | Permalink Many animal species are known for the intense labors they undergo for the sake of their offspring. Sea turtles travel for thousands miles to lay their eggs on the same beaches where they hatched.

Male Emperor Penguins spend two months without food while incubating their eggs in the frigid Antarctic winter. A recent discovery adds another bird--the albatross--to the ranks of these determined parents. The oldest known bird in the Northern Hemisphere is an albatross--a large seabird known for their massive wingspan (some can be up to 11 feet wide!). Recently, scientists made a surprising discovery about this ancient bird, appropriately named Wisdom: At the age of 60, rather than considering retirement, she is the proud mother of a new baby albatross! Albatross lay only one egg a year, but scientists estimate that Wisdom has already raised at least 30 chicks in her lifetime. Many take a year off between parenting, and most albatross mate for life. Below, Wisdom is pictured with her newest baby. Meet an Island Species: The Micronesian Megapode By Carynne McIver on March 4, 2011 1:08 PM | Permalink Islands cover a tiny fraction of the planet's surface, but are home to over half of all extinctions. In this series, we'll introduce you to some of the rare and fascinating animals found on islands.

Unless you are an ornithologist, the word "megapode" might conjure images of a transformer-like creature in your mind. In reality, megapodes, or "incubator birds," are chicken-like birds who are the only type of birds to use something other than their body heat to incubate their eggs. Instead, they bury their eggs under large mounds of sand or decaying vegetation, using geothermal or volcanic heat to warm the eggs. The picture below shows a megapode standing atop his huge incubator mound. Imagine starting your life under a pile of volcanic-heated compost! Read on for more information about these unique birds. Seacology Teams Up With Undercurrent To Save Whale Sharks! By Carynne McIver on October 22, 2010 4:02 PM | Permalink The world's largest living species of fish, whale sharks are internationally recognized as vulnerable, facing threats from commercial fishing and habitat destruction. In the summer months, as many as 300 whale sharks gather north of Isla Mujeres, off Cancun, and farther north near Holbox, Mexico. These gentle giants are welcoming to human visitors, and many divers have experienced the thrill of swimming with them .

Trouble is, several times a week, huge cargo ships travel through congregation sites, sometimes striking the slow-moving creatures. Currently, there are no demarcation buoys to create shipping lanes and warn ship captains to stay clear because of the vulnerable whale sharks. Seacology is working with local guides to deploy a series of state-of-the-art demarcation buoys complete with GPS transponders that will warn ships to stay clear. Once these buoys are deployed, official navigation charts would also denote the area as a whale shark reserve. Seacology has teamed up with Undercurrent , a leading dive magazine, to help protect the whale sharks that make their home around Mexico. Undercurrent subscribers have already contributed nearly $6,000 toward the $45,000 needed for the buoy project, and the local tour operators, hotels, and other businesses in the area will be donating up to half the cost, as long as Seacology can raise the rest. Now, for every dollar you give to this project, Undercurrent subscriber Elaine Mathews of Long Beach, California, will match it with a dollar of her own, up to $5000.

That's right; your tax-deductible contribution will be doubled. Please help protect these gentle giants, by donating to Seacology . Be sure to note that your tax-deductible donation is for the whale shark buoy project. Remember, every dollar you give will be doubled, thanks to the generosity of Elaine Mathews' matching gift. Please donate now to help save the whale sharks! Whale Sharks In Mexico By Duane Silverstein on August 12, 2010 10:35 AM | Permalink Next time you are in Mexico and someone asks you to play with dominoes, you may be in for a very large surprise. Due to the many white spots that mark their gray bodies, in Mexico the common nickname for whale sharks is "dominoes." Indeed these gentle giants do resemble dominoes - very, very large ones, that is. At up to 48 feet in length and weighing up to 25 tons, whale sharks, or Rhincodon Typus as they are known to scientists, are the world's largest fish. Despite their enormous size, comparatively little is known about them.

One of the reasons for this is that there are not large numbers of them left in the oceans and for much of the year they are solitary animals. Less than ten years ago, marine biologists discovered that during the months of June to September the world's largest aggregation of whale sharks takes place off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. In recent years they can be found north of Isla Mujeres, a small island just off the coast of Cancun. A smaller number can also be found off of Holbox Island near the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. Whale Sharks are listed on the International Union of the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN's) Red List of Vulnerable Species, meaning their future is in danger. Madagascar's Silky Sifakas By Carynne McIver on March 26, 2010 12:50 PM | Permalink Worldwide, islands harbor some of our planet's most rare and fascinating species. The island of Madagascar, located off the eastern coast of Africa, is no exception.

With abundant biodiversity, the island provides a home to 8 plant families, 4 bird families, and 5 primate families that are endemic, or found nowhere else on earth. One of Madagascar's most famed endemic species is the lemur, a small primate found in the island's forests.

Question: A megapode is what type of creature?
Answer: Bird