These birds “roast” their children on a volcano. As a result, the chicks are born very strong (7 photos)

Hardening is a necessary and damn useful thing from a very young age. But the large-legged maleo chickens fell headlong into this idea. While we are dousing ourselves with cold water and taking contrast showers, these birds are raising their children right in the heat of volcanoes!





The same dad who threw you into the river to teach you to swim.

No, they don't throw eggs into a lava pit, in case that's what you're imagining. But on the island of Sulawesi, no matter where you spit, you’ll end up at the base of a volcano. And in some places, the piquant nature of nature can be felt well by your heels. Maleos are sent to such places when they are preparing to produce a new generation.



What is this, a volcano? What if you bury eggs in it and hope they survive? Sounds like a plan!

Geothermal energy is an excellent source of heat not only according to environmentalists, but also with the tacit consent of big-legged chickens. This is a huge lava incubator for eggs, and it’s also ownerless! All that remains is to dig a hole in a warm slope, lay eggs and run away... I mean run away?! And who will incubate?





When a game of burying oneself in the sand on the beach didn't go according to plan.

The Maleos decided not to torment themselves with the agonizing wait. Instead, they developed a tactic thanks to which the chicks survive, and the parents are not responsible for them. And it is very convenient for everyone!



And we will have a nursery right here!

A pair of large-footed birds that found each other in the lush jungle of Sulawesi can indulge in love at any convenient moment - the birds do not have a clear breeding season. Cupid, having pierced the hearts of big-footed birds, leads the birds to the shore of a river or lake. No, not for a romantic dinner. This is the perfect place for a nest!



Life hack for big-legged chickens: how to combine sand removal and child care.

This is where a stable source of heat is located - geothermal energy. It’s also convenient to bury eggs on the shore so that no one notices them. Having dug a deep hole, the female lays only a couple of eggs. Maleos are not able to lay eggs like domesticated hazel grouse - their eggs are 5 times larger than chicken eggs! Despite the fact that the size of an adult bird is no larger than a standard broiler.



I was looking for a treasure chest and found eggs.

Having buried their offspring and camouflaged them with coastal debris, the parents turn around and leave! They will never see their children again! The sand will “hatch” the masonry on its own - its temperature remains stable at 33-35 °C. And newborn chicks are completely independent from the first minutes of life! Maleos lay large eggs for a reason: they contain much more nutrients than the eggs of ordinary chickens. The chick, having just got out of the sand, will find food for itself, and will run where it should, and can even fly!



People: can't figure out what they want at 25. Weedy chickens five minutes after birth: who is your life? I am one hundred percent ready for it.