The malleefowl Leipoa ocellata is found exclusively on mainland Australia and is a member of the megapode family. Megapodes are unique in the world. They do not use their body heat to incubate the eggs like most other birds; rather, the eggs are buried in a mound then incubated by external heat sources. Malleefowl use the heat generated by decomposing leaf litter and the sun to heat their mounds, and constantly manipulate the soil depth and mound shape to regulate the temperature. Amazingly, despite a wide range of day and night temperatures over the seasons, malleefowl are able to keep their egg chambers at a constant temperature.The malleefowl is listed as a nationally endangered species in Australia.
The Weather and the Malleefowl – Peter Watts
Like the farmers they like an early break in the weather to commence their nest preparation for the breeding season. In a good year i.e. May or June break in the weather they will dig out a mound and start scratching up material for a nest, later to be scratched into the mound which is completed in September. This year (2008) the two pairs of malleefowls found in the Wychitella area only started scratching up material a few days before the break in early August, very late. But this activity is needed for there has been very few eggs laid in the last eight years, in some of these years none.
Like the farmers they like an early break in the weather to commence their nest preparation for the breeding season. In a good year i.e. May or June break in the weather they will dig out a mound and start scratching up material for a nest, later to be scratched into the mound which is completed in September. This year (2008) the two pairs of malleefowls found in the Wychitella area only started scratching up material a few days before the break in early August, very late. But this activity is needed for there has been very few eggs laid in the last eight years, in some of these years none.
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