Nidifugous
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nidifugous organisms are those that leave the nest shortly after hatching or birth. It is derived from Latin nidus for "nest" and fugere meaning "to flee".[1] The terminology is most often used to describe birds and was introduced by Lorenz Oken in 1916.[2] The chicks of birds in many families such as the waders, waterfowl and gamebirds are usually nidifugous.
The term "nidifugous" is sometimes used synonymously with "precocial", as all nifidugous species are precocial -- that is, born with open eyes and capable of independent locomotion. However, not all precocial birds leave the nest; some may stay at the nest, and are thus nidicolous instead.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Merriam Webster Online Dictionary
- ^ Starck, J. (1998). Avian Growth and Development. Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-510608-3.
- ^ Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye (1988) Precocial and Altricial Young.
 |
This animal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
