megapode — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Any of several chicken- or turkey-like birds in the family Megapodiidae, which incubate their eggs by burying them where they receive warmth from decaying vegetation, solar radiation or geothermal heat.

   Synonyms

   brush-turkeyincubator birdmoundbirdmound-builderscrubfowl

   Examples

   In precocial species, such as megapodes, the young hatch with their eyes open and are ready to leave the nest within a short period of time.

Adjective

1. Characteristic of the Megapodiidae.

Noun

1. large-footed short-winged birds of Australasia; build mounds of decaying vegetation to incubate eggs

   Synonyms

   mound birdmound-birdmound builderscrub fowl

   Broader terms

   gallinaceous birdgallinacean