A few birds care for their eggs without sitting on them. In Australia, the male
mallee fowl builds an incubator nest out of rotting vegetation covered with soil. As the
vegetation decays, it gives off heat. The male pokes his beak into the middle of the pile and
tests the temperature. If the temperature isn’t an even 92º Fahrenheit, he adjusts it by
adding or removing soil.
The female spends most of her time watching him, but sometimes she helps him.
About once a week she lays another egg inside the nest.
The pair maintain their nest for several months. When the chicks begin to hatch one
by one – they dig their own way out of the nest and dash into the bush to fend for
themselves. Although mallee fowl take great care of their eggs, no mallee fowl has ever
been seen with a brood of chicks.