Why is the maleo bird considered endangered?

          The maleo is a stocky bird like a chicken, with a small head and large feet. It has blackish plumage, bare yellow facial skin, reddish-brown iris, reddish-orange beak and a rosy salmon breast. The bird has a crown ornamented with a black casque.

          The maleo is counted as an endangered species today. It was found that these birds were abandoning a large number of their former nesting sites because of egg poaching and encroachment of land for agriculture. Only about four of the known 142 nesting grounds of the maleo birds are considered safe today.

          The maleo is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. While the bird likes to forage in the tropical lowland and hill forests, it likes to nest in the open sandy areas, volcanic soils, or beaches that are heated by the sun or geothermal energy for incubation.

Picture Credit : Google