As of today, in season now, through ~December 31. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
On the active volcanic island of Savo in the Solomon Islands, the Melanesian megapode has solved parenthood by outsourcing it to the Earth itself.
Instead of sitting on a nest, these chicken-sized black birds fly down at dawn to communal fields of warm volcanic sand near the village of Panueli, dig burrows sometimes deeper than a meter, lay a single large egg, then cover it and fly off — leaving the geothermal heat of the volcano to incubate it.
The result is a remarkable communal scene: a field pocked with hundreds of burrows, where the warmed black sand does the work of a brooding parent and the chicks, when they hatch, dig themselves out and fend for themselves immediately.
Villagers have harvested the eggs for generations, digging carefully by hand to lift the duck-egg-sized treasures, and the relationship between birds, people, and the living volcano is woven deep into Savo life.
The egg-laying happens through the year, with birds arriving to dig and lay in the early morning.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
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| Panueli Megapode Egg Fields, Savo Island |
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