How do kākāpō chicks receive nourishment until they are mature enough to forage for themselves?
Answer
They rely on regurgitated food provided by their parents.
Kākāpō chicks, consistent with the biology of all bird hatchlings, do not nurse via milk because birds lack mammary glands, a defining mammalian trait. Instead, parental care involves the parents gathering food and then regurgitating it directly into the mouths of the chicks. This process continues until the young birds reach sufficient maturity and size to successfully navigate the forest floor and forage for their own sustenance, typically involving stripping leaves from low shrubs.
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