Nidifugous

In biology, nidifugous (UK: /naɪˈdɪfjʊɡəs/ ny-DIF-yuu-gəs, US: /-jə-/ -⁠yə-) organisms are those that leave the nest shortly after hatching or birth.[1] The term is derived from Latin nidus for “nest” and fugere, meaning “to flee”.[1] The terminology is most often used to describe birds and was introduced by Lorenz Oken in 1816.[2] The chicks of birds in many families, such as the waders, waterfowl, and gamebirds, are usually nidifugous.
The opposite of nidifugous organisms are nidicolous (/naɪˈdɪkələs/ ny-DIK-ə-ləs; from Latin nidus “nest” and -colus “inhabiting”) organisms; a nidicolous organism is one which stays at its birthplace for a long time because it depends on its parents for food, protection, and the learning of survival skills. Examples of nidicolous species include mammals and many species of birds. During the life span, the brain of a nidicolous animal expands 8–10 times its initial size; in nidifugous animals, it expands from 1.5 to 2.5 time

This is part of the “What are words for?” project.

This word scored a six on a three part scale of allusiveness, political oomph and cultural capital (min score 1, max score 3 for each part of the scale).  Lots of words did. This is one I clawed from the slushpile on a whim.

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