Bearded cuckoo gigaduck

Bearded cuckoo gigaduck

Height: 6'5 feet

Weight: 1000 to 1400 ibs

Habitat: lowland areas 

Native region: North America 

Evolved from: tinamou

Lifespan: 34 years

- this bird is another example of a gigaduck. A massive tinamou descendant that has a beak akin to ducks despite not being related to them. This species gets its name for two reasons. One because males possess a scruffy feathery beard and secondly because these birds are parasitic in nature. They scare off smaller gigaducks away from their nests, remove one of the host eggs, and then implant one of their eggs inside of the host nest. When the parent comes back; they won't be able to tell the difference. The host raises the Chick as if it was its own, however over time the parasitic chick will kill some of the siblings in order to minimize competition. Once a bearded cuckoo gigaduck is big enough to fend for itself, it'll start the entire cycle again. This strategy allows them to produce as many eggs as possible without raising them. Because the cuckoo gigaduck chicks are slightly larger than those of most species, they require more food. That's the reason why they kill some of its siblings.

- Some gigaducks have evolved unique traits to combat these parasites. Many of them live in large communal groups that nest in the same area. So if a bearded cuckoo gigaduck tries to lay one of its eggs into a nest, the gigaducks will scare off or even gang up and attack the parasitic gigaduck.

- They're herbivores. Feeding on grasses, sedges, and fruit.

this animal Is another species that InkGink originally created.