NHK's popular nature program "Darwin's Coming!" (NHK General) will air "Thriving in Sydney! Birds Building Mounds from Fallen Leaves" on March 15th at 7:30 p.m. The program will explore the unique lifestyle of the bush turtle, a bird that is currently thriving in Sydney, Australia's largest city.
The Japanese bush turtle (Platypleura kaempferi) is a unique breeding species that creates a massive "mound" of fallen leaves, lays its eggs inside, and incubates them using fermentation heat produced by microorganisms. Furthermore, the chicks that hatch inside the mound are said to be extremely unusual as well.
The chicks leave the nest as soon as they emerge from the mound, becoming the only birds that grow up without parental care. While the bush turtle naturally inhabits forests, a change in Sydney has led to its expansion into urban areas. What are the secrets to its success in the city, and what is its unique lifestyle...?
