The Maleo lives in Sulawesi forests. Adults have a hard black knob on the head, and eggs are buried in sand warmed by geothermal heat.
Its black plumage contrasts with yellow skin around the eyes and an orange bill. Adults have a hard black knob on the crown.
Maleos travel from Sulawesi forests to communal laying grounds. They bury eggs in sand or soil warmed by sunlight or geothermal heat. Chicks dig to the surface and head towards forest without parental care.
A 2021 paper described two coastal nesting grounds in Tompotika. Villagers and a conservation organisation agreed to stop egg-taking and guarded eggs in place. Teams recorded birds and patrolled the forested corridors connecting the nesting grounds with inland forest.
At Libuun, the annual average of the largest number of birds seen simultaneously each day rose from about seven in 2006–07 to about 35 in 2019–20. More birds visited the laying ground alongside protection of the eggs. Guarded sand and the forest beyond together supported continued breeding activity.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The Tompotika study recommends preventing human egg-taking and protecting forested access corridors. Communities at two sites guarded eggs where they were laid. The authors propose community partnerships to protect eggs at other laying grounds.