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Recent Examples of precocial
Hares are also born fully furred and with their eyes open, a trait called precocial, whereas rabbits are born hairless, blind, and vulnerable, needing more parental care in the early stages of life.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching.
—New York Times, 22 June 2022
Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
Game birds, precocial, have larger clutches because the young, feathered and out of the nest upon hatching, are more subject to predation.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021
The opposite are precocial birds, birds that hatch with feathers and are mobile and ready to go shortly after emerging from the egg.
—Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2017
Comparison with avian brain evolution suggests that placental brain size should be constrained due to placentals’ relative precociality, as has been hypothesized for precocial bird hatchlings.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Sep. 2010
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching.
—New York Times, 22 June 2022
Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
Game birds, precocial, have larger clutches because the young, feathered and out of the nest upon hatching, are more subject to predation.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021
The opposite are precocial birds, birds that hatch with feathers and are mobile and ready to go shortly after emerging from the egg.
—Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2017
Comparison with avian brain evolution suggests that placental brain size should be constrained due to placentals’ relative precociality, as has been hypothesized for precocial bird hatchlings.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Sep. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precocial
Adjective
-
The spike in oil prices is likely to further push up gasoline prices, and could be felt more significantly in Asia and Europe, which are more dependent on Middle Eastern oil and gas than the United States.—
Cathy Bussewitz,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
At the same time, regions heavily dependent on transportation, tourism or energy-intensive manufacturing may feel the negative side of rising oil prices more directly.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Wildlife facilities generally evaluate disease status, parasitic load, behavioral fitness and genetic background when determining placement for animals that arrive under unusual circumstances.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The daisy-like blooms also attract parasitic wasps, lacewings, and hoverflies that will feed on harmful pests.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Straddling the United States-Canada border, the economies of Michigan and Ontario enjoy a symbiotic relationship.—
Taylor Millard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
He gets outsmarted by Forst and trapped in a symbiotic relationship where has to work for the world’s worst man to see his discovery come to fruition.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Defendants contest only that CASA has not satisfied the first requirement for such associational standing.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precocial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precocial. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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