altricial

adjective

al·​tri·​cial al-ˈtri-shəl 

: being hatched or born or having young that are hatched or born in a very immature and helpless condition so as to require care for some time

altricial birds

compare precocial

Examples of altricial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plenty of other creatures give birth even sooner, yielding offspring in a more altricial state. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2022

Robins, bluebirds, hummingbirds and many other birds are altricial. —Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022

If birds are born altricial — helpless — clutches tend to be small to accommodate the higher level of care the babies must receive. —Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021

That’s because both marmosets and humans have altricial babies, from the Latin for needing nourishment—meaning offspring that can’t take care of themselves even a tiny bit at the beginning. —Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 27 Oct. 2020

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Altrices, proposed division of birds having altricial young (plural of Latin altrīc-, altrīx "foster mother, wet nurse," from alere "to nurse, nourish" + -trīx, feminine agent suffix) + -ial — more at old entry 1

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above