¿Cómo se llama un polluelo que puede caminar poco después de la eclosión?

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Precocial is correct because these chicks hatch well-developed—eyes open, covered in down, and able to walk and often feed themselves shortly after hatching. Think ducklings, chicks, and shorebird young trailing their parents within hours. “Precocial” comes from Latin praecox, meaning “ripened early,” a good memory hook for early independence.

By contrast, altricial chicks (like many songbirds) hatch blind and helpless; nidicolous means “nest-dwelling” and describes young that remain in the nest; semi-precocial chicks (e.g., gulls, terns) can move around but typically stay near the nest and still need more parental care. These strategies reflect trade-offs: precocial species invest more in egg development, while altricial species invest more after hatching.