Nidifugous organisms are those that leave the
nest shortly after hatching or birth. The term is derived from Latin
nidus for "nest" and
fugere meaning "to flee". The terminology is most often used to describe birds and was introduced by
Lorenz Oken in 1816. The chicks of birds in many families such as the
waders,
waterfowl and
gamebirds are usually nidifugous.