Demoiselle crane natural habitat area. What does the crane eat and where does it live in nature. Marriage dance of beauties

(Anthropoides virgo) is the smallest representative of the family, its height is 95-97 cm, weight is 2.5-3.5 kg.

The head, neck and chest are black, the rest of the plumage is bluish-gray. A special decoration of the bird is tufts of long fluffy white feathers above the eyes, which flutter in the form of sultans or braids.

Demoiselle crane: habitat

Belladonna - an inhabitant of the steppe and semi-desert regions of Europe and Asia. Once it nested en masse in the open landscapes of Hungary and Romania, in the steppes of Ukraine and Ciscaucasia, in the Volga region, Kalmykia and other regions of the Caspian Sea, in Kazakhstan, in Altai, in Tuva and Transbaikalia. Now the number of these cranes has sharply decreased, and it is possible to meet belladonna nesting in any noticeable number only in the dry steppes of the Caspian Sea, especially in Kalmykia, and in some places in Western and Central Kazakhstan. The belladonna has completely preserved its numbers in Mongolia, where this bird enjoys the special patronage of nomadic cattle breeders. But it has practically disappeared in the vast territories of Ukraine (extremely rare, in the Crimea) and in the North Caucasus, as well as in most regions of Kazakhstan and Transbaikalia. There is almost no belladonna in Western Europe. A small, isolated population of belladonna supposedly breeds in Morocco, but there is no record of it - it is possible that it has disappeared.

Belladonna is a typical migratory bird. Most belladonnas from the European part of the range winter in Africa, mainly in the Nile Valley. Birds from Kazakhstan, Transbaikalia and Mongolia fly to India and Southeast Asia for wintering. On wintering belladonnas accumulate in huge numbers, spending the night in shallow waters and flat river islands, and during the day they fly to feed on harvested fields of wheat, millet and other crops. The favorite nesting places of the belladonna are dry grass-polished steppes, where the grassy cover does not form a continuous turf, but grows in small patches, between which patches of bare saline soil are visible. However, in general, belladonna is not so whimsical and easily puts up with a continuous, but low grassy cover and even with fallow and abandoned fields. And in recent years, she began to nest on arable land cultivated for wheat, which she definitely avoided before.

Demoiselle crane: laying eggs

belladonna nest - a small hole with almost no lining, but surrounded by a roller of piece salt marsh crust, sheep droppings or small pebbles, which the bird often brings from afar. The laying of belladonna usually consists of 2 eggs, but clutches of 3 eggs are also known. Egg laying in mid-April, chicks appear in May, although sometimes breeding is delayed.

The eggs of belladonna, like those of other cranes, have an olive-brown basic background, over which medium-sized rusty-brown spots are scattered in disorder. Families in belladonna do not break up until the next breeding season. The number of belladonnas continues to decline. The reasons for this are the degradation of nesting habitats due to plowing and increased grazing. Other, more random, but in total tangible factors also influence: poaching, the death of birds on electric wires, poisoning with agricultural chemicals. When nesting on arable land, many belladonna nests and chicks die under the wheels of tractors and combines. The modern number of belladonna within former USSR is estimated at 40-50 thousand individuals.

The belladonna crane is considered the smallest and, perhaps, one of the most common and numerous representatives of its family, second only to the Sandhill crane. According to scientists - ornithologists, there are about 240 thousand individuals of these birds in the world. Unlike some of their relatives, these birds do not favor swampy swamps, preferring vast steppe plains with low shrubs. Hence, another name for the crane - steppe. Demoiselles are happy to settle in Russia.
And why did the crane get the name "Bella Beauty"? Yes, because it is also one of the most beautiful representatives of the world of birds. People noticed this a long time ago and gave the bird that name.
Steppe cranes usually reach about 90 centimeters in height. The average weight of birds is 2-3 kilograms. Their paws are equipped with small swimming membranes, so belladonna swim well if necessary. Moreover, not only adults, but also barely hatched chicks easily cope with the water barrier that they encounter on their way.


The plumage of the steppe cranes is really very beautiful. The neck, head and wingtips of these birds are usually black, and snow-white rays from long feathers stretch from the eyes to the back of the head. From the base of the beak through the top of the head there is a wide strip of light gray feathers. Most of the slender body is gray, the chest is decorated with elongated black feathers.
The menu of the belladonna crane includes both plant foods (grains, legumes, peanuts, various parts of plants) and animals - small mammals and insects.
Belles are migratory birds. With the onset of cold weather, they leave their native steppe expanses and go to distant southern lands. Rising high into the sky, the birds sing their farewell song, reminding us that a long winter is just around the corner. Cranes fly very beautifully: in a triangle, or, as the people say, "key". The leader leads the flock, and the rest of the birds line up behind him in two rows. It’s just amazing how birds manage to exactly repeat the flapping of the leader’s wings! Thanks to a clear and well-coordinated flight, birds do not bump into each other and overcome great distances.
Steppe cranes remain faithful to their partner for life. The steam nest is equipped directly on the ground, choosing a place with dense vegetation. The female lays 2 - 3 olive - brownish eggs covered with yellow spots. Both parents incubate future offspring. They fiercely protect the nest from uninvited guests, and in case of danger they can even attack predators that have appeared. Moreover, neighboring couples are happy to help drive away enemies. As soon as they are born, the cubs are ready to follow their parents everywhere, who teach the chicks to get food. Two months later, they try to fly for the first time, but they are in no hurry to part with their father and mother: they live next to them for about a year.

Description

The smallest species of cranes, its height is about 89 cm, and its weight is 2-3 kg. The head and neck are mostly black; long tufts of white feathers are clearly visible behind the eyes. From the ground beak to the back of the head there is a patch of light gray feathers; there is no bald patch common to other species of cranes. The beak is short, yellowish. Cornea eyes reddish-orange. The plumage of the body is bluish-gray. Flight feathers of the second order wings are distinguished by their length and ash-gray color. Legs and toes are black. The voice is a sonorous cooing, higher and more melodic than that of gray crane.

The offspring of the brood type, the chicks are able to leave the nest soon after hatching and follow the parents in search of food, while the male usually goes first, followed by the female, and then all the others. Chicks fledge earlier than other crane species, after 55-65 days. Within 8-10 months, until the beginning of the next mating season, they stay with their parents, after which they stray into nomadic flocks of the same solitary birds. signs social behavior, characteristic of adults, in young belladonnas begin to appear after 18 months, and their first offspring appear after 4-8 years.

Lifestyle

Belles are migratory birds, in the winter cold time, moving to areas North East Africa, Pakistan and India. In August - September, cranes gather in flocks of up to 400 individuals for joint migration. Cranes fly with their heads and legs stretched out, relatively low, but when flying through Himalayas rising to a height of up to 4800-8000 m. At the winter camp they can be seen in flocks along with gray cranes, however, they form different social groups. Spring migration to nesting sites occurs in March-April, with a flock size of only 4-10 birds.

Food

Belles eat both plant and animal food. The main diet consists of various parts plants , peanut , legumes culture, corn , insects and other small animals.

Cranes feed during the daytime, mainly in the morning or just after noon. They can sometimes be seen feeding on arable land or other agricultural land.

Lifespan

In captivity, cranes live at least 27 years, although some individuals live up to 67 years. . Life span in wild nature is currently not known exactly, although it is assumed that it is somewhat lower.

Literature

  • Johnsgard PA. 1983. Cranes of the world. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Syroechkovsky E. E., Rogacheva E. V. Animal world Krasnoyarsk Territory. Krasnoyarsk: Book. publishing house, 1980. S. 92.
  • Meine, C., G. Archibald. 1996. The Cranes. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
  • Ellis, D., G. Gee, C. Mirande. 1996. Cranes: Their Biology, Husbandry, and Conservation. Washington, DC: Department of the Interior, National Biological Service.
  • Mertaugh, M. 2004. "Anthropoides virgo" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 03, 2007 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Anthropoides_virgo.html

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