Demoiselle crane natural habitat. What eats and where does the crane live in nature. Demoiselle mating dance

(Anthropoides virgo) is the smallest member 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 gray-gray. A special decoration of the bird is the bunches of long, loose 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. It used to nest en masse in the open landscapes of Hungary and Romania, in the steppes of Ukraine and the Ciscaucasia, in the Volga region, Kalmykia and other regions of the Caspian Sea region, in Kazakhstan, in Altai, in Tuva and Transbaikalia. Now the number of these cranes has sharply decreased, and it is possible to meet Demoiselle for nesting in any noticeable quantity only in the dry steppes of the Caspian region, especially in Kalmykia, and in some places in Western and Central Kazakhstan. The belladonna fully retained its numbers in Mongolia, where this bird enjoys the special patronage of nomadic pastoralists. 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 presumably nests in Morocco, but there is no information about it, it is possible that it has disappeared.

Belladonna is a typical migratory bird. Most Demoiselles from the European part of the range winters in Africa, mainly in the Nile Valley. Birds from Kazakhstan, Transbaikalia and Mongolia fly to India and Southeast Asia for wintering. At wintering grounds, bellados accumulate in huge numbers, sleeping 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 belladonna are dry grass-poland steppes, where the grassy cover does not form a continuous turf, but grows in small clumps, between which areas of bare saline soil are visible. However, in general, belladonna is not so whimsical and easily put 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.

Belladonna crane: laying of eggs

Belladonna's nest - a small fossa with practically no lining, but surrounded by a roller of lumpy saline crust, sheep droppings or small pebbles that the bird often brings from afar. A clutch of belladonna consists, as a rule, of 2 eggs, but clutches of 3 eggs are also known. Oviposition in mid-April; chicks hatch in May, although breeding is sometimes delayed.

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

Demoiselle crane is considered the smallest and perhaps one of the most widespread and numerous representatives of its family, second only to the Canadian crane. According to the estimates of scientists - ornithologists, there are about 240 thousand of these birds in the world. Unlike some of their congeners, these birds do not favor boggy swamps, preferring the vast steppe plains with low bushes. Hence another name for the crane - steppe. Demoiselles settle with pleasure on the territory of Russia.
And why did the crane get the name "belladonna"? Because it is also one of the most beautiful representatives of the bird world. People noticed this a long time ago and gave the bird such a 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 obstacle that they meet on their way.


The plumage of steppe cranes is really very beautiful. The neck, head and ends of the wings of these birds are usually black, and snow-white rays of long feathers stretch from the eyes to the back of the head. A wide strip of light gray feathers runs from the base of the beak through the top of the head. 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 (grain, legumes, peanuts, various parts of plants) and animals - small mammals and insects.
Demoiselles are migratory birds. With the onset of cold weather, they leave their native steppe expanses and go to the distant southern regions. Rising high into the sky, the birds sing their farewell song, reminding us that a long winter is just around the corner. The cranes are flying very beautifully: in a triangle, or, as the people say, a "key". The leader leads the flock, and the rest of the birds line up behind him in two rows. You just wonder how birds can exactly repeat the flapping of the leader's wings! Thanks to a clear and well-coordinated flight, the birds do not bump into each other and overcome huge distances.
Steppe cranes remain loyal to their partner for life. The pair equips the nest right on the ground, choosing a place with dense vegetation. The female lays 2 - 3 olive-brownish eggs covered with yellow spots. Both parents incubate the future offspring. They fiercely defend the nest from intruders, and in case of danger they can even attack the predators that have come. Moreover, neighboring couples are happy to help drive away enemies. Barely 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 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 base beak there is a patch of light gray feathers up to the occipital part; The bald patch, which is common for other crane species, is absent. The beak is short, yellowish. Cornea reddish-orange eye. The plumage of the body is bluish-gray. Flight feathers of the second order wings stand out for their length and ash gray color. Legs and toes are black. The voice is a ringing churler, higher and more melodic than that of gray crane.

The offspring of the brood type, the chicks, soon after hatching, are able to leave the nest and follow their parents in search of food, while the male usually goes first, followed by the female, and then all the others. Chicks become winged earlier than in other species of cranes, after 55-65 days. For 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 single birds. Signs social behavior, typical for adults, in young belladonna begin to appear after 18 months, and their first offspring appear after 4-8 years.

Lifestyle

Bellados are migratory birds, in the winter cold time, moving to areas North East Africa, Pakistan and India ... In August - September, cranes flock up to 400 individuals for joint migration. The cranes fly with their heads and legs stretched out, relatively low, but when flying through Himalayas rising to a height of 4800-8000 m.In 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, while the size of the flock is only 4-10 birds.

Nutrition

Belladonna feed on both plant and animal foods. The main diet consists of various parts plants , peanut , legumes culture, corn , insects and other small animals.

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

Life span

In captivity, cranes live for at least 27 years, although some individuals live up to 67 years. ... Life expectancy in the wild is currently not exactly known, although it is assumed to be 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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