Among the most recognizable birds include the Hoopoe.The bird has a large crest, which helps her with no one confused.She also dressed up in bright plumage, which makes it particularly attractive.But many ask the following questions related to this feathered: hoopoe - a migratory bird or not, what he eats and how he lives.
Description
Hoopoe - a remarkable representative of birds having a small size.Its color - gray plumage brown, close to the abdomen, he gets a lighter shade.Wings have black plumage with white stripes.Straight tail and black, but the light bar on it alone.Black drawing little goes to the back.It is also distinguished by a long moving bird crest on the head.It consists of two rows of feathers, which at the ends have black spots and small white specks that can change its location when moving crest.The bill is long and thin, slightly curved.Nostrils open.
Habitats
Hoopoe - bird of passage.He likes to nest in southern and central Europe, western Asia and virtually all over Africa.But zaletom may be even in the far north.Usually hoopoe chooses to nest open area where there is sparse trees and shrubs.It may be grassland, savanna grassland.It is possible to meet in the vineyards or orchards.It is worth noting that the genus Upupa are six types of hoopoes, but in Europe settles only one of a kind - Pustoshka.But the habits and lifestyles of all birds of the same kind.
Features
Hoopoe - bird cautious, but it is not easily frightened.When the feathered gets nervous or something frightened him, the crest is dissolved like a fan.Also, "bangs" crushes when boarded on the ground hoopoe.
Photography (bird lands, spreading his "forelock") is very well illustrated.During the flight, the hoopoe adds its crest.Still, it is easy to find a feather and the manner of flight.Flap slow and intermittent, and the movement in the air undulation.While it may seem that the hoopoe flies awkwardly and even clumsily, in fact he is very agile and nimble.Also poultry powerful legs, because he walks a lot of ground.When a predator attacks on him, he first runs and then flies up.This maneuver does not allow the enemy to seize his claws on top.
By September hoopoe leave the nesting sites and sent to Africa or the Mediterranean Sea.They returned around April, when the air is already warmed up.The
powered
Bird hoopoe looking for their food in the meadows and pastures.He thrust his thin beak into the ground and deftly pulls out a variety of insects and larvae.Most of all he loves medvedok, worms, spiders.But it can catch small lizards and even scorpions.Sometimes hoopoe catches the victim in flight.Everyone who grabbed it first kills, and then a pop-up, opening the beak, to swallow food.In winter feathered regales termites and ants.Chick diet does not differ from adults.
breeding
Hoopoe - bird monogamous.With his pair, he lives forever.They arrive to settle in the same place year after year.To draw attention to your partner, the male selects rare tree and begins to sing.At this time his beak raised up, open crest and neck feathers bristle.After mating has occurred, the female comes into the hollow where there is no litter, and lays between five and eight eggs.
But if the pair does not find a suitable hollow, it can be selected as a gap in the wall socket, a bunch of twigs, recesses among the rocks.Very rare birds lining the bottom of the grass or moss.For incubation the female requires 15-16 days.These days, the male takes care of her food and her food is.Nestlings are born at a time at intervals of a few days.They hatch covered only with down and need to be warmed.This function is assigned to the female.At this time, the food is all the father-Hoopoe (Photo: Bird brings to the socket grub).
When the chicks fledge, their subsistence care by both parents.When the baby is four weeks, they begin to leave the nest.Near the houses of these birds can feel the unpleasant smell.In hoopoes have a special gland that produces liquid caustic flavor.This allows the smell to scare enemies.And the female, and fledglings are able to "shoot" of the liquid in the enemy, who immediately retreats.Because of this ability of these birds called "smelly cockerels."
Interesting facts
sometimes in open areas during the flight to the hoopoe can attack a bird of prey.To save the "Cockerel" uses a clever way.He throws himself on the ground and pressed against it.He spreads the tail and wings, beak lifts up.In this case, it becomes not visible predator birds.So hoopoe can merge with the surroundings and stay alive.
In ancient Egypt to treat this bird is very kind.There is a character, which is clearly visible with an open head hoopoe crest.
Sometimes this feathered flies to Iceland.But this happens only in the hottest months.At the same time there is the hoopoe nesting.
