Lark - a large bird with a body weight of 52-67 g and a length of about 20 centimeters, of passerine, mottled top with breast color of sand with a thick, curved beak and strong legs.Decals bird is a double dark brown spots on the throat.Another sign is shown during flights: snow-white feathers extreme, bordering the wings.Male and female are almost identical in appearance and size, so they are very difficult to distinguish even experienced poultry farmers.
Lovers delicious isolated trills the song of this bird.Steppe larks sing in flight, executing complex, with high notes, very beautiful melodies.Song calls and pop, but pleasant to the ear.That is why birds are very popular among lovers of wildlife.
Habitat
steppe larks live in Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Libya and some other countries.Prefer steppe areas, fields with thick grass, grass area, choosing a place warmed by the sun.Of particular advantage is given to the plant Artemisia, aster and hairy bluegrass viviparous, arranging them under the nest.In warmer areas live year-round, often choosing the place for the winter.
Features nesting
steppe larks nest weave of leaves of cereals, roots and stems of field herbs in the hole under large bushes grass.Very rarely can be seen in the dry horse manure or under a rock.The female lays 3 to 6 eggs (which is extremely rare).They spotted, dirty-green color.Bird family settle at a distance of 100 meters from each other.
The female incubates the eggs a little more than two weeks, and then the same amount fledge.After a few months the young birds get in packs, sometimes reaching up to 200 individuals, and wander in search of food.Such groups have laid down their stored up flights.They are very noisy due to singing, sounding warm spring and autumn days.
Power
Poultry farmers say that a certain feature Calandra Lark.What feeds the birds - a question that interests many.Flocks of birds consume a huge amount of harmful insects, grass fields and protecting seedlings of cereal crops.But the seeds of weeds in the litter retain the ability to germinate.Thus, there is sowing fields with weeds, clog and spoil the harvest of crops.Themselves cereals birds do not touch, eating only fallen in the process of collecting or ripening grain.
If we generalize these observations, the scales tilt in the direction of benefit, because the damage from harmful insects, ruining crops and ripe ears, of course, greater than the damage from weeds, getting on the field, and without the help of birds.
Feed steppe larks fallen to the ground seeds of herbs and grains, finding them even under the snow.The food they eat these insects: grasshoppers, beetles, weevils, grain beetles, flies, ants, caterpillars and spiders different.Lark could get his beak insects burrowing in the earth's surface.This bird is drinking fresh water, but spotted and salty waterhole.
in captivity
steppe larks are among the most favorite of wild songbirds have poultry farmers.This is due to the simplicity of their contents.Grown host and lured out of hand, they quickly get used to humans.Brighten up lonely bird helps the company of other larks can be different subspecies, which will reduce the timidity and aggression.Singing captive birds begin on the fourth day, from morning till late in the evening, well tolerated by electric lighting.Care should be taken to ensure that conditions were suitable for larks, or they may become ill.The free availability should always be clean water to the birds do not feel thirsty.What
cage buy?
steppe larks, the description of which indicates that the cells to maintain better to choose with high sides and a soft-top, and always with a retractable bottom, not like discomfort.Soft roof needed to bird smashed his head out of the habit of taking off sharply up when frightened.At the bottom of the cage clean sand is poured layer of about 15 centimeters, laid large stones and pieces of wood.
These birds are almost never sit on branches and bushes.Feed grain mixes larks without hemp seeds, fresh and dried ant eggs, grated carrots, low-fat cottage cheese, breadcrumbs.Food is first poured into the sand, as the birds do not get used to the feeder at once.They are pleased with their songs hosts about 10 years with proper maintenance.Killed in the spring and is usually sudden and very fast.People who want to buy birds, but do not know what it looks like Calandra Lark, photos will help you understand.
touching image of this bird is reflected in literature, sonorous singing is described in the novels of Turgenev and verse by Alexei Tolstoy.And Dagestani Kulunchakovoy writer has a story, "Calandra Lark", in which she compares with this bird of strong and strong-willed women who are fighting for the right to love and be loved.
