On swamps of the world there are many different creatures.Among them are the birds adapted to survive in such extreme conditions.Wetland birds - a group of feathered creatures, wholly or partly dedicated marsh areas.They have a peculiar structure of the body, allowing them to easily sail the marshes and peat bogs.
What birds are found in the swamps?
By waterbirds ornithologists include different families of birds, for example, the loon (Black-and Red), grebes (small and large), cormorant, Dalmatian pelican, ibis, the bittern, etc.But they are not known for simple inhabitants, such as the Queen of the marshes - Heron, her eternal companion - a stork or the master of peatlands - Crane!They should pay special attention.
Birds with long legs
What is the wading bird with long legs?Probably the majority of people to mind immediately come heron, a crane or a stork.And it's really true!Many species of birds live only in swamps and feed that are under his long legs.Usually their prey lives on the ground or in shallow water.
survive in conditions of constant moisture, acidity and lack of oxygen is not so simple.Therefore, some of the cranes, storks and herons are common gatherer lifestyle, eating most of the heavy, dense nutrient-poor parts of certain plants.But there are also so-called hunters.Their diet includes difficult, but the most nutritious animal feed.In this sense, these birds can be divided into "predators" and "grazing".
wading bird with long legs look so knowingly.The fact that one of the important moments in search of food for these birds is an extension of their visual field.Birds that look out to the marshlands rhizomes, shoots, large insects, lizards, amphibians and small rodents, it is very important to have high growth.This significantly expands the visibility.That's why these creatures are so big.
Cranes
Typical examples of the above forms of life - cranes.Depending on their species, these birds prefer different diet.For example, black cranes are mainly herbivores: seed sedge, marsh flowers, bog bush shoots - is the basis of nutrition of birds throughout the summer.By August cranes diet vegetarian replenished berries (cranberries, cranberries, blueberries).Their abundance can be found in the taiga swamps.
Besides black cranes inhabit the swamps and Siberian Cranes - white cranes.This wading bird with long legs prefer to eat roots and rhizomes of sedge sprouts, etc.Cranes happy to consume food and animals: insects, bird eggs, frogs, lizards, etc.Another type of bog-water birds - a gray cranes.The range is wide enough to feed them and subject to whatever changes depending on the time of year.
herons and storks
They secretly called the queen of the marshes.Heron - is perhaps the most well-known and widespread around the world wading bird with long legs.Often next to herons and storks can be seen, but they are not as committed marshy swamps as herons.Outwardly, and herons, cranes and storks resemble, but this similarity is not evidence of their close evolutionary relatives.Besides herons and storks are significantly different from the cranes in the choice of feed: their diet is made up entirely accepted.
best-known species are the gray herons, red and white.As part of his family is the largest wading bird with long legs, living in such extreme conditions.These herons in search of their favorite food - frogs - preferring to roam in water or stand for hours in the swamp in complete immobility.Only in this way can be more likely to catch the stall amphibian.Storks also less patient.They prefer to stay in the air longer than in a wet bog.
way, beak Queen marshes - a real lethal weapons and powerful and long legs allow these feathered look for food not only on land (eg, snakes, small rodents), but also in shallow water, to the large herons go for the belly.The most famous is the white stork.In general, his life is no different from the life of herons and cranes.
