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The shrimp is a small bird of the Charadriiformes family. This species includes short-legged birds of medium and small size, which prefer to settle in shallow water. The whole family is characterized by a small beak thickened at the end with which the bird collects food from the ground. The bird got the name “rattle” due to its characteristic sound “Kretsch-krech-krech”. The shrimp is often confused with a lapwing, but it is slightly smaller than the last. Today this steppe pigfish is at the stage of extinction and is listed in the Red Books of some regions of Russia. What is a rattle, how does it look and where does it live, let's try to figure it out.
The appearance of the ratchet
Against the background of the entire charadriiformes family, the shrimp looks more than worthy - it has a dense physique, the bird is quite graceful and graceful. The head of the gyrfalcon is slightly larger than that of the lapwing, and the rest of the body, on the contrary, is slightly smaller. The crest is absent on the head, characteristic of a lapwing. The beak of the prawn is quite short, but the legs are unusually long. The body size of the ratchet usually does not exceed 30 cm, the wingspan is 70-80 cm, the average weight of the bird is 200 grams.
The shrimp has a characteristic color for the steppe landscape - its plumage shimmers with brown, sand, gray, brown and earthy shades. The back of the chest is black, the abdomen and chest are cast with a reddish tint, and the area under the tail is white. The head and nape are also painted black. The female from the male can be distinguished by the size and intensity of the color of the staining. In the female, the color of the breast is not red, but chestnut, the black areas have a calm, smoky hue. The male is distinguished by contrasting and bright colors, especially in the mating season. The legs of the rattle are four-fingered, black, like a beak. Depending on the time of year and age, the rattles can change their outfits. The young bird can be recognized by its characteristic mottled spots, common throughout the plumage.
Habitat
As a place of residence, the rattle chooses dry steppes, semi-deserts and mountainous areas. At the same time, there should be a small freshwater pond nearby. Often, the scallop can be found on sown fields after harvesting. Krebetka prefers to settle in sparse grassy areas with wormwood and different types of cereals. The bird chooses small bald spots in dense vegetation or areas with gravelly soil. An ideal place for a scallop is a dry piece of land with dense vegetation near a freshwater pond.
Features of nesting ratchet
On average, birds live in the natural environment for about 3-4 years, the maximum life span was recorded in captivity - 12 years. The shrimp becomes sexually mature and couples by the second year of life. It is believed that couples are formed during the flight, birds fly to the nesting place of the already formed "families". Scientists have not recorded any pronounced mating games or “flirting” of the male.The rattle flies to breeding places in the first half of April, and in colder regions - closer to the beginning of May. In Russian latitudes, a bird can be easily found in the steppe, last year's arable land, and simply in the vicinity of villages and villages. The main condition is that there should be a pond nearby.
As a rule, the rattle prefers to nest in small colonies, 3-5 pairs. At least 30 meters remain between the nests, this is the territory of each "family". Often, the ratchet can nest in the vicinity of lapwings and trochus. Building a nest is a quick and straightforward matter, the birds choose a small depression left by the hoof of cattle. Dry grass, cow and sheep droppings, stems and wormwood leaves are lined in this depression. In one clutch there are about 3-4 eggs, which are similar to the offspring of a lapwing. The eggs have a light green or pale brown hue with numerous spots and splashes.
The care for the offspring, as a rule, lies with the female, males in most cases immediately after nesting leave the nesting sites. Sometimes the male can take care of the eggs in the early stages of hatching, replacing the female when she flies away to feed. However, these are isolated cases, mainly the female herself hatches the chicks for three to four weeks. The female not only warms the eggs, but also carefully protects them from feathered and amphibious predators, even without fear, attacks a person if he comes too close to the clutch. The eggs of the gyrfalcon can be found in May and up to mid-June. Later clutches are considered repeated, they are postponed if the nest with the first offspring was devastated by predators.
After the specified time, chicks hatch, which after a month and a half are able to stand on the wing. When the kids get a little stronger and learn to fly well, birds gather in flocks and wander through the steppes, meadows and deserts in search of food.
Nutrition and abundance of shrimp
Today, the number of gyrfalcons is catastrophically reduced, tens of times. The number of individuals does not exceed 10 thousand pairs. The main enemy of the gyrfalcon are predators. Nests can be devastated by foxes, the swamp moon, rooks, and crows. Often in the nesting places herds of cows and sheep pass, which completely trample egg clutches. Even domestic animals, such as dogs, do not mind eating a young brood.
Today, the ratchet is protected in every way, it is listed in the Red Book of Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In the Orenburg region, the gyrfalcon lives in a special steppe reserve. Perhaps artificial breeding of new offspring in the territories of various nurseries. Scientists and ornithologists are doing everything possible to increase the population of these amazing steppe birds.
Video: scallop (Vanellus gregarius)
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