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The Merlin is a small bird of prey of the falcon family. Often, representatives of this species are called by other, more well-known man in the street names: Kobets, a crusher, a little muscle. This bird is quite rare, and it can be found in the Asian forest-steppe, in the eastern / northern part of Europe, in North America. The main food of the feathered predator is small birds, less often lizards, rodents and some species of insects. The average life expectancy of a falcon in the wild is several decades.
Description of the species
Derbnik is a small stocky bird of the subspecies of the falcon order, having a rather long tail and short wings. The average size of the body is up to 32 cm, the wingspan is up to 73 cm. As a rule, the tinker female is larger than the male (by a third), the maximum indicators of bird weight reach 315 grams. The color of the plumage between the individuals of the male and female has differences.
The male falcon has a bluish-gray back with a brown or purple hue and is decorated with an upper part (head, shoulders) arranged longitudinally with black piedrin. The belly of the bird is of a reddish hue with a smooth transition from soft beige to saturated red with brown strokes. The neck of the falcon seems to be lighter, which is explained by the almost imperceptible speckles. Characteristic for most species of the falcon order, "antennae" are poorly expressed. The tail has a long and wide strip along the entire edge, the wings are gray-brown.
Durbnik females have plumage color, which is more similar to a balaban - the back is dark-brown and gray belly, dotted with small specks. The bird's tail is decorated with alternating cream and dark brown stripes, the end is light.
The beak of a falcon is gray-brown, the paws and wax vessel are yellow, the iris is dark. Juveniles of merlin have plumage similar to the feather dress of an adult female.
I would like to note that the color of the bird depends on the habitat, which is why the representatives of the falcon are divided into several corresponding subspecies.
In the air, the bird is very similar to the swallow, which is manifested by fast, maneuverable flight and soaring in the air. During the hunt the merlin flies very low above the ground.
Power Features
The main ration of food for the kobets falcon is the small birds it harvests during the hunt, which include sparrows, swallows, thrushes, sandpipers. In addition to birds, rodents, snakes, and some species of insects are present in the junkie ration, however, the falcon hunts them much less often. Cases are recorded when a predatory bird hunted large enough dragonflies.
Directly hunting, derbnik hovers in the air low above the ground, carefully looking out for its prey. The peculiarity of this species of birds is that a coby can hunt in pairs not only during the nesting season, but also at another time. You can often see the joint hunting of a merlin with small hawks, while, looking out for prey for food, the birds are in the air above each other at a distance of 10-20 meters.
Distribution of species
The habitat of the falcon falcon is quite wide, despite the fact that the population of the species is small. Most often, this species of predatory birds is found in Europe and in Asian countries. In America, the kobets falcon is more common in the northern part of the continent.
For its habitat, the birds of prey prefer to choose landscapes characterized by open terrain. Most often, the kobets falcon is found in the tundra, and in the northern regions of the taiga (the greatest distribution of the merlin's population). The nesting places of birds is a highland area (not less than 2000 meters above sea level).
Falcon merlin refers to the migratory species of birds. Nonetheless, some bird colonies are sedentary, which is due to climatic conditions. For wintering colonies of feathered predators are sent to the north of Africa, Asia.
Today, there are many subspecies of merlin, which can be divided into American and Eurasian.
Differences between female and male
A characteristic difference in the predatory bird species is pronounced sexual dimorphism. First of all, this is manifested by larger sizes of the female falcon (by one third), respectively, the maximum weight of the girlfriend of the merchant reaches 311-315 grams.
Another significant difference between the female and male is the color of the plumage of this species of bird.
Breeding merlin
The sexual maturity of the tinker falcon occurs when the bird reaches the age of one year. In place of the future nesting birds arrive in the middle of spring. Note that at the place of future nesting and subsequent breeding, the male falcon falcons first arrive. Females join later - after several days.
The location of the nest of this small bird of prey depends on the landscape features of the surrounding area. So, for example, in the steppe region a bird can make a nest directly on the ground, in this case thickets of vegetation or shrubs can serve as a shelter. In the wooded area, these birds can use the old crows' nests, which are located on the trees. In the conditions of the tundra, where there is rather poor vegetation, the derbnik chooses rocky outcrops for building nests.
If the bird builds a nest directly on the ground, in this case a small hollow is pulled out by the falcon in the ground (up to 30 mm). As a rule, the distance between the nests of representatives of this species is not less than 1.2–1.5 km. During the period of nesting and breeding, the litterlings begin to show aggression towards most species of birds and animals.
The average number of eggs in one laying - from 3 to 5.Each egg is laid by the female with a break of 48 hours. The eggs are brownish in color, densely covered with dark spots. Hatching of offspring is carried out by both birds, partners follow each other to rest and hunt at regular intervals. The length of the planting period is about one month (up to 32 days).
The appearance of offspring, pecking is carried out in the same order in which the eggs were laid. The chicks have a characteristic white downy dress, which after a few days is replaced by a more dense, gray color. Both the male and the female falcon of the musculature care for the emerging brood, which is manifested by feeding the chicks with their heating and periodically cleaning the nest from food debris and bird droppings.
The first plumage of chicks appears somewhere in 2-3 weeks after spitting, as a rule, after that they begin to leave the parent nest, although they have not yet become on the wing. The ability to fly chicks get even after 2-3 weeks after the down completely replaced feathers.
The first food of the young merlin is started to be harvested at the age of 6-7 weeks, after which they go to the winter hut.The time of migration of birds to warm regions is August-September.
Voice features
Falcon derbnik unsociable and silent type of predatory birds. As a rule, his voice can be heard only in the period of nesting. Frequently, the falcon makes typical sounds of this species in the event of any disturbance (sharp and jerky cry). The voice of female merlin is higher.
Interesting facts about the species of predatory birds
Unlike other related species, kobtsy falcons prey on their prey always in pairs. Note that from the side of such a hunt may seem like an ordinary tomfoolery or a game of birds. Thus, the merlin, imperceptibly for others, looks out for its prey. Seeing the available victim, the couple immediately attacks her, leaving almost no chance for escape and survival.
In its natural habitat, falcon derbnik can live up to 17 years. Nevertheless, there are cases when the life expectancy of representatives of this species was several decades (up to 25 years).
At present, the Falcon Falcon is under the protection of environmental organizations, this is due to the reduction in the population of the species.
Video: derbnik (Falco columbarius)
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