Long-nosed krokhal - description, habitat

There are only 4 varieties of merganser, but today our attention is focused on the long-nosed duck. It is common in various parts of the world, therefore it deserves a separate description. Individuals are famous for their interesting behavior, as well as dimensional features and external data. Today, most of the population is dispersed throughout Europe, more precisely its western part, as well as in the Himalayas, Japan, and on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Description

1. From the specimens of the represented breed group, excellent dives were obtained. A distinctive feature is the elongated beak, as well as the coloring of feathers. In terms of dimensional features, birds sometimes reach 60 cm. It is also important to take into account the wingspan, which is 70-90 cm. As for weight, it cannot be said that the birds are huge. Their mass varies in the range of 1-1.2 kg.
2. The nose is reddish, the head is black with a greenish sheen.A duck has white feathers in the neck and chest, resembling a certain collar in its pattern. Individuals of the male sex have a double crest, as well as a band around the goiter.
3. Thorax in spots, in shades of red and black. The side parts are gray, flowing pattern. In the upper region of the wings there are spots and a patterned contour. The back and cervical region include a strip of dark tone (usually black).
4. Females are almost all identical. Their plumage is grayish, patterned, slightly striped. On the head there is a chubchik of a reddish shade with a gray sheen. The abdominal section is whitish, the neck is gray with red, there are no clear boundaries in the transition of tone.
5. The upper part of the body is light with a touch of brown. In the area of ​​the mirror there is a dark line, then follows a white stripe. Females and males practically do not differ in tone, except for males, the back area is black with brown.
6. In the duck, the line between the eyes and the nose is noticed, but for the representative of the male side this feature is absent. Males are famous for their reddish iris, and for females it is brown.
7. Young animals have not yet formed in terms of their coloring.His plumage tone is dark, the coat is not elongated. When an individual reaches puberty, it will acquire all the features characteristic of this species. The young grayish paws with light red. In males up to 12 months of age, the color is constantly changing, it is now similar to the female, then to the individual male.

Habitat

1. Crohals of this category prefer to settle where there is a thicket and some current. That is, they are attracted by weakly flowing rivers, lakes with sufficient depth (do not forget that the birds are excellent dives). They also love all kinds of streams running through wooded areas.
2. You can meet representatives of the breed group in the tundra, as well as water sources with brackish water. They get along perfectly in bays, in shallow water, in straits and gulfs, river mouths with sand at the bottom. They do not like silt, so they refuse from such water sources.
3. Birds will always choose narrowed canals instead of the water surface open to human eyes. They try to live near rocky terrain, trees, bushes by the water, grassy plantations. Prefer islets and spits.
4. When the nesting period comes to an end, the birds go to winter in the vast expanses of the sea. They feed in brackish lagoons or bays. Individuals do not like the waves, swim only in pure water. During the flight to the wintering place they stop for snack in small freshwater sources.

Breeding

1. Presented krokhali prefer during nesting shores of mountain rivers. They can also build nests on various islands. Often, such manipulations occur in the spring. Birds nest in colonies or in pairs. Individuals begin to build a nest at a distance of approximately 20 m from the water.
2. Often the birds arrange their homes to reproduce offspring in the natural depressions, which are located in the ground. Nests can be under big stones, in rock crevices, in roots and crowns of thick trees. They can also be found in hollows and reeds.
3. The individuals in question always choose secluded and quiet nesting sites. This is done so that the female, which incubates the eggs, is not noticeable to the surrounding world and predators. At the bottom of the nest the birds line the dried grass and their own down.
4. At one place females can nest for many years. In laying often there are no more than 12 eggs. They can be painted in a creamy or cream shade. The duration of incubation of offspring can last up to 35 days. Already at the age of two months, the young merchants are learning to fly.
5. In the middle of summer males gather in flocks and move to tundra rivers and shallow bays. At this time, the birds molt. Also, such a process often occurs in nesting areas, in the forest area. I reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years.

Nutrition

1. Often, the individuals in question feed on small fish, invertebrates, plants, larvae, insects, and worms.
2. The feeding process in birds occurs in flocks on shallow shores. Wintering individuals fly to the mouths of shallow bays.

Interesting Facts

1. The bird population is significantly reduced every year. The problem is that such a game is popular among hunters. In addition, individuals often die in fishing nets.
2. The bird population is rapidly declining due to habitat disturbance.People cut down forests, build dams and pollute ponds. In addition, individuals are susceptible to avian influenza.
3. Ducks have long been brought under protection in European countries. Due to this, on the islands the population of the species began to increase. To preserve the species of birds, people independently build artificial nests.

Long-nosed beetles belong to a rather interesting species of birds. In addition, these birds also have subspecies. Unfortunately, the population of individuals is reduced mainly due to human activity.