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Ipatka, the Pacific hatchet or dead end is a representative of the family of steaks. This is a clear representative of dead ends with a bright beak of amazing shape. Seabirds of this species spend a lot of time in the water. Ipatka slightly more than the Atlantic impasse, which has much in common. The bird is not very careful, it is capable of letting a person close enough to itself. Ipatka often moves on rocky terrain, clinging to the stones with claws. The bird is able to move through the air and on the ground, but feels more harmonious in the water.
Appearance ipatki
The bird has a bright and attractive color, the males and females of ipatki are very attractive, have almost no differences. The bird plumage is a contrasting line of black and white. The upper part of the head, wings and back have a deep black shade, the area under the wings is gray. The lateral part of the face, breast and abdomen are crystal white.Ipatka has a disproportionately large head and a particularly pronounced beak. The width of the beak covers almost the entire area of the head, on the beak there is a growth that is located above the level of the eyes. The color of the beak discourages bright colors and modulations - at the end it has a deep red tint. The eyes of Ipatka deserve admiration - a black pupil with a dark edging looks exquisitely against the white plumage of the eyes. A thin black line is moving away from the eye, like an arrow in a lady with great makeup. The paws, like the base of the beak, have a bright orange color. There are sharp claws on the paws, and there is a membrane between the fingers. The average length of the ipatka body is about 40 cm, the bird's weight is 200-300 grams.
Habitat
Lifestyle ipatki
The number of ipatok is quite high, in the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka and near the Commander the bird can be found often; in the number of individuals, the ipatka is second only to the crested ax. Sexual maturity in birds of this species comes relatively late - only 3-4 years of age. During the courtship period, the male actively achieves the female, flaps its wings around it, shakes its head with a large beak. Hypatka monogamous and create a pair for life. Unlike hatchets, which dig holes and build nests precisely in the depths, the ridge organizes a place for laying in a rocky cleft. The nest is usually occupied by a male. It lines hard stones with dry grass, feathers and leaves. Such nests are often used not once, but many times, for several years, while the dwelling will be suitable for incubation of chicks. In clutch, there is often one, rarely two oblong-shaped eggs. The eggshell is dull, with a large-grained surface, sometimes with slight inclusions.
Both parents incubate the egg, replacing each other,to be able to feed. After the chick has hatched, it is warmed for about a week until the first fluff appears. Then both parents can easily leave the baby alone and go in search of food for the chick. The main diet of ipatki is small fish, mollusks, crustaceans and marine invertebrates. The diet of chicks is the same, except for the size - at first babies are fed with small fish. As soon as the chicks get a little stronger and lean, the parents lower them into the water, teach them to fish, put them on the wing, and teach them to beware of their enemies. And Ipatka has enough enemies - it is also bald eagles, owls, gulls, foxes, ravens. In most parts, predators hunt chicks, but they can also eat an adult individual. Rats that roam the rocky expanses in search of eggs and baby birds left unattended are also dangerous for chicks. If the egg for some reason dies, the female ipatki makes another laying. That is why Ipatki try to nest as high as possible in the rocks so that the probability of predator attack is minimal.
Ipatki are considered silent birds, which only occasionally make quiet sounds, like grunts.If the breeds nest in small flocks over a wide area, you can never hear a single sound from the birds. In large flocks with a large number of birds are forced to contact with each other, this leads to massive conflicts and, as a consequence, background cries.
Interesting fact about ipatka
Today Ipatka is not considered an endangered species of birds, just because it has few natural enemies.But the man who pollutes nature becomes a real predator and enemy. Effective measures to preserve the ecology of the northern latitudes will help to preserve the population of ipatok and many other species of birds and animals.
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