Keklik - description, habitat, interesting facts

Sometimes, among the bird's polyphony, one can hear a loud and jerky “cake, cake-cake” or “cook, cook-cook.” This is the singing of a keklik or stony partridge (stone hen). Because of the special singing of these funny birds, they nicknamed them - “chickens”. Despite its diminutiveness, the feathered voice is so loud that it can be easily discerned at a distance of 1.5 km. It is noteworthy that some species of this bird are so similar that they were mistakenly combined into one. It happened with Asian and European chickens. However, the differences in birds are still there - they sing in different ways.

Habitat

These birds can not be attributed to the migratory. They do not fly away for the winter anywhere, preferring the same range. So, they can be found on the territory stretching from the Alps themselves and the Balkan Peninsula to China, as well as the Himalayas. Often, the kekliks are found in Altai, the Caucasus, and in Central Asia.The bird nests on the ground, preferring stony slopes, deserts, forest edges or ravines with low grasses and shrubs.

Not far from the nest of the rocky partridge you can always find some kind of water. Vivifying moisture is especially necessary for them in the hot summer. They often fly to the water to drink. In winter, when the water freezes, the birds peck snow or ice.

Feathered features

Despite the fact that the birds do not belong to the migratory, they still occasionally make seasonal trips along the mountain slopes, then choosing a higher tier for the nest, then going down below. This behavior of birds is quite understandable.The fact is that with the onset of cold weather on the lower, blown slopes, it is easier for them to find their food. The wind and cold do not frighten them, because the low temperature of the air is more easily transferred to a full stomach. Helps in this and dense winter feather with a warm down. Feathers help out in the hot season. In the sun, their surface can reach up to 500C. However, feather density does not allow heat to reach the skin and the bird does not experience overheating. In the summer heat of resting birds most often can be seen in the shade, occupied with sand bathing and feather cleaning.

Stony partridges are active until dark. Having woken up with the first rays of the sun, they have been talking about something for a while, talking fervently, shouting cheerfully, welcoming the awakening nature. Then comes the time of watering and hunting, when the birds merrily fly away to the pond. So, they spend the whole day getting their own food. Most often, they can be seen walking on the stones than sitting on the branches of trees.

Nesting and breeding

Birds make couples for life. This happens already in the first year of life. They enter the mating season by the end of February or the beginning of March.Having picked up a secluded place under a bush or a ledge of a rock, birds with their paws dig a small depression in the ground for future laying. As a rule, they have small nests: about 20 cm in diameter, not more than 9 cm deep. Birds cover the bottom of the hollow in the ground with dead wood, small branches and down. The nest itself is covered with leaves and grass.

Female kekliks are distinguished by good fecundity. They lay from 7 to 22 eggs, and then hatch them for 23-24 days. The small testicles in the nests are colored yellow with patches of brown. With such a coloring they are very difficult to see on the ground.

Hatching chicks passes fairly quickly. Very often, babies start to hatch at the same time. They are born in gray fluff with white patches and very quickly learn to move behind their parents - within four hours after birth. Parents jealously watch their offspring, protect them from danger and heat them, because At first, babies are not yet fledged and may freeze to death. Adults literally from the first days begin to teach their chicks to hunt. If a danger appears near the nest, the female begins to run away from it and, pretending to be wounded, takes the enemy away from the nest. At this time, the chicks are hiding somewhere.

Stony partridges grow quite quickly, reaching a weight of three times more than in two weeks than when hatching. By ten days the young birds begin to stand on the wing, flying very short distances. Sometimes the kids of several couples are grouped into one large flock, sometimes with up to 30 birds. At the same time, several adult birds show concern for young people. Nestlings live with adult chickens for a long time, spending the autumn and wintering with them.

Birds feed mostly on plant food, eating greens and seeds of various plants. Ornithologists have conducted research and found that more than 300 plant species are present in the avian diet. To a lesser extent keklik eat protein feed. It usually consists of:

• insects;
• small worms;
• mollusks.

This little bird has a lot of enemies. Not only animals hunt for it, but also birds of prey, as well as humans. Babies are the most affected in this respect, although they know how to hide and disguise themselves.

In especially cold and little snowy winters, the bird population is significantly reduced. This is due to the innate curiosity of the birds, which are easy to lure into pieces of bright fabric stretched on sticks. This is how hunters usually do that extract tasty partridge meat for themselves. However, in spring, the females again lay a large number of eggs, and by the autumn the number of birds is recovering.

Interesting Facts

During the period of mating games, you can hear how the cackles "cluck." The ringing sound “kho-ko-ko”, which is emitted by the male caring for the female, is somewhat similar to the chicken clucking and toking.

Despite the fact that the kekliki often fall into the hands of people, the latter is not easy to find. The fact is that the bird is distinguished by excellent briskness and mobility. She runs so fast on the rocky surface that is not inferior to an excellent hunting dog.

Due to the great fertility and unpretentiousness, the bird is often bred in nursery conditions. It is valued for its original plumage and unusual singing. In addition, some lovers grow birds for participation in bird fights. In captivity, kekliks feel well and, with proper care, can live up to twenty years.

Video: keklik (Alectoris)