Meadowstock - description, habitat, interesting facts

Meadowbird is a family of thrushes. In size, they are even smaller than the sparrow. The body in length reaches about 12-14 cm. The wingspan of these birds is 23-24 cm. They have a short tail. Weigh birds 16-20 g

The plumage in the upper part of the body is brown in color, but the variegates of a lighter shade are visible. On the lower part, the color of the plumage of the coinage is light. And in the chest color red. On the head there is a brown band that starts near the beak and passes through the eye. And above the eye, the color of the plumage is light in the shape of an eyebrow.

In males, the plumage is colored in brighter colors than in females. In the chest area is a spot of yellowish hue. The head is brown. At the check of the meadow, the legs and beak are gray. The eyes are dark. Juveniles have almost the same coloring as females. But they are more colorful.

Habitat

Representatives of this species live in the territory of Eurasia.Many of these birds live in Europe. But south of 43 ° north latitude of these birds you will not meet. A lot of them live in Russia. Here you can see them from Arkhangelsk to the Caucasus itself. And on the territory of Western Siberia, meadow chasers live right up to the headwaters of the Yenisei.

Habitats

As a rule, these birds live on meadows, where quite tall grass grows. Sometimes they live in rare shrubs. Hard grass stems and bushes serve as squats for them.

Individuals that live in the southern part of Europe often settle in glades with high humidity. They also live in the mountains, where they can be seen on pastures. Another favorite habitat for birds is the edge of a coniferous mountain forest. These are usually forests that grow at a high altitude - up to 2000 m. When they fly to wintering grounds, they can stop in the fields to find food for themselves.

Vote

Thanks to the sounds that these birds make, they got their name. This is an alarming cry, which can be described as “check-check”. These sounds, which are very much like crackling, are emitted by birds when they are disturbed or alarmed. By this characteristic cod, the bird can be distinguished from others. The individual is not different in beauty, therefore representatives of this species are not considered to be a songbird.

In the spring, the male displays short trills, but they are quiet. In these trills you can hear a lot of imitating sounds.

Migrations

Representatives of the meadow chase species are migratory birds. From the territory of Eurasia for the winter, they fly to hot Africa. They spend the winter in equatorial regions of the continent. Returns to its usual nesting site only in late spring. At this time in the meadows is already growing a lot of fresh grass. At the nesting ground birds live until August, and then fly back to Africa.

On average, these birds live for about 6-8 years.

Breeding

These birds place their nests right on the ground, choosing a place among tall grasses.These birds in search of food often walk on the surface of the earth, but at the same time they do not leave their foot prints.

The nest on the device is quite simple. Often, the cheeks equip them at the base of horse sorrel. Sometimes they can choose another plant with a large, hard stem. The nest of the meadow chisel is a hole of small depth - about 9 cm or more. Sometimes it is 2 times deeper. The average size of the tray is 6-4 cm. The bird lines it from the inside with dry grass and moss. Sometimes it can be covered with animal hair. The nest does not rise to the ground. The bird builds it so that it looks as if it completely merges with the surrounding terrain, and it is very difficult to notice it. Blades of grass hang over it, which further protect the nest from prying eyes. Due to this, it is very difficult to see the nest of this bird.

The size of the nest depends on which hole the bird chooses. When it is built, and the bird is sure that it has masked him well, she lays her eggs. In one laying, their number is about 6-7 pieces. They look very beautiful, bright. Painted in greenish blue. As a rule, there is no pestrin on them.But sometimes there are small spots of brown color. Egg size averages 20x15 mm. The female is engaged in incubation. It takes about 12-14 days. The bird sits tightly on the nest, making it fly away is very difficult. You can only scare her if you walk too close and the bird feels that you can step on it. The male does not fly away at this time, but is nearby. In case of danger, he warns the female.

Nutrition

Animal food is present in the diet of meadow chase. They eat spiders, insects, larvae. Sometimes they eat shellfish and worms.They also love various berries. In order to find prey, the bird sits on the top of the bush and looks for the victim. If she discovers a prey, then flies down or pecks it from the foliage. The bird sometimes hunts in the air. Here she catches flies and small butterflies. When the victim is caught, the bird sits on the bush again or finds another place.

These birds benefit man, as they eat pests.

Video: meadow chase (Saxicola rubetra)