Little Plover - description, habitat, interesting facts

There are many varieties of zoo, they all differ in their distribution, external data and behavior. At first, these birds were distributed exclusively in Europe, then their habitat expanded to Asia, Africa, China, the Far East and other countries. These inhabitants prefer to settle on brackish or freshwater sites.

Zoo species

To date, there are more than 5 varieties of zuykov, including a small one. We will look at everyone in turn, so that you have a clear idea.

Small

1. In terms of their dimensional characteristics, birds grow to a maximum of 17 cm, but individuals most often are 14–15 cm. The wingspan ranges from 43 to 50 cm, and body weight is only 30–50 g. Now it is clear for what reasons these birds were called small.
2. On the back of the head of the zuikas there is a pattern in the shape of a cap, which is bordered with a stripe of whitish tone. In the anterior section at the top of the head, black feathers. In the eye area there are yellowish circles. In females they are narrow, and in males they are larger.
3. In the lower section, the head is light. The males have a black stripe in the neck, and the females have a brown stripe. Wings and back brownish gray. The body and chest are white. The beak is dark, legs are beige, there are membranes on the paws.
4. When the cold season comes, the plumage takes on a brownish tone with a light sheen. Those circles that are around the eyes turn dark. Young individuals are gray-brownish, their neck band is divided into 2 sections.

Nautical

1. Sea birds in size do not exceed the dimensions of a sparrow. They are common on water sources of a brackish or fresh type. They belong to migrants, they go to warmer places for wintering.
2. The back of males is colored gray-brown, the area behind the neck is red, the abdominal part is white, the forehead is light, the band in the eye area is whitish or beige.
3. A distinctive feature is the black mask. On the sides of the body adorn dark spots.Paws with beak pigmented black.
4. Females differ from males in that they lack black feathers. In all other respects, they are similar to individuals of male sex. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to distinguish them.

Ussuri

1. In terms of dimensional features, this species is as small as the previous one, that is, the dimensions are comparable to passerine. Individuals live near lakes, rivers and pebbled areas.
2. The back is painted gray with brown undertones, and the abdominal region is whitish. In the area of ​​the goiter, that is, at the bottom of the neck there is a strip of black color. Temko dark, frontal part has a white mark and a black stripe.
3. The area above the beak is painted black, eyes are edged with a yellow shade. Birds are famous for their sonorous voice, which resembles pilicane.

Three-lane

1. These individuals are larger than their brethren; they can be as long as 18 cm in length. They are distinguished by black stripes in the chest, which are separated by a white mark.
2. In the area of ​​the eye and beak of a bird there are red feathers. With regard to differences in gender, they are not. Young individuals most often painted poorly, they do not have bright colors.

Red-capped

1. The length of the body of the individual under consideration reaches about 16 cm. At the same time, the wingspan can reach up to 32 cm. The mass of the bird is small and amounts to only 40 g. On the abdomen of such a zoo there is a white plumage. Brown spots can be observed on the back.
2. Males have a red color neck and head. And only on top. It is because of such a characteristic that the individual in question has received its name. Females have faded colors. They also have a black beak.
3. Presented birds mainly live in New Zealand and Australia. This plover prefers swampy areas and banks of calm rivers.

How to distinguish the female from the male

1. It is quite difficult to identify the sex differences in the individuals in question. Often, many species of zuykov virtually no differences among females and males.
2. Even the size of the individuals remains the same. Only in some species of these birds do females have weak plumage colors than males.

Breeding

1. Small animals arrive at nesting sites from the beginning of spring. The birds remain until mid-summer. Many factors may also depend on the region where the individuals arrive.The colder the terrain, the later the birds arrive here.
2. As soon as the birds arrive at the nesting sites, the males immediately begin to separate their territory. After that, the male begins to attract the second half in every possible way.
3. Once the pair has formed, they begin to build a nest. Often the house is located on the shore of pebbles or sand. The nest is a hollow with a bed of dry grass. Often, as an alternative, birds use needles, small pebbles and slivers.
4. At one time, the female can bring up to 4 eggs. They have a whitish color with black or brown patches. The offspring begins to emerge after a little less than a month. Eggs are practiced by both parents. Often they replace each other.
5. It happens that the clutch may die completely, in which case the pair again starts to lay eggs again. The youngsters that emerged into the world quickly adapt to the environment and begin to show activity. They run and hide well if they notice a danger or a potential threat.
6. The young growth becomes fully on the wing as soon as 1 month is completed.Birds begin to migrate in late summer or early fall. The flight to the southern countries is carried out in small groups. It often happens that individuals migrate even one by one. After wintering, birds often return to their usual nesting sites.

Nutrition and behavior

1. It is worth noting that the individuals in question often live at an altitude of 700–800 m. Above sea level. Not once were cases when birds were noticed even in the Himalayas. The height of their habitat can reach up to 2.8 km. above sea level.
2. All kinds of insects, worms and crustaceans are often included in the usual diet of the small zoo. The represented individuals obtain food in most cases in shallow and open places. Most often, such birds flocks around the water, where there is a lot of invertebrates.

Interesting Facts

1. While running such a bird, you can observe an interesting picture. It takes almost a horizontal position. In this case, the individual stops suddenly.
2. Such birds even help the breeding pair. Kindred can feed young. It is worth knowing that the female after vyidka immediately leaves the nest.The rest continues to engage the male.
3. In the genus of birds under consideration, there are about 30 species. 30% of such individuals often nest in the territory of the Russian Federation. In marriage, the male independently constructs a nest and invites the female into it.

The representatives of birds considered are rather interesting individuals with peculiar characteristic features. The little plover is not on the verge of extinction. Practically nothing threatens such individuals. In addition, these birds have a sufficiently sharp mind and ingenuity.

Video: small plover (Charadrius dubius)