Common Bunting - description, habitat, interesting facts

Under the ordinary oatmeal means a bird, ranked in the oatmeal family. People will recognize this bird due to the beautiful yellow plumage with golden tint on the head and chest. The individuals of the species under discussion live primarily in European and Asian countries, and they also feel great in New Zealand. It was to this country that a bird was brought by a man, later the breed took root.

Description

1. According to its external characteristics, the bird grows up to 18 cm with a body mass of 30 grams. When the mating season begins, the male of this breed is easily recognized for its distinctive characteristics. Among them, the presence of oblong lines in the chest and goiter.
2. Also, the wings are pigmented with a dark brownish tone, on the abdominal part, brisket, cheeks and head there are yellow-colored feathers with a golden hue.The tail is elongated, the area above the tail and the lumbar region are pigmented with a neutral color.
3. On the cheeks there is a green-olive pattern. The same situation is observed on the frontal section, on both sides of the head. And in the back zone, approximately the same pattern is pigmented with dark color, chocolate or chestnut.
4. Females on plumage are not so bright. They are painted in a faded yellowish pigment. On the feathers there are greenish blotches, the wings at the same time purple-red-gray. Young birds are similar in coloring to females. And it does not depend on what floor the baby bird is ranked.
5. As for the molting season, this event falls on the autumn period. Yellowish feathers are replaced by dark ones. Birds do not lose their bright specks, they are present exclusively in the area of ​​the peritoneum and neck. At this time, it becomes extremely difficult to identify where an individual is a male and what is a female.

Spread

1. Feathered friends before all other species of birds arrive from wintering grounds in their native spaces.First come the individuals of male affiliation, because they are not afraid of the cold. Males begin to sing, and the snow still lies. So they make it clear that their territory, beautiful ladies will soon arrive.
2. Birds are common on different continents, most of them in European countries, Siberia and Iran. Building a home for posterity is preferred in France, near the Balkan or Iberian Peninsula, and is found on the southern side of Italy.
3. From the north, the distribution of birds stretches from the Kola Peninsula to Scandinavia. Birds live in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova. A separate section for building nests for future offspring is considered to be the distance, starting with the Caucasus, ending with the Iranian mountains.
4. It has already been mentioned that birds appeared in England by artificial means. That is, they were specially transported here to New Zealand. At that time, these territories could boast a large number of forage crops, while the predators were practically absent. The birds felt great, actively reproduced.
5. In European countries, the population has declined sharply over the last couple of three years.However, individuals have become much more in their homeland, that is, in New Zealand. If you follow the data of experts, today there are 3 times more birds than originally. Some oatmeal can be combined with a sebaceous subspecies, so the population becomes hybrid in nature.
6. Separately, it makes sense to consider the habitat. Species of the species under discussion can be found in steppe, forest-steppe, and forest zones. They like woody vegetation, dry air. In the forest, young individuals live on the edges, overgrown with clearing. They are also located next to power lines and railways. They live near swamps, lakes, rivers and flooded fields.
7. The bird does not have a clear fear of people, trying not to avoid them. She chooses favorable conditions, and for the period of nesting she is looking for a place in a ditch, ravine, embankment. In the winter, the birds live next to gardens and fields to feast on what is. Some birds even nest in the stables.

Nutrition

1. As a rule, the basis of the diet of the feathery family is food of plant origin.Practically all summertime, spring and autumn, the birds are looking for vegetable seeds. When the young are born, it takes a lot of food. Then the birds go in search of insects to feed their offspring.
2. When the nesting period comes to an end, the birds go in search of places with buckwheat, millet, and wheat. When autumn makes itself felt, then the birds go south to fly away from the cold and cold.

Breeding

1. After wintering, the males are the first to return to their native lands. This happens when the snow starts to fall, and at night there are sometimes slight frosts. It is worth noting that individuals begin one of the first to reproduce their trills in early spring.
2. The beginning of the marriage period falls on the beginning of April. By the end of the month, full-fledged pairs begin to form in the birds. Males are distinguished by their brightness and loud singing. At this time, they are trying in every way to attract the attention of females. Male individuals are bathed in beautiful trills.
3. Once a pair has formed, they are sent to search for a place to build a new nest. Birds often start building houses closer to summer.During this period, the earth and the air have time to warm up well. It should be noted that birds nest in tall grass, under bushes, on the edge of ravines and on the ground.
4. When the period of nesting takes place, individuals try to behave as covertly as possible. During this period, it is almost impossible to detect the whole family of oatmeal. Externally, the nest resembles a bowl. It is made from dry grass, grass stalks and animal fur.
5. In the nesting areas for the season, birds are able to display 2 offspring in a row. At any time, the female can produce no more than 5 eggs. They are small and have delicate different tones. At the same time on the shell you can observe streaks and blotches. As a result, you can see some pretty interesting pictures.
6. After about two weeks, the chicks are already born. They are immediately covered with reddish fluff. While the female is engaged in raising babies, the male protects them and in parallel brings food for the whole family. Often in the diet of young stock includes small insects.
7. After another couple of weeks, the chicks are already becoming almost independent. They begin to include in their diet the seeds of young plants. At the same time, the chicks are already learning to fly.Also young for some time still in the nest. They are gradually looking for their own food.
8. In parallel, at the same time, the female leaves her chicks and goes in search of a new place to build a nest. As a result, parents begin to reproduce the next offspring. Already towards the end of the summer, the whole family joins together. They begin to fly into new areas that are rich in various animal feed and grain crops.

Home maintenance

1. Often people go to catch birds in the spring. This time is considered the most favorable. The birds sing beautifully and they are well heard. You can easily choose a male who is most beautifully filled with a trill. Also, birds are caught for food.
2. Once you have caught an individual, you need to put it in a cage and keep it under a covered cloth for several days. During this time, the bird will have time to sing and does not injure his psyche due to a sharp change in the environment. Keep in mind all conditions must be respected. Also the cage should be spacious.
3. In addition, it is allowed to keep several individuals at once, only each bird must have its own cage.The bottom of the dwelling needs to be made from clean and fine sand. In addition, birds need good lighting. In the daytime, the cell is better to put on the window. Otherwise, bird feathers will lose their former color.

Oatmeal have a bright color. Such birds are very beautiful. In addition, they bring great benefits to farmers. Considered birds destroy in a huge number of different insects and weed seeds that harm agriculture. If you keep an individual at home, in the spring it will delight you with beautiful singing.

Video: Common Bunting (Emberiza citrinella)