The friendly sun, gentle breeze, the first,barely awake, flowers ... Yes, this is everyone's favorite awakening of nature - spring. And the first to announce the arrival of spring are the birds returning from warm countries. They begin to work hard to build their nests in order to breed. And if it is easy enough to distinguish spring birds from winter ones, then it is difficult to determine owners by nest.
The first heralds of spring
About the birds arriving in the spring, tell more inthe school. Spring birds arrive in small flocks, and finches appear first. If you get closer to the finch, you can see how beautiful the bird is: what tones it does not cast feathers! And green, and red, and brown, and on the head there is a blue “cap”. From a distance, the finch is noticeable in white stripes on the wings and back.
After the finches the blackbirds arrive, and in Russia, inthe middle lane, the first birds are considered rooks. Then in the parks you can find charred, redstart and varakushek. These birds are distinguished by a bright color of feathers, for example, there are blue breasts in Varakushka, and in charger feathers of all colors are red, blue and greenish, and even red.
Each bird tries to return to its oldnest. Swallows arriving in April are no exception. Swallows Russian people love and respect. Many signs are associated with them. For example, if a swallow flies low above the ground, it means it will soon rain. People try to protect swallows' nest until the next spring.
Birds and their nests
An amazing fact, but the birds are capable of building the most ambitious structures. But how much do we humans know which bird has which nest?
Places arranged by birds for laying eggs, differ from each other, and sometimes very dramatically. But all kinds of bird nests can be divided by their location:
- Ground nests. They are built mainly from grass, leaves and small knots. In Russia, in the ground "apartments" live sandpiper, hazel grouse and gull.
- Nests in the mountains. Located on rocky terrain, they are built by birds of prey, such as falcon.
- On the trees. From all that can be found, our spring birds, finches and thrushes, build nests at low altitudes. It is very interesting that the nests have a “cement” basis of clay and sand.
- On the water / in the hollows. Less common nests, but having a place in the life of some birds. So on the water live black terns, and in the hollows - owls and woodpeckers.
- Sand holes. Some birds, with their beaks, dig a hole in the sand for themselves, and then bring in straw or grass. This is the nest of the swallow gerbil.
How to distinguish the swallow from other birds?
По размеру ласточки очень маленькие, с небольшой head. Paws are short and thin. The male and female differ in coloration, although most often with the naked eye this difference is not noticeable. Most of the time, the swallows spend in the air, but if they go down to the ground, you can see how awkward their walk is. Birds feed on insects. It is noteworthy that they can only hunt in flight.
The main feature of the appearance of swallows is a forked tail, resembling a slingshot.
Birds have a friendly character, so withother birds do not conflict, and with individuals of their own species they settle nearby. If a swallow is attacked by a larger bird of prey, then it will not only fight bravely, but will defend its nest to the last. If a cat or a person gets into the nest, then you can be sure: a small bird will selflessly defend its property.
Swallow species
It is difficult to find in Russia a person who has neverlife did not see swallow. But not only can the swallow be found on the territory of the Russian Federation, more than one species lives here. About 7 species of this bird live in our country:
- Деревенская (касатка) ласточка.By name, you can guess: this bird is well known to villagers. The swallow has a completely black back, and the neck and forehead are red-brown shades. The rustic swallows nest consists of straw, clay and, surprisingly, feathers and hair, which are one of the most durable materials for birds.
- Red-throat swallow.It is a bit like a swallow of the previous species, but it has several long black feathers above its tail. Surprisingly, sometimes the melancholy song of the red-lumbar swallow resembles the meowing of a cat or even a small kitten.
- Coast Swallow. Beregovushka is practically the smallest swallow of all available species. The beak is rather short and hard, and the color is inconspicuous - gray-brown plumage.
- Small swallow. Outwardly, it resembles a bank of beaches, but the bird is smaller in size. Usually they fly away around the end of August, but the arrival of small swallows is recorded at the end of March - early April.
- Mountain Swallow. It is also called rocky. In color, it resembles a brown one, but differs in an amazing patterned tail, which is best viewed when flying.
- Thorny swallow.So this species is called because the males on the tail have two thin and long, thread-like feathers. The napetail tail has a dazzling white breast and an orange head.
- White-faced swallow.Swallow has a black color with a blue-metallic tint. Unfortunately, quite a few individuals of this species were recorded in Russia, so many ornithologists generally do not recognize the existence of these swallows on the territory of our country.
This is not all existing species of swallows. But even from this small list it can be concluded about their diversity.
Swallows
Swallow is easy to meet in anycorner of Russia. As for the coastal swallow, it is easier to name where it is impossible to meet her: in Australia and Antarctica. Red-tailed swallows inhabit the shores of Lake Baikal, as well as in southern Italy and Sicily. For the winter, they, like most swallows, fly to Africa and India.
The rocky swallow lives in the highlands. In Russia, it is the territory of the Caucasus and Crimea. The white-flipped swallow can be found in North America, and it winters in South America and Mexico.
Where do the swallows nest?
Ласточки очень привязаны к местам, устраиваемым for laying eggs. When birds build nests, their location becomes the only place that the swallow can remember. The instinct is so blind that if the swallow returns to feed the chicks, and the nest is not in the same place, then it will mistakenly start feeding others.
Barn Swallows prefer not to fly out forthe village or the village, so its nest is usually there. Sometimes killer whales get used to people and nest right under the roofs of houses. There it is easier for them to get food, and there is also protection from wind and rain.
The coastal and small swallows nest near the water, digging a hole in the sand with their beak. They live in small groups, colonies.
Rocky Swallow prefers to build a nest inmountains or rocks, away from people and noise. Although there are nests located within the walls of block houses and tunnels. Her cup-shaped nest is made of clay, saliva and grass.
Mating season swallows
The mating season of swallows lasts from May toAugust, and during this time, the female makes two eggs. In one laying - up to 7 eggs. After two weeks, chicks appear. After 3 weeks spent in the nest, the chicks are able to fly, so they begin to feed independently. Females choose their partners for a long period, and when choosing, they are guided by the length of the tail: the male with the longest tail wins.
Sometimes males stay alone for the season. Then, on their return from wintering, they begin to help other couples in building a nest and even feed the chicks.
Signs associated with the swallows
One of the signs mentioned above:if the swallow flies low, it means to be rain. But there are others. For example, if a swallow makes a nest near the roof of a house, then good and kind people live in this house. But if you harm the swallow, then misfortune and grief will pursue a long time. If you destroy the swallow's nest, then freckles will appear on your face - also a rather interesting sign. If the swallows arrive earlier than usual, then the year will be fruitful. And if you take a stone from a bird's nest, it will become a talisman and talisman.
