The bird described in this article is beautiful and unique. Her image can be seen on a silver coin of the Bank of Russia.
A magnificent and rather rare bird - the black crane. The Red Book of Russia has in its lists this rare species of birds.
In general, all cranes are graceful birds.Their peculiarity is that they select a pair for themselves only for life, therefore they are a symbol of loyalty. In the world there are not very many species of cranes, and most of them are rare today. And the most rare is the black crane.
Before we introduce it, consider what constitutes a list of the rarest species of birds.
The Red Book of Russia
The birds of this book (2001 edition) arean important part of the world of animals inhabiting Russia. Every year, the most diverse species of animals, plants, etc., disappear from all over the world. This statistic is also disappointing for birds. In the last century alone, the planet lost 130 species of birds.
For many species, and Russia is a haven, habitat, among them there are quite rare. One of them is the black crane.
This bird is so rare that ornithologistsfor a long time they could not describe it, since it was almost impossible to find it. Until 1974, the black crane was considered almost a myth. In 1974, the ornithologist Pukinsky first discovered the nest of this species of birds on Russian territory. After certain observations, he was able to describe it.
Today this species is relatively well studied, however, both in the Red Book of Russia and in the International it is listed.
Description
Black Crane - a bird from the squad crane.Its body size in length reaches 90-100 centimeters, in height - 150 cm, and weight - about 4 kg. The body is quite dense and large, the head is small. A comparatively long neck has, like many similar birds, an "S" shape. Strong, medium length, the beak at the end is slightly curved.
Черный журавль имеет тонкие, достаточно длинные, but strong legs. The long tail due to the red feathers is quite lush. The plumage is thick and dense. The main part of the body of a crane is covered with dark ashen and blue-gray feathers. Fly feathers and tail coverts are painted black. Almost the entire head and neck are covered with white feathers. Unopened crown is colored bright red. At the very base, the beak has a pinkish color, and at the end is greenish. Crane's legs are black-brown.
Sexual dimorphism is practically not pronounced. Cranes do not differ much from males, only in size they are slightly smaller.
It should be noted that among all existing cranes, black is the smallest.
Where does the black crane live?
Mostly habitat of these birdsis the territory of the Russian Federation (Siberia). A slightly smaller number lives in China (north) and on the Korean Peninsula. These birds prefer swampy light-leaved deciduous forests or swamps, on the banks of which there are overgrown cotton grass and various sedges.
Total in the world, according to scientific research,there are approximately 9 thousand individuals of this species. Their favorite places are the inaccessible swampy lowlands of the taiga zone. The Black Crane is a migratory bird, and it winters in Japan (most birds), in Korea and China.
The nesting area of the crane has not been studied very well. It is known that it is mainly connected with larch taiga.
Lifestyle, behavior, nutrition
Both voice and behavior are not well understood.alarm these birds. However, some facts are known. The black crane moves completely silently, alternately, smoothly and high raising the legs, slowly and carefully immersing them in the swamp muck. At the same time, the bird's head is slightly inclined downwards, and the body is always in a horizontal position.
Couple before mating makes a beautiful marriage ritual dance. Birds bounce, throwing up bundles of moss. The male cries out while the female repeats them twice.
In the spring nesting occurs, for which craneschoose a swampy area, surrounded by forest. These are mostly deaf, unaffected places. Nests are built from various pieces of wet peat, moss, birch twigs and larch. Usually the female lays no more than 2 eggs, resembling eggs of domestic geese. They hatch about 30 days. Parents equally care about their offspring. Wings in chicks are formed on the 70th day.
The basis of the diet are aquatic plants, berries, grains, insects with their larvae, small rodents, frogs and salamanders. Mostly food is picked from the ground.
Conclusion
Important is the Red Book of Russia. The birds entered into it are under reliable protection and protection.
Черный журавль – это редчайшая птица не только в Russia, but around the world. Careful attitude to this unique species and its protection is the personal responsibility of everyone and the primary task of environmental activities.
