Bird golden plover: description and photo

The golden plover can not boast of a bright long tail or exotic fairy plumage. But this migratory bird is expected and loved in many countries with a harsh climate. So, for example, in Iceland it is believed that it brings on the wings of spring. With the return of the camps of golden rozhans, the heat comes together.

Short description

The golden plover is a bird from the order of the Charadriiformes. The detachment includes many families, united by the name Rzhankovye, and the genus Rzhanok includes at least 4 species. Specifically, golden plover golden, in the Latin Pluvialis apricaria, is classified as a southern subspecies.

The golden plover is not characterized by a very large size. The length of her body usually does not exceed 29 cm. The maximum weight that could be fixed is 220 g. The wingspan of the bird varies from 65 to 76 cm. The golden plover looks a bit awkward. The bird has a small round head, a massive body and elongated thin legs.

Color

The color of the bird varies throughout life. The upper side (head, neck, back and part of the tail) is gray-brown with variegated golden inclusions. This plumage helps the golden plover blend perfectly with the surrounding nature, hiding from enemies. In the mating season, males appear adornments of black feathers bordered by a white contrasting band. A black spot can begin on the throat, under the beak itself, and extend through the entire abdomen to the very tail. Contrasting colors distinguish males and attract females. The female, like the male, also has a darker plumage on the abdomen. But it is not so dense and black, so it's not so noticeable.

Marriage color is held by males almost until the end of August. Gradually, it dusk, replacing the "winter" pen. In nesting time (from the middle to the end of June), there is a beautiful black apron, and before the departure (early September), the change of dress is completely completed.

A young golden plover is colored a little differently. The nestlings of the abdomen are covered with a white delicate feather. And the back is gray-gold, with thin white stripes. Young growth has a uniformly yellow color of the breast and belly with small dark scales. Black apron is not found in young males.

Adult color golden plover buys in a year. At this time, from young relatives, the young are distinguished only by the state of the flight and steering feathers. In older birds, the feather is somewhat refreshed.

In the bird, the photo of which is made in flight, the color difference between the upper and lower parts of the wing is clearly visible. At the golden plover in the nuptial dress, and with the winter color the lower part of the wing is white, with brownish feathers at the very end.

Spread

Golden plovers prefer open swampy places, mountain meadows, wasteland or tundra. The distribution area is Northern Europe. Wintering birds on the British Isles and on the Western and Southern coasts of Europe. It actually occurs from the territories of Iceland and Great Britain, to the center of Siberia. In Central Europe, the bird almost disappeared.

In general, birds from the Rzhanok family are most conveniently observed on the Watt coastal shoals. These parts of the land are flooded during tides, and after the ebb tide a large amount of food remains on them.

What they eat

The diet of this species of birds is very diverse. In the main menu, insects, worms and snails. This food can be found in large quantities on the ground. Golden plover in large numbers eats beetles, different larvae, dragonflies and spiders. It can be supplemented by small specimens of locusts. Resting on rest during migration, the golden plover feeds on mollusks and crustaceans. Vegetable food in the diet is also present, but in small quantities. These can be seeds, green plants and marsh species of berries.

Lifestyle

Golden plovers often live in colonies, which include representatives of not only their species, but also others. It can be curlew or snails. In the nesting areas the species returns at the height of the melting of snow. The nest of the bird is organized in the depressions of the ground. Most often they develop swampy mounds (hummocks) or foothills of pines. Places choose non-ravaged, avoid closeness of the bush and wet watery areas. However, very dry land with scant vegetation golden plovers also does not like. Many plovers return to the area of last year's nesting grounds. The period of taming and pair formation is spring.

Poultry are flown during the day to fish, but if the feed is small, golden plovers can hunt in the evening.

The spring flight of golden rozhanki to their native places runs from March to the second part of April. In autumn, birds fly to warm regions in September - November.

What is the golden plover voice?

Of course, the golden plover does not compete with the nightingale, but her song is full of a peculiar charm. The song of a male is called a tamping. He rises high into the air and pokes, evenly waving his wings. A married song always consists of two couplets-parts. In the first part the male produces separate disyllabic whistles. It is a beautiful and unhurried part, which is repeated many times with small stops. The second part of the gesture is more hurried, and the whistles in it sound without gaps.

If the bird worries in the nest, the whistle gets an annoying sad intonation. In this case, the sounds are monosyllabic, multiple and monotonous. With the same monosyllabic whistles golden golden plovers echo in the pack.

Reproduction

The southern golden plover begins to nest in 1-2 years. Many year-old birds all summer roam from place to place. After choosing a place under the nest, the birds lined it with a thick layer of plant material. The female lays 4 eggs, the interval between which can be 2-4 days. Height of eggs is about 52 mm, their color is yellow-brown. In this case, brown spots are located closer to the blunt edge of the egg.

To sit on a laying to a family rzhanok will reach 30 days. The male and the female do this in turn. Then there are chicks, which from the first days begin to show independence. Small birds, photos of which cause an explosion of emotion, in fact, can immediately obtain their own food. Parents need them more to protect them from predators. I must say that the golden plovers are bold birds! They selflessly lead predators away from the nest with chicks, pretending to be wounded. At the same time, make sure that the distance between them and the predator remains small, so that he does not lose interest and does not return to the nest.

Number and security measures

The southern golden plover population in Russia does not exceed 2 thousand pairs. During the spring and autumn passage, the territory of our country crosses about 500 individuals. Reducing the number of golden plover is due to the shooting and disappearance of nesting sites.

Since the area of the golden plover is limited, and the number decreases, the bird is listed in the Red Data Book of Russia.