What does the steppe harrier eat. Steppe harrier (Circus macrourus). Reproduction and lifespan

Falconiformes are now rarely found in the expanses of our Motherland. Steppe harrier - this is the name of an endangered species of birds, which is nevertheless worthy of close study. Let's see how it differs from its relatives, why the population is decreasing.

It may happen that a light-gray bird will fly out from under the traveler's feet. If he wandered through the fields of the Trans-Urals, then with a high degree of probability it can be argued that he met with a now rare representative of the hawk family. It is called steppe harrier. He is quite different from his relatives.

Appearance

Steppe harrier (photos are presented in the article) is painted unevenly. The upper plumage is bluish in color. The underside is usually pure white. Females are larger and lighter than males. Experts consider representatives of this species to be the “most slender” of all hawks. This species is especially distinguished from its brethren by its narrow wings, which have a span of up to one hundred and twenty centimeters. In flight, this inhabitant of the steppe can be confused with a seagull. Only upon close inspection, this visibility is rapidly melting. The steppe harrier has a completely different plumage. Most of all, it can be characterized by the word "pockmarked". In general, the bluish color is punctuated by dark blotches, more visible on the wings. The female has a white "collar" and the same "eyebrows". I must say that the light plumage color is not bright, but muted.

Habitat

The steppe harrier settles, as the name implies, among the fields. He prefers the outback, so now he can only be found in the Trans-Urals. In Ciscaucasia, Southern Siberia and the European part, it is also found, but extremely rarely. Sometimes nests in mountainous areas, tundra. These birds like swampy places abounding in vegetation. There, having picked up a place where there is little moisture, they arrange nesting. Hawks perfectly disguise their "settlements" so as not to become natural prey for other predators. They do not live in pairs, but in small groups. Nests are usually located at a distance of up to one hundred meters from each other. In an impromptu "settlement" you can count up to six couples. Steppe harrier can also be found in the mountains. Only there he lives on flat "tundra" areas.

nesting

Hawks during the breeding season build characteristic houses. To do this, a hole is dug in the ground up to five centimeters deep. The nest itself is laid out with soft herbs. Around, as a rule, a "protective redoubt" is built from coarser stems. Thin twigs, reeds or other are used. Most often, a pair builds its nest among vegetation, near a swamp or a spring. Less commonly, it can be found in the open steppe (uninhabited). If a couple has chosen the outskirts for life, then, most likely, they will build a nest among the dried blockages of uprooted bushes and grasses. That is, where no one will disturb the female sitting on the nest.

Offspring

Like any predatory harrier, it lays up to six eggs. Most often there are two to four. The female does not leave the clutch until the chicks are born. When a threat arises, both parents try to protect their offspring, fearlessly attacking the “aggressor”. They try to lure him away from the nest. Chicks appear after 28 days. For almost a month and a half, they need constant guardianship of their parents. The male feeds his mate all the time of breeding, then the brood. The survival rate of offspring does not exceed fifty percent. Babies are easy prey for predators, despite the constant care of the female. The first few days they are covered with light fluff, so they are visible from afar. Then the color of the plumage changes.

Threats and security

This one has few natural enemies. These include only larger raptors such as the steppe eagle or imperial eagle. However, the harrier population is constantly declining. The main reason is human activity, which interferes with the preservation of the "food base" of this inhabitant of the steppes. By the way, the harrier is not picky about food. Most often, he hunts small rodents, which helps a person in preserving the crop. It can engage in catching small birds or insects, it happens that it is content with lizards. Like all birds listed in the Red Book, this hawk is under state protection. Capturing him is prohibited. No breeding information available.

Appearance . At first glance, it is very reminiscent, however, the overall color of the plumage is lighter, and the dimensions are slightly smaller. Male: the entire chest and ventral part is pure white, the feather on the upper part of the tail is light, but it cannot be said that it is white, the wings are almost the same, only their ends are dark. If you look at it during the flight, you can confuse it with a seagull, because from afar the predator seems almost white.

Lifestyle . The steppe harrier lives in open areas - in the steppes or semi-deserts, but can also settle near agricultural land, sometimes in the forest-steppe zone. It is considered common, but it has been observed that its numbers can fluctuate greatly from year to year. Migratory. It has its nest right on the ground, often on hummocks, less often in reeds. Laying is carried out early - in late April - early May, includes from 4 to 6 eggs, white, sometimes with a bluish tint, but almost always covered with brown mottled.

The flight is almost the same as that of all birds of this genus - unhurried, very smooth, as if swaying. However, in the spring, when the mating season begins, the flight of the steppe harrier males changes - it soars sharply into the sky, then starts a steep dive, while deftly turning over, and so, accompanying its dance with a loud cry, flies up to the nest.

It hunts mainly gophers, mice, voles and other small rodents, but sometimes attacks birds, lizards and large insects. It can destroy nests by eating the eggs of other birds. It is considered a very useful predator to be protected.

Similar types. The male of the steppe harrier differs from the field harrier in lighter plumage, the almost complete absence of black on the wing (only at the tips) and the absence of white on the rump. The main difference from the meadow one is that there are no red spots on the ventral part of the body and transverse streaks on the wing. Juveniles and females are indistinguishable in nature.

The diverse natural landscapes of the Voronezh region provide shelter to a numerous and colorful feathered world. In total, about 290 species are found in the Voronezh region.

This is a bird of prey from the moon family. Fully justifying its name, the steppe harrier lives in open areas - in fields, foothills. It is a typical predator that soars for a long time over the endless expanses and looks out for prey among the grass.

Steppe harrier - description

All types of harriers are relatives of hawks, so they have much in common in appearance. A characteristic visual feature of the harrier is the presence of a discreet, but still facial disc. This is the name of the "construction" of feathers, which frames the face and partially the neck. The most pronounced facial disc is expressed in owls.

Unlike hawks, harriers have very different coloration of males and females. The male steppe harrier has a bluish back, typical white eyebrows and cheeks. The entire lower part of the body is white, and the iris of the eyes is yellow.

Adult females of the steppe harrier have a much more interesting "outfit". There are brown feathers in the upper part of the body and an interesting red border on the edge of the wings. On the tail - smoky, ashy and brown feathers, which are crossed by a white stripe. The iris of the female's eyes is brown.

The steppe harrier is a medium-sized bird. The length of his body, on average, is 45 centimeters, and the maximum weight is up to 500 grams. In color and general appearance, it looks like a field harrier.

Habitat and lifestyle

The steppe harrier is an inhabitant of the Eurasian part of the globe. It inhabits territories from Ukraine to Southern Siberia, while “going into” many neighboring territories. So, the harrier can be found in Ciscaucasia, central Siberia, the steppes of Kazakhstan, in Altai.

The classic habitat of the steppe harrier is an open area with grass, shrubs, or even just bare earth, rubble, etc. Ideally, this is the steppe, which is densely populated by rodents. The steppe harrier is a migratory bird, therefore, with the onset of cold weather, it makes long-distance flights to warm countries. Most harriers winter in southern Asia, but from some areas these birds fly to eastern and southern Africa.

The nest of the steppe harrier is an ordinary hole dug right in the ground. Most often there are four eggs in one clutch. The incubation period lasts about a month, and the chicks become completely independent about 30-40 days after birth.

What does the steppe harrier eat

Being a predator, the steppe harrier preys on small animals, birds and amphibians living in the nesting area. Most often these are various rodents, lizards, small birds, frogs, small snakes. The bird can also eat large insects, including large grasshoppers and locusts.

The hunting of the steppe harrier consists in flying around the territories in a soaring flight. Most often, the bird quietly soars above the ground, "leaning" on the ascending currents of warm air. Due to the absence of wing flapping, the steppe harrier does not make any noise at this time. He inaudibly flies up to the prey and grabs it with tenacious claws.

The number of steppe harrier

Despite the wide range of habitat, the population of the steppe harrier is slowly but surely declining. It is listed in the Red Data Book of Russia as a "decreasing species". At the moment, there are already areas of the range where it is very difficult to find these birds. These include the areas of the Lower and Middle Don, the North-Western Caspian and others.

The most densely steppe harrier inhabits the steppes of the Trans-Urals and Western Siberia. To preserve the natural habitat of steppe birds, the Altai, Central Black Earth and Orenburg reserves operate. In their territories, the number of steppe harrier is also high.

The steppe harrier is a bird of prey of the hawk family. Nesting places - the southern regions of Eastern Europe and the central part of Asia to the Mongolian steppes.

Before the onset of the cold season, birds migrate to Southeast Asia, India, Central and East Africa. Occasionally, representatives of the species were noticed in Western Europe and Britain. There is a separate population of these birds that does not migrate and leads a sedentary lifestyle. These are birds living in the Caucasus and in the steppes of the Crimea.

The appearance of the steppe harrier

The females of this species are slightly larger than the males. If the body length of the male is from 43-48 cm, then the females grow up to 48-52 cm.

The average wing length is 34 cm, the wingspan ranges from 95 to 120 cm. The weight of the female is usually 445 g. The males weigh about 330 g.

The wings of birds are pointed and narrow. The plumage of males is white below the body, light gray above. The ends of the wings are black. The females have a white uppertail and are covered with brown feathers. Under the eyes of birds there are spots of white feathers. Claws and beak are black, cere and paws are yellow. Young steppe harriers have a brown iris, while in adult birds it is pale yellow. The color of the plumage of young animals is similar to the plumage of females. On the 4th year of life, after 3 molts, young birds acquire the color, as in adults.

Behavior and nutrition of the steppe harrier

The steppe inhabits the steppes and forest-steppes, preferring to live in open spaces, wastelands and swampy areas. These are places near rivers, lakes and the steppe zone, where tall grass and shrubs grow. In the forest, a bird can choose a clearing to live.

This species of birds of prey is practically not found in areas far from water sources. The choice of nesting site depends on how rich the area is in food, that is, it depends on the number of rodents.

The bird is active during the daytime. When hunting, she flies at a fairly low distance from the ground and looks out for prey. The food for predators is mainly rodents, but also birds and. Seeing potential prey, the steppe harrier sharply decreases, spreading its tail near the surface of the earth - thus slowing down. He stretches forward clawed paws and grabs a gaping animal.

Each representative of the species has its own hunting area, rather small in size. The bird flies around its hunting grounds along an unchanged route. In those years when the rodent population decreases, the steppe harrier is forced to look for other places for nesting.

Reproduction and lifespan

The steppe harrier has its nest right on the ground and prefers places close to water sources. The bird's nest looks like a hole surrounded on all sides by grass. Usually, it is arranged in bushes on a small hill. The female lays 3-6 white eggs. Experts did not observe more than 7 eggs in the clutch of the steppe harrier. Having laid the first egg, the female immediately proceeds to incubation. The incubation period lasts 3-3.5 weeks.

At the very beginning of July, chicks hatch from eggs. Nesting time is 1.5 months and throughout this period a pair of steppe harriers shows increased aggressiveness. Birds can fight even with a large predator.

Puberty in birds of this species occurs at the age of three. In the wild, life expectancy is 20-22 years.

population

This bird species is listed in the Red Book. The population of steppe harriers is only 40 thousand individuals. But this figure is approximate. The fact is that in Russia there is no exact data on the number of representatives of this species.

The life of these feathered predators is directly related to the number of rodents. It can be said that the bird follows its favorite food. If the population of voles is large, then there will be many harriers in the area. In such a situation, the wrong impression is created that there are many steppe harriers. However, this is not the case, due to their concentration in one place.

Unfortunately, in the hawk family, there has been an endangered species of birds of prey. This is a steppe harrier, which is well known to the inhabitants of Russia and a number of Asian countries.

The bird looks quite original, especially in terms of color. At the same time, males and females differ significantly from each other. The color of males is not uniform. The top of their body is ash-gray. Closer to the shoulders, it becomes darker. As for the chest and abdomen, they are almost white. Light plumage is also present in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eyes. The tips of the wings also have a white border.

The females look a little different. Most of their plumage is brown. The ends of the wings are red, and their lower part has a beige color tint. White color is present only in the region of the forehead, eyes, and the tip of the tail.

The beak of the steppe harrier is black. The paws are painted yellow. Medium sized bird. The body length of an adult reaches 45 centimeters.

At the moment, the steppe harrier belongs to an endangered bird species. Its population has survived only in the southeastern part of the European continent. You can meet the harrier in Transbaikalia in the Altai Territory, in the Crimea. There are they in Iran, Turkestan, Mongolia and a number of other countries. In summer, birds migrate to the area of ​​Arkhangelsk, Krasnoyarsk and Omsk, and with the onset of autumn colds they fly to India and Burma. Some of them prefer to spend the winter in Africa.

The steppe harrier prefers steppe regions and semi-deserts. It is easier for him to hunt in open areas. Soaring smoothly over the plain, he looks out for prey, which he then attacks. It feeds on small rodents, lizards, mammals, other birds, and insects. It hunts in a certain territory, the boundaries of which it never violates.

The mating season is in the spring. It was at this time that you can observe the peculiar mating dances of males. Trying to please the female, they write out the most complicated pirouettes in the air, while making loud rattling sounds.

The bird builds its nests directly on the ground, mainly on hills. This is a small depression, the bottom of which is lined with dry grass. The first clutch, consisting of three to five eggs, is made by the female in early May. The incubation period lasts about a month, and incubation of eggs is the prerogative of the female. At the end of June, chicks hatch from the eggs, which in a month become winged.

The male is engaged in feeding the female sitting on the eggs, as well as the newly hatched chicks. Somewhere in a week, the female also connects to it. By this time, the chicks will be strong enough, and can remain alone for some time. The average life expectancy of the steppe harrier is 20 years.

The natural enemy of the bird is the steppe eagle, which preys on it. A lot of problems for the steppe harrier are created by a person who unceremoniously invades his natural habitat. In particular, he plows up vast areas of the steppes, depriving him of the opportunity to hunt and reproduce. And although the steppe harrier is listed in the Red Book, this does not change the situation in any way. Its population continues to decline.