Every day, whether in a city, village or any other place, we meet dozens of different birds. We know some of them from the school bench - these are the ubiquitous brawlers sparrows, magpie thieves, gloomy croaking crows, pleasing to the eye titmouse, leisurely strolling pigeons. But among them there are those who are difficult to recognize at once, for example, the shrike bird.
Who is he - the common shrike?
The appearance of the zhulan is quite interesting. The bird itself is relatively small - the body length usually does not exceed 20 centimeters. The head is slightly flattened on the sides, but there is practically no neck as such. The bird has an interesting beak - very short, swollen, and its lower reaches are bent down and pointed. The eyes of the shrike are quite small, more like planted beads. The wingspan with a body weight of thirty grams is approximately 30 centimeters. The tail, which is the "steering wheel" of the bird in flight, is quite long, narrow, with a straight cut at the end.
Shrike pawsshort, but strong enough in the clean and jerk. The top of the body has a pleasant brown color with a reddish tint, the chest and belly are beige-pinkish. The zhulan represents the group of passerines.
Food
The shrike eats interestingly. The main food is insects, but birds do not disdain larger representatives of the fauna. For example, grasshoppers, spiders or flies, as well as lizards, small frogs, field mice and even fellow birds can get to her for lunch. It is also noteworthy how the Shrike Shrike conducts the process of eating - the caught prey is not swallowed whole, as many other bird species do, but is torn into very small pieces. Part of the shrike can dine right away, the other part will go to the reserve. The bird will diligently prick pieces of food on protruding thin knots, plant thorns, and sometimes even a metal mesh. This will be an emergency supply that the bird will use when it cannot find any other food.
Reproduction
In family life, zhulans are like swans - they try to keep their mate until the very end.
Reproduction occurs in the spring, in April-May. The common shrike rarely nests in trees - the birds prefer dense shrubs. However, if the nest is on a tree, then it will be very low. Often there are nests built right on the ground, but more often birds choose safer places. The dwelling of the shrike can be compared with an earthen bowl - the walls of the nest are so thick and strong. Cozy family nestboth parents create - the male brings materials for construction, the female carefully lays them out. Everything is used - thin twigs, pieces of moss, roots, and the bottom of the nest is necessarily covered with soft grass. The clutch usually contains 5-6 eggs, but sometimes their number increases to 8.
The female has to incubate the chicks for about two weeks. The male, all this time, is looking for and brings food to his soul mate. Sometimes, but extremely rarely, he himself can replace the female. Chicks hatch without feathers, but already sighted. For two weeks, their parents feed them in the nest, and from the third they begin to teach them to fly.
Where does the shrike live?
Order Passeriformes prefers almost the entire territory of Europe. Often the bird can be found on the western outskirts of Asia. Zhulan refers to those representatives of birds that fly to warm countries for the winter. The bird's favorite wintering place is Africa. She flies only at night. He tries to stay closer to the water - it can be both river valleys and swamps. Often the shrike can be seen on the edges and clearings - the bird prefers open spaces and plenty of sun.
Described birds, like ordinary sparrows, can often be seen in parks, gardens, orchards - this is such an unpretentious to the habitat shrike. The bird often nests in settlements, but chooses only those places where there is a dense bush. An interesting fact is that earlier zhulans lived exclusively in the UK, but for some reason they moved from there, appearingonly briefly during the migration.
What are zhulans?
The common shrike is just one of the species of this genus of birds. Along with it, there are also Siberian shrike, gray shrike, black-fronted shrike, Japanese shrike, tiger and red-headed, wedge-tailed shrike. Birds differ in color, and you can also understand whose nest is in front of us by the color of the eggs hatched by the female (or the remains of the shell). The color varies from rich green to white with reddish-brown spots. Hunting behavior remains common to all birds of this family. Lying in wait for prey, the bird sits high on a tree or on wires, turns its head from side to side, while making characteristic circular movements with its tail. The common shrike can hover in the air for an indefinite time in order to better aim at prey. All species are similar in singing - their cry is usually similar to “check-check” or “zhya-zhya”.
