Bird the Little Flycatcher: description, distribution, nutrition and interesting facts

Since ancient times man loved to observe the life of birds. Not all of them are distinguished by bright colors and outstanding vocal data. Nevertheless, their habits and behavior are of interest not only to ornithologists, but also to many nature lovers.

Our heroine of today (a small flytrap) is a very small bird. Even in the sixties of the last century it was considered very rare in the Central Chernozem region, and today it has become a habitual inhabitant of protected forests. Moreover, a small flytrap is a bird, which now feels quite comfortable in city parks. In recent years, this gray bird began to settle in the streets of the city.

Small flycatcher: distribution

This bird is widespread in Europe. Practically in each country these little gray birds settle in open spaces, preferring light forests, glades, open forest clearings. Often they choose to live in rural areas. They are absolutely not afraid of neighborhood with people, besides in villages and villages their favorite food is flies - flies.

In Russia, a small flycatcher (pilot) nests north of the Leningrad region. In the south it meets up to the borders of the treeless steppe parts of Ukraine and in the Lower Volga region. In addition, there are populations in the forests of the Caucasus, in northern Iran, in the Kopet Dagh.

Small flycatcher, especially the distribution of which is most often due to the reduction of areas that are occupied by spruce, prefers coniferous planting. In spruce-deciduous forests, spruce forests, sometimes overgrown and deaf, these birds nest.

A small flycatcher, a description of which can be found in many publications on ornithology, for wintering flies to the countries of North Africa.

Small Flycatcher: external features

A small gray bird belongs to the order of passerine, the family of Flycatchers. Its dimensions are small (not more than 12 cm), the plumage is rather dim, which is rather an advantage than a disadvantage: it is not so easy to notice predatory birds.

The small flytrap has a slender, slightly elongated, oval body. The tail is thin and long. Head large with large dark eyes. Black beak is medium in size. Paws dark with short claws. A small flytrap, whose voice is rather sonorous, produces rather original sounds. The song of this ptah consists of two or three repeating "circulations" and four or five whistles that follow, with a decreasing tonality. This simple melody does not mix with the voices of other birds, for a long time and is easily remembered.

Color of males

In the adult male, the sides of the head and the upper part of the neck are colored brownish-gray or dark-gray in color. Nadhvoste and back are grayish-brown. The upper tail feathers are velvety black. The small flycatcher of the European subspecies has on the craw, neck, and upper chest a large spot of bright red or ocher color. The intensity of staining and its size depend on the age of the bird. It is larger and brighter in old males.

From the neck, the gray color extends to the sides of the breast and edging along the edges a red stain. The lower part of the chest and the lower covering tail feathers, the abdomen are white. The lower covering wings are from white to light ocherous in color. The upper and lower wing coverts are brown. The central helmsmen are black, the rest are two-colored: in the bases are white and on the tops are black. The beak is brownish-brown a little lighter at the base of the plug. Legs are brownish-black. Iris is brown eyes.

How are the females painted?

The adult female has a grayish-brown or brownish-brown plumage in the upper part of the trunk. The tail and upper covering tail are of the same color as the male. The sides of the head are slightly lighter than the upper part. The bottom of the body is white with a pale ocherous hue. On the tail, the lower covering is white. Upper covering and flywings are brown, have a small admixture of brown color.

Food

The small flycatcher is not at all finicky in food. As ornithologists say, these babies eat everything that can fit in their miniature beak. The food of a small flycatcher in many respects depends on weather conditions: on a fine clear day these birds catch flies, small butterflies, dragonflies. The flycatcher will not refuse the blind horse that has flown into the zone of its hunting grounds.

In bad weather, when it is impossible to fly, the bird eats caterpillars, small bugs and other insects that hide from the rain in the foliage of trees. There, too, is covered by the rain and our heroine. Flycatchers hunt practically for all insects that are in the air, however, they do not bypass creeping species.

It is interesting that the flycatcher can deftly raise the fallen leaves with a beak and under it she will certainly find some food for herself. These can be spiders, ants, small bugs, etc.

Construction of the nest

It is interesting that the nest flycatcher (female) equips only their natural materials. It gently weaves it with moss, thin stems of herbs, wood fibers, bird fluff. Outside, the bird sometimes revets it with lichen and thin branches.

Inside the tray is lined with moss, hairy antennae of climbing plants, a small amount of horsehair is used. An open nest (not hollow) usually has the shape of a small bowl. In diameter, it does not exceed 50 mm, depth - 45 mm. It is difficult to detect the nest of a small flycatcher, as it is well camouflaged, and the birds are very careful and keep themselves in the upper branches of trees.

Reproduction

The flycatcher can nest very close to a man: under the roofs of houses, on lampposts, in gardens. This bird will not give up residence in the abandoned nests of other birds. These little gray birds fly to the nesting sites quite late.

Interestingly, these birds have a mating season: the male flycatcher finds an empty hollow, is located near it and begins to deduce the marriage serenades. After hearing the love trills, the female flies to her "groom". But there are also small overlays, when the male manages to occupy not one but several empty hollows. Then he lures "brides" at first to one dwelling, then flies to the next, where he also publishes wedding trills and the next female flies to him. Thus, the male flycatcher becomes the owner of the "harem".

But we must give him credit: the role of the father and head of the family performs with full responsibility. During nesting, he protects the nest and his offspring. The male helps the females to feed and nurse yellow-headed chicks. For this, a large father flies from one nest to another. Ornithologists have established a striking fact: during the nesting period, a couple of flycatchers per day make up to five hundred flights per feed and back to the nest to feed their yellow-headed chicks.

It is not surprising that the flytrap is considered a very useful bird: the destruction of such a huge number of insects is an indisputable advantage of these birds.

Appearance of chicks

In June, eggs appear in the nest, which usually does not exceed six. The shell is painted in bluish color with impregnations of dark shades. The female incubates the eggs herself for two weeks. The size of eggs is 19 x 14 mm. Sensing the danger, birds with restless cries fly around the nest, sometimes even can imitate an attack on an uninvited guest who is trying to inspect the nest, fly on it, turning off at the very face.

Feed the chicks both parents. The offspring grow very quickly, and already become independent by the age of one month. And the parents during this time have time to make a second masonry.

Chicks: feathers

The first plumage of the chicks is brownish-brown on top with light ocherous patches on the feathers. The goiter, throat and upper part of the breast are pale ocherous with scaly brown pattern. Its intensity decreases in the upper part of the abdomen. At the bottom of the picture completely missing.

The lower covering tail is white. The first post-nest (winter) outfit of young birds is very similar to the color of an adult female. However, on the upper and lower flaps the edges are weaker. Changing the nesting order in young birds from early broods begins already in the middle of June. Such a partial molt covers almost all small plumage, excluding the outer upper covering and secondary mahovye.

In offspring from late broods, the first molt usually ends in late August and early September. During the wintering period, only a few rare first-year birds can be seen separate red feathers on the throat. Adult individuals moult twice a year: completely before the pre-marital period on wintering grounds and post-nuptial times in nesting places.