Laughter Blackhead: description of the species, photo, where it lives

Near the brackish and fresh water bodies you can meet a particularly large bird, similar in size to the mayor or to a large sea gull. However, from these species it is distinguished by the color of plumage on the head and the ability to soar during the flight. If you look closely, you can understand that this is a laughing blackhead. This species was on the verge of extinction and was listed in the Red Data Book of Russia, which is why it is important to know about its habitats, nutrition and way of life.

Description of the appearance of how the laughter looks

The bird of the Seagull family is the largest representative of the species and it is easy to recognize by the velvety-shiny head of black color. In this case, over her eyes, narrow white stripes are visible. Males reach an average of 2 kg, and females - up to 1.5 kg with a body length from 60 to 70 cm and a wingspan of 150-175 cm. Also, the body of the gulls has a white color, and the back - Ashy. The beak has a bright orange color and a black dressing at the base, and on the tip it is reddish.

However, this description of the scrofulous blackhead is relevant only for adults, since the youngest first three years of life look completely different, and it is difficult to distinguish it from a silver gull. Thus, the head of the chicks and the upper part of their body are painted in silver, and the feathers on the lower part of the body are white or cream-white with a buffy hue. Before you take a final look, the plumage changes several times.

The stages of plumage:

• Feather dress;
• Nesting attire;
• The first winter outfit;
• Second winter dress;
• The second summer dress;
• Third winter and third summer outfits.

Changing their "outfits", the laughter of the blackhead passes through numerous molting processes.

Where dwells the gargoyle

Representatives of the order Charadriiformes predominantly settle along the coast of freshwater, brackish, saline lakes and sea bays, choosing areas protected from terrestrial predators with a thin herbaceous cover. They are mainly inhabited in the arid, desert zone of Eurasia - from the Ciscaucasia and the Sea of Azov to the east to China, the Pre-Baikal and Mongolia. You can also meet birds in Kazakhstan and on the islands near the Black Sea. On the territory of Russia, these beautiful seagulls are most often found in the delta of the Volga River, in the basin of the Caspian Sea, the lower reaches of the Terek River, in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, and also in the Rostov Region. Birds also nest in the northern part of the Crimea - on Swan's Isles and Sivash, and for wintering they go to the southern and south-western parts of Asia.

It is worth noting, the black-headed gull does not form a continuous area, since it is characterized by separate nesting settlements.

Lifestyle

Despite the fact that on many photos the gargoyle is portrayed in solitude, still he lives in large, dense colonies, the number of which ranges from several dozens to hundreds of individuals. Sometimes it occurs in mixed groups of other species. Basically, the colonies remain only for one season, after which the young grow stronger begins to wander, finding themselves hundreds of kilometers from the main habitat, and then completely leaves the territory for the wintering period and returns only in March-April next year.

The giggles begin to reproduce from the 4th year of life and lay no more than three eggs of a gray-bluish color in the nest. Sit them both males and females. It is noteworthy that the nests of these large birds are located near the water bodies, so they can be destroyed during especially high tides. The fate of the chicks themselves is also sad, as they often become the prey of silver gulls. Mortality of the young is 80%, because adults do not always become good parents - the young can accidentally crush or completely stop caring for them. There are also cases of infanticide. Adult toddlers later gather in a kind of "kindergarten", where they are fed by large birds, not sharing on others and their own.

What feeds on

Like all seagulls, the Blackhead does not dive, but collects fish on the shores or catches it in shallow water. Occasionally hunts small rodents, insects and chicks of water birds. In the event of a shortage of food, birds can attack colonies of terns and smaller seagulls, kidnap their eggs, catch large beetles on the fly and select fishermen from the nets. In search of food overcome about 20 kilometers.

Interesting Facts

• Despite its name, the laughter is a rather silent bird, and the sounds it produces are quite unlike laughter. Most likely, they are comparable to a deaf roar or barking.
• The maximum life expectancy of the black-headed laughter is about 16 years.
• Khokhotun is not only a large representative of the species, but also very timid. Defending themselves, the seagulls line up and start shouting at the enemy. Sometimes they can attack Falcon falcons.
• Blackheaded laughter in the Red Book of Russia is no longer listed - in just a few decades its population has almost doubled.

It is worth noting, in many peoples the seagull symbolizes a yearning woman, is the heroine of fairy tales and legends.