The friendly sun, the gentle breeze, the first flowers, barely awakened … Yes, this is spring's favorite awakening of nature. And the first to announce the onset of spring are birds returning from warm countries. They begin to industriously equip their nests in order to breed. And if it is easy enough to distinguish spring birds from winter ones, then it is not easy to determine the hosts by the nest.
The first messengers of spring
About birds flying in the spring, they say back at school. Spring birds fly in small flocks, and finches appear first. If you get closer to the finch, you can see how beautiful the bird is: what tones its feathers do not cast! And green, and red, and brown, and a blue “hat” flaunts on his head. From a distance, a finch is visible on white stripes on the wings and back.
After finches, thrushes fly, and in Russia, in the middle lane, rooks are considered the first birds. Then in the parks you can find zaryanok, redstart and bluethroat. These birds are distinguished by the bright color of their feathers, for example, the bluethroat has a blue breast, and the zaryanka feathers of all colors are red, blue, greenish, and even red.
Each bird tries to return to its old nest. Swallows arriving in April are no exception. Swallows Russian people are very fond of and respected. Many signs are associated with them. For example, if a swallow flies low above the ground, it means that it will rain soon. People try to protect the swallow's nest until next spring.
Birds and their nests
An amazing fact, but the birds are capable of building the most ambitious structures. But how much do we humans know which bird has which nest?
Places arranged by birds for laying eggs differ from each other, and sometimes very dramatically. But all types of bird nests can be divided by their location:
- Ground nests. They are built mainly from grass, leaves and small knots. In Russia, sandpiper, hazel grouse and seagull live in terrestrial "apartments.
- Nests in the mountains. They are located on rocky terrain, they are built by birds of prey, such as a falcon.
- On the trees. From all that can be found, our spring birds — finches and blackbirds — are building nests at low altitudes. It is very interesting that the nests have a "cement" base of clay and sand.
- On water / in hollows. Less common nests, but occurring in the life of some birds. So black terns live on water, and owls and woodpeckers live in hollows.
- Sand burrows. Some birds with their beaks dig a hole in the sand and then bring straw or grass. It looks like a nest of a gerbil swallow.
How to distinguish a swallow from other birds?
In size, the swallows are very small, with a small head. The legs are short and thin. The male and the female differ in color, although most often with the naked eye this difference is invisible. Most of the time the swallows spend in the air, but if they descend to the ground, then you can see how clumsy their gait. Birds feed on insects. It is noteworthy that they are only capable of hunting in flight.
The main feature of the appearance of the swallows is a forked tail resembling a slingshot.
Birds have a friendly character, therefore they do not conflict with other birds, and they live nearby with individuals of their own species. If a larger bird of prey attacks a swallow, then it will not only fight bravely, but will defend its nest until the very end. If a cat or a person gets into the nest, you can be sure: a small bird will selflessly defend its property.
Species of swallows
It is difficult to find a person in Russia who has never seen a swallow in his life. But not only can the swallow be found on the territory of the Russian Federation, so more than one species lives here. About 7 varieties of this bird live in our country:
- Barn (killer whale) swallow. You can guess by the name: this bird is well known to the villagers. The swallow has a completely black back, and the neck and forehead are reddish brown. The nest of a rustic swallow consists of straw, clay and, surprisingly, feathers and hair, which are one of the most durable materials for birds.
- Red-lumbar swallow. She looks a bit like the swallow of the previous species, but above the tail she has several long black feathers. Surprisingly, sometimes the dreary song of the red-lumbar swallow resembles the meowing of a cat or even a small kitten.
- Shore swallow. Shorefish is practically the smallest swallow of all available species. The beak is rather short and hard, and the color is inconspicuous - gray-brown plumage.
- Little swallow. Outwardly, it very much resembles a shore bank, but the bird is smaller in size. Usually fly away around the end of August, but the arrival of small swallows recorded in late March - early April.
- Mountain swallow. It is also called rocky. In color, it resembles a brown one, but differs in an amazing patterned tail, which is best seen when flying.
- Thread-tailed swallow. So this species is called because the males on the tail have two thin and long feather-like feathers. The white-tailed swallow also has a dazzling white breast and an orange head.
- White-faced swallow. The swallow is black in color with a blue-metallic tint. Unfortunately, very few individuals of this species were recorded in Russia, so many ornithologists generally do not recognize the existence of these swallows on the territory of our country.
This is not all existing types of swallows. But even from this small list, we can conclude about their diversity.
Places of distribution of swallows
Barn swallow is easy to meet in any corner of Russia. As for the shore swallow, it’s easier to say where it is impossible to meet it: in Australia and Antarctica. Red-tailed swallows live on the shores of Lake Baikal, as well as in southern Italy and Sicily. For the winter, they, like most swallows, fly to Africa and India.
The rocky swallow lives in the highlands. In Russia, these are the territories of the Caucasus and Crimea. The white-faced swallow can be found in North America, and it winters in South America and Mexico.
Where do swallows nest?
Swallows are very attached to the places arranged for laying eggs. When birds build nests, their location becomes the only place that the swallow can remember. The instinct is so blind that if the swallow returns to feed the chicks, and the nests are not in the same place, then by mistake it will feed the strangers.
The barn swallow prefers not to fly outside the village or village, therefore its nest is usually there. Sometimes killer whales get used to people and nest right under the roofs of houses. There it is easier for them to get food, and there is also protection from wind and rain.
Shore and small swallows nest near the water, digging holes in the sand with their beaks. They live in small groups, colonies.
The rocky swallow prefers to build a nest in the mountains or rocks, away from people and noise. Although there are nests located in the walls of block houses and tunnels. Her bowl-shaped nest is made of clay, saliva and grass.
The mating season of swallows
The breeding season of swallows lasts from May to August, and during this time the female makes two egg laying. In one clutch - up to 7 eggs. Two weeks later, chicks appear. After 3 weeks spent in the nest, the chicks are able to fly, so they begin to eat on their own. Females choose partners for a long period, and when choosing they are guided by the length of the tail: the male with the longest tail wins.
Sometimes males remain lonely for a season. Then, after returning from wintering, they begin to help other couples in the construction of the nest and even feed the chicks.
