Kamyshovka is a bird that most ornithologists refer to the Slavkov family, and only in some classifications they are assigned their own family called Kamyshkovs. About thirty-five species of this bird are known. All reeds are similar to each other: they are small, inconspicuous, have an elongated body and a pointed head. They sing well. Among the species that can be found in Russia, the most common reed garden and swamp. They have a lot of similarities, but there are also some differences.
Reed bird - description and size
The body is from eleven to seventeen centimeters long, weighs from nine to fifteen grams, a gray-brown top and a beige-olive bottom, a light ring around the eye and a barely noticeable light border at the tips of the wings of the wings. It looks like a garden reed bird. Its description varies slightly depending on age and time of year. In the fall, the color is somewhat brighter and fresher, and over time it becomes more faded. The plumage of young birds has more red shades than mature ones. Males and females practically do not differ from each other externally.
The swamp reed in size does not reach the sparrow a little. It has almost the same color as the garden, the only thing that distinguishes it is that its colors are slightly warmer. The tail of the bird is stepped, with a round cut. Individuals of different sexes also look the same.
Habitat
Garden reed is a bird that can be found in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, in the northern regions of Poland and Ukraine, in Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, in the countries of Central Asia, as well as in Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. She leaves for the winter in India.
The area of marsh reeds is limited to the territory starting in Western Europe and ending in the east of the Ural Mountains. If the winter is relatively warm, the bird passes it in Spain or Portugal, and if it is cold, it flies to the southeast of the African continent.
Habitat
What places does the garden reed choose for life, where does it live? Most of all, she likes to settle in forests, both in coniferous and deciduous. But often it can be found in thickets of shrubs or reeds, and even in open areas, near water bodies.
As for the swamp reeds, she is most fond of the bush, and she selects the appropriate places. This can be an open meadow, where there are separate bushes, and a river valley, and the edge of the forest, a neglected park or an abandoned garden. It is noteworthy that the bird, called marsh, marshy area actually shuns. It is often called shrubbery.
Both species are dry-loving. And if it so happens that the swamp and garden reeds intersect in some territory, they may well coexist peacefully, living in the neighborhood.
Behavior features
Garden Reed is a bird that tries not to show itself to a person, although it is not afraid of it. It flies remarkably, is active at any time of the day, is very mobile and cleverly moves in thickets of grass, where it hunts bugs, spiders and other small insects. Sometimes reed garden dilutes its meat ration with berries.
But the swamp reed, unlike its "girlfriend", does not like to fly. Moreover, she does not do it very well. Another feature of the bird is the absolute absence of her fear of nettles. She is not afraid to get burned at all and can spend hours pottering in the burning grass. In summer, the marsh reed also preys on insects, and moves closer to the cold weather on berries.
Breeding
How is reed propagated? The bird belonging to the garden species usually returns from wintering in early May and immediately begins to think about the continuation of the genus. Males start fights among themselves at the borders of their nesting territories, and when families are finally created, the “husband” and “wife” are taken to build a nest of dry leaves, stalks, cobwebs and fluff. In this case, the female is very active. Garden reeds nests are located at a height of fifteen centimeters to a meter above the ground. In form, they come in two forms - similar to a round basket or representing an inverted cone. Construction takes from three days to a week, and hatching of chicks lasts 11-13 days. The kids leave the nest, still not knowing how to fly, at about two weeks of age. They wander in the grass near the parental home, trying to find food, and mom and dad feed them.
The marsh reed male does not intervene in the “economic” affairs - all the worries fall on his companion. He only sings nearby, watching the female making a nest. The latter is located at the same height as the garden reeds, and has a similar shape. Chicks appear around the middle of summer, when the most food. Feeding the offspring is mainly done by the father, and the mother spends more time with the babies, especially in the early days. They are born naked and need her warmth. Chicks also leave the nest at the age of ten days to two weeks.
In the brood of both species of reeds, as a rule, from four to six babies. Parents often fly to warmer climes by the end of July, and young animals are ready for this event only by the end of August.
