These are filthies with straight beaks, thick necks and “square” heads. During the propagation period, they have red neck and stomachs, gray backs and black heads with a continuous yellow spot from each eye to the back of the head. Bird teenage is grayish-yellow, the lower half of the head is white. Non-propagating adult gray-black with white on the lower half of the head and neck.
Habitat
In winter, the redhaired guess is found in salt water in coastal bays and on open shores and much less often in fresh water. During the nesting season, it populates lakes with a mixture of open water vegetation and water-bolot land.
This bird is common in the boreal regions of Eurasia and North America. Within the European Union, the species nests only in Scotland, where the population is 60 nesting couples. The total number of the North European number of red-haired guesses is estimated at 6,000-9,000 nesting couples along the coast of the North Sea and in the lakes of Central Europe. Sometimes birds reach the Mediterranean coast. Despite significant local fluctuations, the general population of the species is stable.
What eats
In summer, birds feed on insects and crustaceans, which they catch under water. In winter they eat fish, crustaceans, mollusks and insects.
Nesting of redlegged pods
Together, males and females build a nest, which is a floating pile of wet plant material, fixed to germinating vegetation. The female lays four to five eggs, and the couple together incubates eggs for 22-25 days. Both parents feed the cubs, they begin to swim shortly after being born and ride on the backs of their parents. During the immersion of the spitting to water, the chicks remain on their backs and emerge, holding tightly by the feathers. Younger flies after 55 to 60 days of life.
Migration
With the approach of winter, birds leave the nests and move to the coastal seas and large lakes. Autumn resettlement begin at the end of August, the peak falls on October-November. Red-cheeks in March-April fly out of wintering from wintering. They arrive at the places of laying eggs, but do not build nests until the water is completely released from the ice.
Funny facts
The Redshaped bark eats its feathers, they do not digest, form a rug in the stomach. It is believed that feathers protect the stomach from sharp bones of fish when digesting. Parents even feed young feathers.
