Savka (lat. Oxyura leucocephala) is one of the representatives of the duck family. Has a specific and unusual appearance, as well as the average size.
Appearance
Quite often, people compose legends about birds with blue plumage, thinking that such really existed. This cannot be excluded, but one can accurately say one thing the bird may have a blue beak, it is not fiction. This color looks especially bewitching against the background of a white head.
The tail is protruded back, the feathers are sharp and have black or dark blue color. Typically, the length of the body reaches no more than 60 centimeters, and the weight varies in the area of a kilogram. The color of the female does not differ from the color of the male, but the head has a dull color.
In the spring and autumn season, birds with other shades on the head, for example, black or brown, are often found. Young animals are slightly smaller than the female, but otherwise it has the same appearance and over time only increases in size.
Lifestyle and behavior
Savka is a water bird that almost never leaves its natural territory and tries to stay near it. The nests of these birds represent a floating structure, where reed stalks are used as the foundation. Quite often, this species lives next door to the colonies of the seagulls, but they do not have conflicts, both families are peaceful and even to them the joy of being neighbors.
A feature of the lifestyle of these birds can be called a good skill to dive and swim: they swim more than thirty meters under water without any problems, holding their breath for 40-50 seconds. That is why they simply go under water as protection against predators, and not try to fly away. In addition, their flight skill is poorly developed, so without a long distance to run away they simply cannot take off.
Where they live
Regardless of the habitat, there are not so many representatives of the species, so to openly meet a bird with a blue beak is a problematic task. Ponds prefer reservoirs with an abundance of thickets of various plants, for example, reed. Wintering takes place in Turkey, Iran and North Africa. When the birds migrate, for rest they choose fresh or salty ponds, and in extreme cases they can spend the night even in shallow water of the seas. In Eurasia, Savka can only be found in the northern part of the Commesis and Chelyabinsk.
The number is small, there are no more than three or four thousand pairs all over the world, and most of all they are found in Spain. The Russian Federation ranks second in terms of the number of individuals of Savka, in it there are about five hundred of them.
What they eat
Savka is not a hunter, so it eats only underwater food. In her diet there are often many insects, aquatic plants, for example, algae, or small mollusks.
Reproduction
All responsibilities for the hatching and breeding of offspring lie on females, since males do not particularly excite their cubs. The mating period does not last long and begins in the middle of spring. Since for Eurasia, Savka is a view that arrives later than others, the season is slightly reduced and preparations for reproduction have been held since the beginning of May. There are no exact deadlines for gesturing the chicks, t.to. It completely and completely depends on the type, as well as the habitat. In one masonry, the number of eggs is different, not rarely exceeds 6-7. There are times when several females put their eggs in one nest, so in it the quantity can reach twenty. Also, in nature, there are often cases of joint masonry and with other representatives of the duck family, for example, dives of various types.
Eggs are very large in size: the length of sixty to 80 mm, and a diameter of 40-50 mm. The weight of each is also huge and can be more than a hundred grams. At the moment, it is Savka that has the largest eggs among other waterfowl. Among other things, it is important to note that the hatched babies can swim on their own and dive into water to a depth of about three meters in a few hours. But they need more time for complete plumage than other species-9-10 weeks.
I like it when people come together and share thoughts.
Great site, keep it up!