These are amazing birds related to the Yastrebni family, which indicates that they are predators. They live in Eurasia, England, and even in some territories of the African continent. Typically, small ponds or lakes become their refuge, where there are thickets of cornea or reed. In Eurasia, approximately 5 types of these unusual hawkshaped.
Description
Swamp moon has a beautiful beak of dark color, the length of which is about 2 centimeters. The painting of the male is predominantly brown, although the feathers are painted in a yellowish color on the neck and head. The abdominal region is usually rusted rust with interspersed yellowness. Their weight is small – Usually it is 500 grams. Females are less noticeable and have a grayish head, chest with yellow-brown stripes. They weigh more male individuals, namely about 800 grams. Basically, the body reaches 40-60 centimeters in length, and the wingspan can reach almost half a meter. The birds have binocular vision, but it has a significant drawback: to see side objects, you need to turn your head.
Kinds
There are many types of this bird, although 2 of them disappeared from the face of the earth forever. So, now there are the following:
- Marsh harrier. This species is more common among the rest.
- Circus assimilis. Representatives of the species live in the territories of Australia and Indonesia. They are called spotted due to small intransigns of white on feathers.
- Circus Approximas. Called Australian marsh lunks. A feature is the gray end of the porch feathers.
- Longwinged moon. Sowing South America. Has long feathers on wings help to look for food more efficiently.
- Circus Cyaneus. This is a field moon that lives in Eurasia. They can be found both in the Alps and in Kamchatka.
- Circus cinereus. Gray Lun from South America.
- Circus Macrosceles. Madagascar marsh. He also lives on the Comor islands.
- Circus Macruurus. The steppe moon. It can be seen in Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
- Circus Maurus. Black Lun living in Africa. Creates nests in South Africa and Namibia.
- Circus Maillardi. Lives on the island of Reunion. It is considered endemic.
- Circus melanoleucos. It lives mainly in Asia, you can find it in Transbaikalia or in the Amur territories.
- Circus rygaus. Lugovaya Lun who lives in Eurasia. Nest and catches prey in all corners of Europe. Prefers to winter in India.
- Circus spilonotus. This is the Moon living in the East. Creates the nests in the field, both in the Ural mountains and in Lake Baikal.
- Circus Ranivorus. He winters in the south and in the center of Africa.
- Circus spilothorax. Lives in New Guinea.
Lifestyle
Moon belongs to migratory birds. However, in Spain or Turkey, you can find populations that live riding. Thanks to good living conditions, they refuse migration.
Traveling to wintering places starts in the autumn, usually they are not going to flocks for this. The only union they concluded — This is a couple. And then it does not exist for more than one season.
To create a nest and wintering period, birds tend to choose a similar area. So, these are flooded meadows or fields created for the needs of agriculture. They got their name for love for the thickets of reeds.
Food
It is quite diverse. Luni can eat ducklings or other people’s chicks, fish or feathered. They also eat rodents and reptiles. Where there are many mice and hamsters, animals will eat only them. Когда наступает период взращивания потомства, эти животные атакуют водоплавающих, таких как кулик. During the creation of the Luni nest, they can attack migratory birds. Sometimes attempts end in success, but usually this happens in case of victim illness. Hunt a bird, almost silently flying over the game, which the predator looks out for a long time. In each region, the diet is different, for example, in Germany, individuals prefer flights, and rabbits are popular in Holland.
Swamp Moon on Hunting
Voice
They emit something similar to a mool with a nasal echo. During the period of current, the male makes «Kvai-Priv», A restless female is something like «Yukuku». The chicks who ask for food emit a whistle.
The voice of the swamp Lunya
Propagation and population
In the spring, birds fly to the nesting places. At first, their goal is to restore forces after a long road, and then the period of the pair begins if it has not yet been created. It is important to note that their marriage age occurs at 2-3 years.
In these unions, of course, there is special marriage behavior. Feathered soar in the air together, making incredible maneuvers. After this, the time immediately comes to start working on the nest. Lunya’s favorite place – Rednet thickets. Every year they are based approximately in those territories where they have already nested.
The chicks of the swamp moon
Creates a nest mainly a female. The male also helps, bringing material for construction and feeding female. The place of nurture of the offspring consists of branches and covered with dry grass and is close to the water, but about two hundred meters from someone else’s nest. It performs the function of protecting the chicks. To do this, it is made very invisible in places where there are no trees or high grass.
Closer to the end of April, the female lays eggs. Their number is different, but usually 4 eggs. After 20 days of waiting, the first chick breaks through the thickness of the shell. The rest and the rest are sleeping. They weigh about 40-50 grams and therefore helpless. It is important that the murder of weak is not practiced by this type.
First, the offspring and the female feeds the male individual and only then the female begins to look for food. Sometimes they are able to fly away from the nest by 5 kilometers.
At the end of June, the chicks begin to fly out, but before that their food lies on the shoulders of the parents. Young individuals try to attack adult birds and in case of failure ask for food from their family. At the end of summer, broods are gradually breaking up, and already at the beginning of autumn, females cease to give birth and feed children.
In September, planned autumn migration usually begins. Lonely chicks can sometimes linger and fly away later. The birds have in stock for about 13 years – That is how much Luni lives.
Their population is now experiencing difficult times due to the extermination of the individuals themselves and the degradation of habitat.
