A mobile member of the family of passerines. There are many fairy tales and legends about her among the people. It is believed that the bird brings happiness and prosperity to the house, under the roof of which it made a nest. The bird becomes a talisman against fires and thieves. Therefore, it is impossible to destroy the dwelling of swallows in any case. By the sign, misfortunes and troubles will not keep you waiting.
Swallow habitat and description
The bird belongs to the swallow family, which has almost 80 species. Most of them live in warm countries:
- Europe;
- Asia;
- America;
- Central Africa.
On the territory of Russia, there are about 10 species.
Swallows belong to the class of migratory birds. However, individuals inhabiting hot countries do not leave their habitats for wintering. In warm climates, food and water are available throughout the year. What can not be said about northern regions.
The swallow is one of the few birds that can catch insects on the fly and get food in the air. This is facilitated by anatomical features - a slender, streamlined body, a wide and short beak. Birds feed mainly on flying insects: flies, dragonflies, beetles.
Depending on the species, the swallows differ slightly in color and lifestyle. However, all birds share some common characteristics:
- color - tail, wings, back are dark blue or black with a metallic sheen;
- beak - wide, opens very wide;
- body - slender, oblong, streamlined;
- chest - wide, with lighter plumage;
- wings - long, narrow;
- the tail is long in almost all species (sometimes slightly shorter in females);
- legs - short, weak.
There are practically no differences in color between adults and juveniles of both sexes. Sometimes the plumage of males is slightly more contrasting.
Some species are very miniature - they weigh only 10-12 g, grow up to 9-10 cm. The mass of larger individuals is 50-65 g. The body length reaches 24 cm. The wingspan is 35 cm.
A distinctive feature of all swallows is their flight speed, which is 120 km / h. In terms of agility and speed, birds are second only to swifts. The birds are very similar to each other both in appearance and in their way of life. Representatives of these families most they spend time in flight: they hunt, feed their chicks, mate, and sometimes sleep.
Moving and frisky birds do not live very long - a maximum of 4 years. There are exceptions, though. Cases have been recorded when the lifespan of swallows was almost 8 years.
Swallow species
The swallow family is diverse and includes many genera. The most common:
The second name for birds is funnels. Includes three subspecies. Lives in Europe, Asia, Russia. The most widespread species both by the number of representatives and by area. Most often they settle near human habitation (under the roofs of houses), sometimes on sheer cliffs, in mountain crevices. City swallows - migratory birds... They cover long distances, migrating to wintering places. Usually this is Africa (from the Sahara to South Africa).
A distinctive feature is the plumage. Back color - bluish-black or just black, white belly and chest. The tail is somewhat shorter than that of representatives of other genera. The body length is 10-14 cm.The weight usually does not exceed 20 g.
- Barn swallow
The second name is the killer whale. He is not afraid of people and often settles in countryside, equipping a nest under the roofs of houses. Distinctive features:
- long tail, forked at the end;
- long wings, pointed and curved at the end;
- plumage bluish-black with a metallic sheen;
- chest and abdomen are light beige;
- reddish-brown feathers on the forehead and neck.
Birds usually reach 20-24 cm in length. They weigh no more than 20 g.
The range is very wide, because the birds easily adapt to different conditions. Individuals breed on the territory North America, Eurasia (with the exception of regions in the subarctic and arctic climatic zone). For the winter they fly to Mexico, countries South America, Africa and Asia. Small detachments fly and wait out the cold on the north coast of Australia.
Usually birds return to the same place to breed. They can arrange a nest near human habitation, outbuildings, on rocks. The main thing is that there is a source of water nearby and a sufficient amount of food - beetles, flies, mosquitoes and other flying insects.
Birds are diurnal, most of which they spend in flight. They settle in small colonies. Nests are built from clay or mud mixed with twigs and feathers. They are distinguished by beautiful singing, which at first resembles chirping and ends with a trill.
- Shore swallow, or coastal swallow
A bird that lives in Russia, Europe, Asia and other regions. Not found only in Australia and Antarctica. The smallest representative of the swallow family:
- body length does not exceed 13 cm;
- weight - 15 g;
- wingspan - up to 28 cm.
The color is unremarkable - brownish gray. The chest is grayish with a dark stripe. The wings and tail are somewhat darker than the back.
Birds prefer to settle in colonies on precipices near water bodies. The soil should be soft or sandy. The fact is that coastal beetles equip nests in burrows (the length can reach one and a half meters). They hunt in large flocks.
Berehovechki hatch chicks once a year. The number of eggs in one clutch rarely exceeds four. The offspring appears in two weeks, and after another year it becomes independent and leaves the nest.
Breeding swallows
The body structure of swallows is ideal for living in the air, but makes birds awkward on the ground. They rarely sit on the ground and do not feel very confident - it is difficult to walk on small paws. Therefore, the swallows spend almost all their time in the air. Perhaps that is why they live very little.
As mentioned earlier, birds prefer to settle and hunt in flocks. But they are monogamous. The couple usually spend their entire lives together. Sometimes males who have not found a female join already established families. They hatch eggs and look after chicks.
The mating season begins with the onset of warmth, at the beginning of summer. Males attract females with loud chirping. Show off their plumage by fluffing their tail. Both parents build a nest from clay, grass and down. They also take care of the chicks together.
Barn swallows build their nests along the banks of rivers, small streams and water channels. Urban ones (and their number as a result of the growth of human cities has become more than coastal ones) build their dwellings under roofs on the walls of buildings, houses, structures, bridges. Even the case of a nest on a ferry, which is constantly moving along the rivers, has been recorded.
Swallows choose a section of the wall for the nest, which is covered either by a roof, or by a canopy, or by the relief of a building. Thus, the nest is protected from the weather from above. The nest itself, if people do not destroy it, the swallows do not abandon, but breed in it for several years. The nest is additionally strengthened or completed with a swallow, if required. Often several nests are located nearby, because swallows settle in groups of families, dozens of nests can be located nearby in one place.
Semicircle nest these birds are made from pieces of earth, pebbles and fixed on the wall with the help of their sticky saliva. The entrance remains from the side-top, and inside the bottom and walls are laid with grass, wool, down and others soft materials to be found. Both the female and the male build a nest. They grab wet dirt, pieces of earth, clay and attach it to the wall. The birds do this in turn, while the male collects construction material, the female is near the unfinished nest and guards it. Then the birds change places, in turn. Birds do this to prevent sparrows from entering the nest. Sparrows are competitors and love to take over the swallow's nest.
The nest building process lasts two weeks. This is due to the forced interruptions in construction. Having molded part of the ground, the swallows leave the structure for a day or two, letting it dry. If this is not done, the damp earth may collapse, and all work will have to start over.
Usually offspring appears twice per season. Incubation of eggs (4-7 per clutch) lasts about two weeks. Newly hatched, helpless chicks require constant attention and feeding. Sometimes parents have to fly out of the nest for food up to 300 times a day.
After three weeks, the chicks become independent and leave the nest. They reach puberty a year later and have families of their own. It is noteworthy that young individuals hatch fewer cubs than older ones.
Swallows are very friendly, not afraid to build nests near human habitation. However, they are not adapted to life in captivity. Even a chick who has not learned to fly will struggle to escape from human hands.
Nutrition
The main dish is flying insects. Their bird grabs in the air at a height of 15-20 meters above the ground. When it rains, the swallows do not go hunting, but wait. Birds try not to fly far from the nest while searching for food. All work on catching flies, bugs and other insects is usually carried out within a radius of up to 500 meters from the nesting site.
Insects included in the diet: grasshoppers, flies, butterflies, cicadas, pavements, horseflies, mosquitoes, bugs, sometimes spiders. Wasps and bees are not included in the diet, because they are poisonous to the bird.
Enemies of the swallow
The main enemy is the hobby falcon. This bird of prey hunts swallows. His flight speed is the same or even higher, so he has the ability to attack. Other predatory birds are often simply unable to catch up with the swallow in flight due to its high speed. The falcon lies in wait for her on the banks of the reservoir when the swallow collects building material for the nest.
Bird swallow very interesting bird. According to ancient beliefs, it is believed that if this bird builds a nest under the roof of a person's house, then this house will be cozy and happy. There are also a lot of stories, fairy tales and even legends about this bird.
Features and habitat of the swallow
Almost all of these birds live in hot regions. Big variety of swallows in the central. Asia can also be attributed to the habitat. You can also meet these birds in cold countries.
The fact where he lives bird affects what migratory swallow or not... If the swallow lives in hot countries, then it is not migratory. If the bird lives in northern countries, then it needs to fly to where it is warmer with the onset of frost.
The bird belongs to the family of passerines. Swallows spend almost their entire life in flight. This bird is able to eat, drink, mate and even sleep in the air. There are many species of swallows and they all have common similarities:
- a wide and small beak, especially at the base;
- a large mouth is characteristic;
- birds have very long and at the same time narrow wings;
- birds have a wide chest;
- rather graceful body;
- short legs, on which the bird can poorly move on the ground;
- dense plumage throughout the body;
- characteristic metal ebb on the back;
- the color of chicks and adult birds is the same;
- there are no discrepancies in external characteristics between males and females;
- the birds are small, from 9 to 24 cm long;
- the weight of the birds reaches from 12 to 65 grams;
- wingspan 32-35 cm.
Varieties of swallows
Shore swallow... For all external characteristics similar to all other swallows. The back is brown, with a gray stripe on the chest. The size of these birds is much smaller than the rest of the species of this species. Body length up to 130 mm, body weight 15 grams. This species lives in America, Europe and Asia, Brazil, India and Peru.
Coastal swallows
The swallow keeps along the coastline and cliffs of reservoirs. Couples of birds are looking for soft soil on the slopes of the cliffs and dig tunnels in them for dwelling. If, while digging, they stumble upon dense ground, they stop digging this hole and start a new one.
Their burrows can be up to 1.5 meters long. The mink digs horizontally, and a nest is built at the bottom accordingly. The nest is covered with down and feathers of various birds, twigs and hair.
Birds lay eggs once a year, their number is up to 4 pieces. The birds incubate eggs for about two weeks. The birds take care of the chicks for three and a half weeks, after which the chicks leave the parental dwelling.
Birds settle in whole colonies. Barn swallows also hunt in colonies, hovering over meadows and water bodies in one direction, then in the other.
Shore swallow
City swallow... The bird of the urban swallow has a slightly shorter tail, a white upper tail and a white abdomen. The bird's feet are also covered with white feathers. The body length is equal to 145 mm, the body weight is up to 19 grams.
Inhabits city swallow in Europe, Sakhalin, Japan and Asia. of this species settle in crevices of rocks and mountains. However, more and more often these birds build their nests under the roofs of human dwellings and high-rise buildings.
In the photo, a city swallow
Barn swallow... The bird of this species has a slightly elongated body, a strongly long and forked tail, sharp wings and a very wide beak. The body length is up to 240 mm, and the weight is about 20 grams. Red plumage on throat and forehead. This bird is migratory.
Builds nests in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. V natural conditions birds nest in caves. V last years birds began to build nests in people's homes. Swallows especially like country dwellings. Every year the birds return to their former nesting site.
The nest is built from mud, which is collected on the banks of the rivers so that the swallows do not dry out during the flight, I moisten it with saliva. Twigs and feathers are also used to build a nest. The diet of swallows includes flies and mosquitoes. This species of swallows is not at all afraid of a person, and often flies next to him.
Barn swallow
The nature and lifestyle of swallows
Since swallows are partly migratory birds, they make long flights twice a year. It often happens that due to bad weather conditions, whole flocks of birds die. Almost all the life of birds of swallows passes in the air, they very rarely rest.
Their limbs are practically not adapted for movement on the ground, which is why they descend on them only to collect material for making a nest. Of course, they can only move on the ground very slowly and awkwardly. But in the air, these birds feel very free, they can fly very low above the ground and very high in the sky.
Among the passerines, this is the fastest flying bird, second only to the swallow bird -. Often the swift is confused with swallows, in fact, the bird is very much like a swallow. Swallow speed is 120 km / h. She has a very beautiful voice, her singing resembles a chirp that ends with a trill.
Birds hunt for insects and beetles, which are also caught in flight. The birds' diet also includes grasshoppers and crickets. Almost 98% of all swallow food is insects. The birds also feed their chicks on the fly.
Reproduction and life expectancy
Birds are monogamous, create strong and long-lasting pairs. Sometimes, of course, there are cases of polygamous relationships in swallows. Pairs are formed with the arrival of spring. If a pair has formed well and the brood was good last year, pairs can last for many years. Males attract the attention of females by spreading their tails and chirping loudly.
Swallow chicks
If the males do not find mates during the mating season, they join other pairs. Such males can build a nest, incubate eggs and eventually converge with females, forming polygamous pairs.
The mating period for birds begins in early summer. A female can hatch two broods per season. Both parents are involved in the construction of the dwelling. Construction begins with making a frame with mud, wrapped in grass and feathers.
The female lays 4-7 eggs. The female and the male are engaged in incubation of eggs, incubation period up to 16 days. Chicks hatch practically helpless and naked.
Both parents carefully look after the chicks, feed and clean the nest of droppings. Chicks eat more than 300 times a day. Swallow birds for children catch midges, before giving them to chicks, adult birds roll food into a ball.
Pictured is a nest of swallows
Chicks remain in the nest for up to three weeks before they begin to fly. If a chick falls into the hands of a person, he desperately tries to take off even if he cannot fly. Having learned to fly fully, young swallows leave the parent nest and join adult flocks.
Sexual maturity occurs in swallows as early as the next year after birth. Young birds give fewer offspring than adults. Average the lifespan of swallows is up to 4 years old. There are exceptions when birds live up to eight years.
The swallow is a very beautiful and friendly bird. They build their dwellings right in the houses of people, while not fearing for their lives and the lives of their chicks. Many people do not even try to drive the birds out of their home. What a bird how not Martin maybe so friendly.
In the section on how long does a swallow hatch eggs? ? On my balcony under the floor, a swallow has built a nest! given by the author Overgrowth the best answer is Swallows lay 4-6 eggs and the female and male take turns incubating their clutch
within 15 days, both parents feed the hatched chicks
about 20-25 days, after which they are ready to go on an independent flight.
Answer from Name of names[guru]
A nest of swallows, built in a sheltered place, serves them for many, many years, and not only for the builders themselves, but also for subsequent generations. Some flaws in the construction are carefully corrected by a couple before the eggs begin to hatch. The inner lining is neatly renewed each time. Otherwise, the building does not change during its entire existence. In May, the female lays 4-6 tender eggs 20 mm long and 14 mm wide, with a thin shell, covered in a clean white background ash and reddish-brown specks. She incubates them without the help of a male and, in good weather, hatches chicks after 12 days. In bad, especially cold and rainy weather, she must leave her eggs for several hours in order to get herself the necessary food, and then it may happen that the chicks hatch only after 17 days. Broad-mouthed chicks are diligently fed by both parents, grow quickly when favorable conditions, soon begin to look over the edge of the nest, and if everything goes well, already in the third week of their life they can follow their parents. Then the parents feed them for a while.
City, coastal or barn swallow - all these are varieties of an amazing and unusual bird, familiar to us from childhood. Legends, songs and kind children's fairy tales are composed about her. According to legend, these birds make nests over the windows of those people in whose houses comfort, peace and love reign. From the article you will find out where they live, what are the features of behavior and nutrition. And also about how the offspring are bred.
Everyone knows from childhood that swallows are heat-loving birds that fly to warm countries... While the cold reigns in our latitudes, these birds live in Europe, as well as in Asia and the United States.
A large population of swallows lives on the African continent. The birds are also found in the harsh European regions, but much less often. If the homeland of birds is a warm land, they do not need to leave their country. Therefore, such populations lead a sedentary lifestyle, that is, in one place.
The situation is different with birds living in a country with a climate similar to ours. V winter period heat-loving creatures, like swallows, fly to sunny regions for food and familiar comfort.
Distinctive features
Swallow (hirundinidae) - This bird is from the swallow family. She spends most of her life in flight. When flying, she eats, drinks, sleeps, and even mates.
This bird species is distinguished by the following features:
- fork-shaped tail;
- wide beak of small size;
- big mouth;
- elongated and narrow wings;
- wide chest;
- graceful outlines of the body;
- short legs that do not allow the bird to walk a lot;
- metal overflow of plumage in the back area;
- the same color of adults and chicks (on the back - dark color, on the belly - beige, white);
- wingspan up to 35 cm;
- characteristic sounds "fit-fit", which serve to lure a partner or as an alarm.
Science knows about 80 species of swallows. The peculiar structure of the body makes the bird maneuverable. So, in flight, it gets itself food for even fast-moving insects. Among them are crickets, beetles, mosquitoes, flies, dragonflies and grasshoppers. The wide beak and roomy mouth allow feeding without stopping the flight.
Varieties of birds
Real heavenly swallows are often confused with swifts. The latter do not belong to this family, although outwardly they very much resemble them.
Swallows unite nearly a hundred different types... Among them: African (river, white-eyed, dark, rocky), red-lumbar and white-backed, eastern and Nepalese funnels, singing, New Guinea, black-red, thread-tailed, rural and urban, white-fronted and purple, mountain and forest, American woody.
The sand martin differs from its congeners by the brown coloration of the back with a characteristic longitudinal stripe. gray located on the chest. The size of the birds is small (130 mm), and the mass is no more than 15 g. They live near water bodies on the coast, where they dig holes, in which they settle.
The barn swallow (killer whale) is characterized by a more elongated body, a long forked tail and pointed wings. Its beak is wide, and the plumage on the forehead and throat of the bird is colored reddish.
Barn swallows weigh 20 g and sizes up to 240 mm. This species is incapable of being silent. Continuous chanting is their main distinguishing feature.
The tail of city swallows is shorter, their abdomen, area above it and legs are white. The size of the bird's body is about 145 mm, and the weight does not exceed 19 g.
The place of residence of the city swallow is the Old World, Asia, Japan and Sakhalin. Feathered creatures build their nests under the roofs of modern multi-storey buildings.
As migratory birds, swallows make a multi-day trip to two ends twice a year. Not everyone survive on the road. Some individuals die due to difficult weather conditions, hunger and a sharp drop in temperatures.
It is extremely difficult for any swallows to step on the surface of the earth. The structure and anatomical features of the legs do not allow walking or jumping. These birds descend to the ground only in order to find and select material for the nest they are building. But in the sky they feel like fish in water.
Swallows develop a flight speed of up to 120 km / h. According to this indicator, they are second only to one bird on the planet - the swift.
The image of a barn swallow flaunts on the minted coin of Slovenia.
Birds also differ in voice. So, at the coast, singing begins with chirping, and ends with a trill. City swallows do not have a clear voice. Their singing is like the murmur of a stream. Village birds make sounds reminiscent of the word "chevit".
Life span and mating
We hear trills of swallows every spring. But they do not sing to please the human ear. In males, which are popularly called iris, there is a certain tactic for attracting a partner. To this end, they chirp loudly and spread their tails. The female will give preference to the gentleman, whose singing she considers the most pleasant. Swallows are monogamous birds. They create pairs once and for all. Polygamous relationships occur in flocks of these birds, but this is rather an exception to the rule.
The swallow family is created in the first spring months. The emerging offspring characterizes the success of the "marriage bond". If the brood is viable, the birds do not look for new partners.
The birds have a lifespan of 4 to 8 (in rare cases) years. This applies to all types of swallows. During this time, their priority task is to leave numerous and healthy offspring.
Replenishment in the family
Mating of birds begins in the summer. In this case, the male, in order to fertilize the eggs, presses outer part cloaca to the organ of the female.
The immediate process is preceded by the construction of the nest. Birds of both sexes are equally involved in the creation of a dwelling. First, a mud frame is made. Then it is covered with dry blades of grass, feathers and provided with an inlet. Shore swallows dig holes using their claws.
For one clutch, the female hatches from 4 to 7 eggs. After two weeks and a couple of days, chicks appear. Their bodies are defenseless, not covered with feathers. Babies are absolutely not adapted to the environment, and therefore vulnerable.
Parents selflessly care for the offspring, take care of the food for the chicks and keep the nest clean. If the brood does not have time to get stronger with the onset of the first cold weather, adult birds stay close until their offspring mature for travel.
Baby swallows, like adult birds, are very voracious. They eat about 300 times a day.
Suitable for this small midges, which the parents crumple into a ball in their mouths and lay them in the chick's beak.
After three weeks, the mature birds make their first flight attempts. Sexual maturity of individuals occurs as early as the next year after birth.
Nursing a swallow at home
It is not uncommon for immature birds to fall out of their nests and fall into human hands. The survival of the chick depends on the conditions that are created for it.
Handling a small bird should be very careful so as not to damage its weak organs. When examining a chick, look for injuries and fractures.
The best way out in this situation is to visit the veterinarian and see the bird by a specialist. It is important to feed the chick on time. This will require special food, which are sold in pet stores. Bread, seeds and cereals are not suitable for babies. Eliminate dead insects, hairy caterpillars, ladybirds, bugs with bright colors, Colorado beetles.
The most interesting
The uniqueness of seemingly simple birds is impressive.
It is known that the nests of swallows are too small and are intended only for offspring. At night, adult birds rise to the sky to a height of up to three kilometers and all this time they sleep in flight. They rest on the branches of trees.
The dwelling of the swallows has served them for more than one year and is inherited by new generations of the family.
Swallows play an important role in nature. They destroy harmful insects, thereby preventing their uncontrolled spread.
The famous omen that portends precipitation if a bird flies low above the ground has a scientific basis. High humidity air before rain makes the feathers heavier. To fly without burden, the bird lowers its altitude.
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