Duck fire is a waterfowl, belongs to the family of ducks. In many cultures of different nations, including Slavic ones, the cinder was considered a sacred bird. In Altai, until the Second World War, this bird was not hunted. Only the threat of death from starvation forced the locals to hunt for this amazingly beautiful bird.
Description
What does a duck fire look like ? Large bird weighing up to 1600 grams, on high legs. In its appearance, it looks more like a goose, especially in flight. An adult can reach a length of 70 cm, a wingspan of up to 145 cm. Ogars swim, dive, fly and run perfectly.
Duck fire (its photo is available in the text) is distinguished by a beautiful red plumage.
At the beginning of the season, the color is darker, almost chocolate, it fades over the summer and becomes bright red with a reddish tint. This color of plumage is almost throughout the body of the bird. Only on the head is it lighter. The wings and tail and tail are black of black color, with a greenish tint.
In addition, coverts on both sides of the wing have distinct white spots. On the secondary feathers of the feathers along the front edge, a speck of green is clearly visible - a “mirror”. Beak and legs are black.
In the mating season, the male appears on the upper part of the neck with a black trim. After molting, this "collar" disappears. Near the head of the female, almost white feathers are visible. The young are more dull plumage, they are more reminiscent of the females of the fire, covering feathers, rather gray than white.
Habitat halo
Wild ducks ogar have a rather wide aureole: Turkey, northwest Africa, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Russia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Romania, India, China.
Despite such a wide geography, in some countries due to human activities, the bird population is steadily declining. There were times when wild ogre settled in the city.
A vivid example is the Moscow population. It is believed that she appeared in 1948 from birds flying away from the zoo. It was at this time that the birds that lived in the Moscow Zoo stopped cutting their wings.
The birds have bred, they live mainly on the territory of the estate Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo, Timiryazevsky park and Kuskovo forest park. In winter, they do not fly away, preferring to winter in non-freezing ponds. They do not forget about their "small homeland" - the Moscow Zoo, where in the harsh time of the year they are always fed by the employees of the institution.
Features
Duck fire has a number of characteristic features inherent only to this species of bird:
- they do not live in packs, preferring couples (gather in packs only during molting or wintering);
- although they belong to waterfowl, they do not need spacious ponds for normal living;
- during the mating season, it is the female who selects the drake;
- selfish bird, does not tolerate rivals on its territory and drives away even its species from a busy reservoir of birds.
Duck fire (her photo is really admirable) has a loud voice, which he enjoys using. True, her cry is more like a donkey, and in females it is louder and sharper.
Nutrition
The food of the fire, or the red duck, seeks itself at dusk or at night. Happy bird resting. Ogary eats both plant and animal food. Worms, small beetles and other insects can serve as food for birds. Duck fire, on occasion, can pick up carrion.
In ponds, birds filter water in search of food. They can eat crustaceans, small fish and frogs. But still they prefer to get food on land. Graze in the meadows, plucking young greens. In the autumn, they peck in the fields of winter seeds. A quick-witted bird picks up grain spilled during transportation on the roads.
Breeding
After returning from wintering in March, when the ice had not yet left on the ponds, the fires begin to search for a mate. The female takes the initiative. Drake can only stand on one leg or, with his head down and dragging wings, walk in circles around his future "wife."
Ogary, or red duck, for nesting, choose the burrows of foxes and other burrowing animals. Can make a nest in a crevice of a rock or in a hollow of a tree. Old abandoned buildings and steep slopes on the banks of ponds will do. By the way, a pond is not the main thing in choosing a place for a nest. It can be located at a distance of 2-3 km from it.
Monogamous birds create pairs for many years. Some even prefer the same nest from year to year. After mating and preparing the nest (it must be lined with a thick layer of white fluff), the female lays one egg every day. Eggs are dairy or cream in color, weighing 80 grams. In total, from 8 to 12 eggs in the clutch, sometimes there are even more - up to 18 pieces.
After the duck lays the last egg, it sits on the masonry. During the incubation period, the male is very aggressive and does not let anyone into its territory. The instinct for protecting the nest is so strong that the bird does not always appropriately perceive the situation and without hesitation can attack a larger rival.
After 30 days, ducklings appear. Fluffy chicks are pure white, with the exception of the top of the head - it is black and has a brown back. Duck fire immediately leads them to a pond. Kids swim and dive beautifully. Parents, both equally, take care of the chicks for up to two and a half months, until they take to the wing.
Young growth reaches puberty by two years. During this period, the ducks begin to create pairs.
Captive breeding
Ogary, or red duck (the difference is only in the name), perfectly reproduces in captivity. They quickly get used to the person and the conditions of detention. Aggressive behavior during incubation and the desperate protection of their chicks forces the owners of the fires to give them a separate fenced area.
Normal conditions, as with other breeds of ducks :
- in the summer, a shed with bedding for sleeping, walking with water (even a bath is suitable);
- in winter, a warm room with plenty of litter and constant access to a drinking bowl with water.
The wonderful instinct of incubation and the natural strength of the babies allow 100% to preserve hatched chicks.
Water is necessary for birds, it can be a natural or artificial pond. In order to get well-fed ducks weighing 3-4 kg, and drakes - up to 6.5 kg, the bird should be plentifully fed. Bran, grain, waste from the table are added to the diet. The quality of meat depends on the diet, with the right content, you get a gentle low-fat diet meat. In addition to meat, from red ducks you can get up to 120 eggs and high-quality fluff.
The bird is also of interest from the point of view of the settlement of artificial park ponds. She quickly finds a place for nesting and gets used to the person.
Hunting
Ogary meat in the fall with the transition to vegetable food is very tasty, without any aftertaste.
They are hunted, as well as other ducks. Usually from a warehouse made near a reservoir. The only thing experienced hunters pay attention to when hunting for this bird: if possible, shoot a couple at once. In the event of the death of one of the fires, the second will circle over the place of death of the partner and scream sadly. The sight is unpleasant and heartbreaking. Poultry is also mined at molting sites and during migration.