The whistling range of this swamp bird is very sonorous and beautiful. It adheres to more damp places and can be adjacent to another bird that prefers the same wet places - with reed simpletons.
This article provides information about a small but interesting Dubrovnik bird: a photo and description, habitat and behavior.
A bit of history
The species was first described in 1773 by Peter Simon Pallas in Western Siberia - at the western border of the distribution area.
The very first mentions of this bird in the European part (namely, habitat) are in the monographs of Fisher de Waldheim of 1830 in the Moscow province and the natural scientist I. Dvigubsky (1831) in the northern provinces. At that time, this species was well known, which means that it appeared here much earlier - at the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries. In the 1st half of the 20th century, the bird settled in the European part of Russia and began to rapidly develop it. Dubrovnik turned out to be a bird, rapidly expanding its habitat.
Spread
In Russian territory today, Dubrovnik bird is widely distributed in the Far East and Siberia. Outside of Russia, it is found in Korea (from the northern taiga regions to the steppe zone), Mongolia, and Manchuria. She also lives in Europe (a narrow strip to the west to Finland and Poland). The migratory species hibernates south of many other buntings - in Asia (southeast).
The bird is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, as in recent years, there has been a sharp decline in its numbers almost everywhere, due to the unfavorable situation in wintering and migration.
Dubrovnik is a bird, whose favorite lands are wide floodplain reaches and meadows, low loans, from which hollow water leaves until the very summer and where spawning pike are found, as well as islands with flowering willow trees. It can also settle on peatlands, on the outskirts of small swamps and on wet grazing for livestock.
Description
The Dubrovnik bird is small in size (slightly smaller than a sparrow), relatively large-headed. Her tail and wings are short. Body length is from 13 to 17 cm, body weight is from 17 to 29 grams. Wings with a wingspan reach 26 cm. On the tail there is a small, slightly noticeable fork.
The beak of the bird is relatively large, a pinkish-ocher hue (in the male it contrasts with a dark head). And her legs are the same color.
By color, the male looks more vividly during the mating season, but the rest of the time it is hidden and little noticeable.
Features of plumage
A male Dubrovnik bird in its mating outfit (about the 3rd or 4th year of life) is painted chocolate or chestnut in the upper part, and from the bottom it is bright yellow with streaks on the sides and with a chestnut narrow band on the chest. The head is black, and on the wing there is a white oval mirror. A yellow spot on the throat of a bird sitting sideways is striking.
Intermediate outfits of Dubrovnik have less pure and saturated tones, and there are more colorful spots, and eyebrows with a chin are lighter. In the autumn period, the outfit is distinguished by the fact that ocher-gray rims appear on the feathers, and dark speckles are more pronounced on the back. In the spring, the color of these birds is practically lost on a chocolate background.
The female is colored in a brownish tint, but in the lower part it is yellowish. The eyebrow is light, dark streaks on the back and sides. A pattern of dark stripes is visible on the head, and in the middle of the crown of the head there is a light “parting”. A young Dubrovnik bird (photo is presented in the article) in autumn is similar in color to a female, but the shade of yellow on her chest and belly is brighter. There is also a buffy plaque on the back and head, and two light narrow stripes on the wing.
Shedding takes place completely in October, and in March the head sheds in males, during which the gray feather changes to coffee.
Behavior and lifestyle
Dubrovnik bird nests in areas with shrubs and tall grass. These are meadow floodplains, the steppes are not too dry, swamps, clearings, burning and woodlands. Highly grassy steppes inhabit the steppes a little less often.
Dubrovniks usually fly from wintering places in May, and to the more western regions at the beginning of June. Immediately, males begin to actively sing, settling on the stems of large grasses or on the tops of bushes, indicating nesting territories. This species is not aggressive, often forming dense settlements (per 1 ha up to 4-6 pairs). The nest settles right on the ground. As a rule, in clutch 4-5 eggs of gray-green color with blurry brownish pattern. A nest is built by the female, and the eggs incubate and the chicks are fed by both partners. From the end of July, migrations begin, and the departure ends by the end of summer.
Dubrovniks sing loudly and leisurely, but quite varied. Their singing is similar to the ringing of bells - "dili-dili-for-for-ri-ri ...". Calls - chatter ("tick", "cycle").
Dubrovnik bird keeping
Catching birds is a good source of scientific knowledge about the different species of birds in each region. Poultry animals are of great help in locating some rare species. For example, the first information about the canary reel, black- necked curler , mountain linnet and Dubrovnik was obtained thanks to the connoisseur and lover of songbirds S. N. Tolstyakov (Leningrad Region).
Although Dubrovnik is abundant in some places suitable for birds, it is little familiar to birders. Few people have this wonderful meadow bird in their selection. And this is due to the fact that she arrives with the latest arrival wave. The fishing season ends by this time, and the gear is removed until the fall. Yes, and Dubrovnik is not easy to catch - this bird is strict, and it goes badly on bait, and is not greedy for baits.
If you managed to catch at the right time, then a quiet Dubrovnik can sing on the same day. But nesting Dubrovniks in captivity will not sing songs and may even die. It should be remembered that this bird is better to catch in the last days of May. In a cage, a caught Dubrovnik can sing in May-June, while an already settled one sings in March and sings until July with some interruptions.
Winter food: a mixture of grains half with "nightingale" food, be sure to meal worms (2-3 pieces per day). In summer, fresh ant eggs and chopped greens should be added. It is not worth overfeeding a bird, as it has a tendency to obesity.
It is important to remember that on the wrong and poor feed, the color of the breast in the bird fades. In addition, the cage for Dubrovnik must necessarily have a soft top, since this bird often flies up and in the rigid cage it can break its upper bite.