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םיספסופמ ופרועו ושאר ,רתוי ריהב ןוחגה ,רפרפא םוח ועבצ ,לודג שושפכ הארנ :ןבנז | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
T. S. squamiceps Levant S to W-C Arabia. T. S. yemenensis Yemen, and southern Oman. T. S. mudvsyrndid northern Oman. | ||||||||||
Descriptive notes.26-29 cm, 65-82 g, wingspan 31-34 cm. Large babbler, rather cold brown but with noticeably white throat and distinct scaling over crown, hindneck, and breast. Rather long decurved bill, pale eye, long, graduated and loose tail, and strong legs and feet contribute to somewhat unattractive, scrawny, but arresting appearance.Sexes rather similar, no seasonal variation. HabitatIn , lower warm arid latitudes of south-eastern fringe of W Palearctic, not only in lowlands but locally above 2000 m. Always in bushes or on ground, roosts in thick Acacia comes to water in evening, if available. In Oman and C Arabia, occurs in desert and in wadis with Acacia bushes, but requirement for Acacia seems not always to apply outside breeding season.In Israel does not penetrate to high elevations or to more humid northern regions, but will inhabit tamarisk clumps, salty swamps with reedbeds, gardens, vineyards, and even trees, and among houses. Prefers open terrain, shunning dense vegetation. Food and FeedingWide variety of invertebrates, small vertebrates, plant material, and household scraps from garbage dumps. Birds usually forage in groups, on ground, bushes, and trees, variously digging in soil, turning over stones and leaves, stripping bark, pecking at and prizing open branches, seed pods, and faeces.Groups have been seen killing warblers but unable to dismember them and left them intact. Breeding.Feb-Jul, peaking May-Jun in Israel, February onwards, more often Mar in Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Nest site, typically 1-7 m above ground inside cover, fork or crown of tree or bush.Nest large, untidy, fairly deep cup of coarse grasses, rootlets, bark, twigs, and other dead plant material, with no distinction between outer structure and lining, though may be lined with a few feathers ane animal hair. 3-5 eggs, sub-elliptical, smooth and glossy, uniform turquoise. Incubation 13-14 days, by the dominant laying female at night, but at other times by all males of group, especially the more dominant ones. Movements.Chiefly sedentary, but perhaps locally dispersive. Levant and north Arabian race, nominate, is sedentary in Israel.T. s. yemenensis disperses in desert at end of breeding season. Status and ConservationNot globally threatened.Israel.In Israel subspecies T. s. squamiceps Quit common resident in Dead Sea Depression, central, eastern and southern Negev, and along Arava Valley. |
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