| .ספ ןורז (116 | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
Circus pygargus N W Africa and S C Europe through Casian lowlands to Kazakhstan. Winters in Africa S of Sahara, and India Subcontinent and Sri Larka. | ||||||||||
Descriptive notes.45-50 cm, 230-300 g wingspan 95-115 cm.Male has black primaries and black bands across secondaries, and narrow white rump. Female sllightly paler above than those of C. macrourus and C. cyaneus. Melanistic morph in male blackish, in female chocolate-coloured. Juvenile darker above than female, with rufous underbody and underwing coverts, unstreaked below. Habitat.Open areas with grass or shrbs, generally flat or undulating ground, less often in steeper terrain.Grasslands, meadows, fields of cereals, fallow fields, heath, moor, scrubland, marshes, bogs, peatland and youg conifer plantations. Food and FeedingSmall ground birds including many of their young in breeding season, small mammals, lizards and large insects, important locally and in winter quarters.Avian prey mostly small passerines. Hunts like other harriers, with low, slow flight in straight line upwind, and dropping onto prey, nearly always captures prey on ground. Breeding.May-Jun, solitary or in loose colonies of 10 pairs.Males occasionlly bigamous. Nests on ground, protected by tall and dense vegetation, grassland, cereal fields, reedbeds, bushy scrub and young conifer plantations. Nest is small, narrow platform 30 cm wide, made of grass stems or thin twigs, 3-5 eggs, incubation 29 days. Chicks fed by female, but prey mostly caught by male. Chicks have first and second down white, variably tinged buff. Sexual maturity at 2-3 yaers Oldest recorded bird 16 years. Movements.Migratory, wintering mainly in sub Saharan Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka. Leaves Europian breeding grounds mainly in Aug-Sep, and returns in Apr-May, migrates on broad fronts.Status and Conservation.Not globally threatened.Israel.In Israel the subspecies Circus pygargus Uncommon passage migrant and quite rare winter visitor. |
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