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Sea-eared duck is one of the most beautiful waterfowl that can be found in the countries of Central Europe. A distinctive feature of this bird is the possibility of diving under water, where it can be up to one minute. Thus, the young lady hunts for the food she needs for food - fish and mollusks. The depth of immersion of this small water bird can reach 50 meters.
The average size of schools of these waterfowl recites up to 100 individuals. The nomaids fly low over the water, swaying slightly in the air.
Rising into the air, the young lady cannot raise her wings so that they reach a horizontal position; for this reason, this restless and mobile bird must lower them deeper.When landing on the surface of the water, the sailor first touches her breast, which distinguishes this duck from other subspecies that use paws for this purpose.
Features of feeding
In search of food suitable for food, the duck most often dives under water. The depth of immersion of this waterfowl is quite large. Before a deep dive, the young lady makes a small jump upwards, with a sharp tilt of the head and subsequent ejection of the hull forward and down. At the same time, the bird opens its wings.
For movement under water, the young lady makes the characteristic raking movements of the wings. On the surface of the water, as a rule, the birds of this species swim in a row, in turn, plunging to hunt. It is not uncommon for a flock of several dozen marinas to sink into the water at the same time. In the cold season, the main food of the duck-duck is crustaceans, clams, mussels, small crab and shrimp.
Also one of the delicacies of the sailor are starfish, small fish and low-chained worms. In some cases, the sea-eater may eat algae. The species of fish that the duck hunts are Atlantic cod, gobies, young flounder.
During the nesting period on land, the main food of the duckfish is various small insects, crustaceans, living in freshwater bodies of water, various plants.
Duck lifestyle
In the middle of summer, the feathers molt begins. Often, in a given period of time, representatives of this species have a rather nondescript look. Note that during this period of molting the birds do not have the ability to fly. The last molt occurs at the beginning of autumn, during which the drakes “dress up” in a more colorful and saturated with different shades of the “autumn” outfit.
Frequent change of color and plumage gives the duck to the sea-lover a lot more opportunities to disguise during the hunt.The marriage dress of the male sailor has a very bright and beautiful color, which, in fact, attracts females.
Breeding features
The main nesting sites for the young ladder are the coastal zone of small water bodies (the coast of the islands, the arctic tundra, the river deltas). The formation of a pair of birds occurs during the wintering period. As a rule, to the place of the future nesting of the duck of the sea-cat flies in large flocks
The construction of the nest females are engaged in their own, without the participation of drakes. To do this, near the selected water source, a small hole is dug, which is lined with dry vegetation and fluff. Basically, after the nest is built, eggs appear in it within 7-10 days. The posterity of the sea-girl hatch during the summer period - June-August. The first days of the little ducklings keep close to the parental nest, and then descend into the water. Most of the chicks as they grow older are killed by the attacks of more predatory bird species (skua).
Characteristics of the duck
The ducks of the young female have a long tail and body, and the head is of medium size. On the water, the sailor’s feathers are raised high up.
In the mating season, unlike the drake, the female has a more modest outfit.First of all, this is the absence of steering feathers. The summer dress of the female duck looks more like a bright and attractive drake outfit.
Habitat
The main nesting sites of this waterfowl are the arctic tundra, Scandinavia, the north of Russia, etc.
The total population of this duck is as much as about 10 million individuals, while about half a million ducks winter in the countries of Europe. It should be noted that, although this duck is the most common on earth, nevertheless, tens of thousands of seamen die every year due to unfavorable environmental conditions (pollution of the sea with oil products).
Often, a duck sea-lover can be found on the Moscow River (the mouth of the Gorodnya), where it lives and feeds on reeds.
Note that the seafarer has a significant commercial value, especially in the tundra zone. It is this species of ducks that ranks first in the number of prey. As a rule, the hunting season for this bird in tundra conditions begins in early spring. This is explained by the fact that after the sailors move closer to the sea, poultry meat acquires a specific smell.
Interesting Facts About the Sea-Wing
In North America, such a waterfowl as a duckfish is commonly called “old squaw”, which literally means an elderly or old Indian woman. This is due to the fact that this type of ducks makes characteristic sounds that are very similar to the sounds made by old Native American women while singing their folk songs.
The sea-dweller is a trade bird, which has long been hunted in the north of Russia. It has very tasty and tender meat. However, as mentioned above, the early spring is chosen for hunting, since after the birds have gone to the sea, the duck meat gets the smell of blubber.
During the period of incubation of females by females, drakes, as a rule, leave their nesting sites. Often it is the coastal zone of water bodies. Such a “business trip” of the males continues until the summer molting period passes, and they do not change their outfit for a more colorful “autumn” one.
Often the young ladies leave their offspring even before the young ducklings learn to use their wings and rise in the air. This is due to the need to re-lay eggs.
Often in one nest eggs are laid by two females.That is, the total number of eggs laid by ducks reaches 16-18 pieces.
Sailors are waterfowl, which, although they have a sufficient population, are nevertheless an endangered species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature explains this dramatic decline in the number of the species in comparison with the past decades.
5 years ago (in 2013) at the choice of the Latvian Society of Ornithologists, the duck-wolf was given the title of bird of the year.
Video: Millionaire (Clangula hyemalis)
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