Swallows belong to passeriformes 1 genus. This genus of birds is relatively small, with a body length of 13 ~ 18 cm. The wing tip is long and the tail is forked. Most of the feathers on the back are blue-black, so they were called mysterious birds in ancient times. The wing tip is long and good at flying, the mouth is short and weak, and the mouth is wide, which is a typical mouth shape of insect-eating birds. Short feet and strong claws. There are more than 20 species in the world, such as Louyan, White-waisted Swift, Domestic Swallow, Swallow, Grey Sand Swallow, Golden Swallow and Maojiao Swallow, and there are 4 species in China, among which Domestic Swallow and Golden Swallow are more common. Different swallows have different living habits. For example, swallows and swifts belong to climbing birds, while domestic swallows and golden swallows belong to songbirds. Different kinds of swallows have different shapes. Lou Yan is bigger, flying high, flying fast, black all over, metallic and singing loudly. It likes to nest under the high eaves of pavilions and ancient buildings. Domestic swallows are small, with metallic black hair, chestnut head, white or light pink abdomen, low flying and low singing. Most of them nest in indoor beams and corners of households and like to be close to humans. Swallows usually breed from April to July. Domestic swallows nest under the eaves of farmhouses. The nest is made of saliva bonded with soil and grass stalks, covered with soft weeds, feathers, rags and so on. And some Artemisia annua leaves. The bird's nest is dish-shaped. Breeding 2 nests every year, mostly from May to early June and from mid-June to early July. Each nest lays 4 ~ 6 eggs. The second nest is less, 2 ~ 5 pieces. Eggs are milky white. Males and females hatch eggs together. 14- 15 days, chicks hatch and parents eat together. The chicks fly out in about 20 days, and then feed them for 5 ~ 6 days, so they can feed themselves. The food is full of insects. The golden waist swallow is similar in shape to the domestic swallow, but slightly larger. This swallow has a chestnut waist, which is very eye-catching, and a small black line in the lower body, which is easy to distinguish from domestic swallows. Habits are similar to those of domestic swallows, but most of them live in mountain villages. Yan is a typical migratory bird. After the breeding, the young birds still follow the adult activities, gradually integrate into the large group, and move south for the winter before the first cold wave comes.
Swallows are birds that are beneficial to human beings. It mainly feeds on mosquitoes, flies and other insects. It can eat 250,000 insects in a few months, so we can't hurt it.
In the autumn before winter, swallows always travel long distances every year-they fly from the north to the far south in droves, where they can enjoy warm sunshine and humid weather, and leave the frost and cold wind of winter to tits, grouse and Thunderbirds who never fly south for winter. On the surface, it is the cold winter in the north that makes swallows leave their hometown for the winter in the south, and then return to their hometown to have children and live and work in peace and contentment in the warm spring season in bloom. Is that really the case? Actually, it is not. It turns out that swallows feed on insects and have always been used to preying on flying insects in the air, but they are not good at searching for insect food in cracks in trees and ground. They can't omnivore berries and seeds like rubber grouse and Thunderbird, and they can't eat leaves in winter (conifers don't lose their leaves even in winter). But in winter in the north, there are no flying insects for swallows to prey on, and swallows can't dig the larvae, pupae and eggs of hidden insects such as woodpeckers and woodfinches. The lack of food makes swallows migrate from north to south every year in order to obtain a broader living space. Swallows have become "nomads" in the bird family.
Yan will come back at this time every year. As early as thousands of years ago, people knew the law of swallows flying from autumn to spring. According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn Period, in order to explore the migration law of swallows, the ladies-in-waiting in Wu Palace cut off a swallow's paw to see if it would fly back to its original place the next year. Coincidentally, a man named Fu Xian in the Jin Dynasty also observed in this way. As a result, the next spring, the swallows without claws flew back. Swallows usually fly at night, especially when the wind is clear and the moon is bright. They fly fast and high, and rest on the ground for food during the day. Ancient poets once described the flying habits of swallows as follows: "In the past, Wang Xietang flew into the homes of ordinary people" and "there was nothing to do with the flowers, as if the swallows had returned." Since ancient times, people have been happy to let swallows nest in their own houses and have children, which is considered auspicious and blessed. Although the ground under the bird's nest is often dirty, people don't care. Swallow is a migratory bird with strong seasonality. People call it "Chun Yan coming back in spring" and "Chun Yan coming back suddenly". As long as you see a swallow, it's like reminding people that spring is coming! The ancients once said, "The birds sing and whisper in the New Year" is a quip. People always associate swallows with spring.
Domestic swallows have a kind of "strange ringworm": they always move in the dead of night and the bright moon is in the sky, and they fly very fast. Sometimes I can only see my own shadow flash by, but I can't see it clearly.
Swallows also have amazing memories. No matter how far you fly, you can return to your hometown with amazing memories even though you are separated by thousands of waters in Qian Shan. Swallows, like many other animals, have unparalleled perceptual talent. One of the most amazing is the ability to tell the direction. Someone did an experiment. Seven swallows were caught in a city in Germany, marked and then flew to England to be released. Early the next morning, five of the seven swallows had returned to their nests in Germany.
When the swallows returned to their hometown, the first "great event" was that the females and males built their own homes together, sometimes mending old nests and sometimes building new ones. Domestic swallows bring soil, grass stalks, feathers and so on. Use their mouths and mix their saliva. Not long after, a brand-new bowl-shaped nest appeared under your eaves.
Sometimes, the overbearing sparrow will take advantage of the situation and seize the comfortable nest of the domestic swallow, but the domestic swallow will not stop there. They will attack and blow the sparrows away. Sometimes, if the sparrows can't be driven away, the domestic swallows will "cruelly" take away the soil and branches, seal the nest and bury all the sparrows alive.
/view/298 17.html？ wtp=tt
crazy
Scientific name: Rhododendron
Chinese names: Du Fu, Du Yu and Zigui.
English name: Cuckoo
Genus: Rodents, Ericaceae.
Rhododendron is similar in shape to pigeons, but slender in shape, with a dark gray upper body and a horizontal spot on the abdomen. A foot has four toes, two toes forward and two toes backward. Fly quickly and quietly. Before and after the ear planting, it can be heard loud and somewhat desolate almost day and night, which is characterized by four sounds-"Goo Goo Goo" and "Cut the wheat quickly! Cut the wheat quickly! " "Quick broadcast valley! Hurry and sow the valley! " So it is commonly known as cuckoo. Most of them live in forests in tropical and temperate regions. About two-thirds of rhododendrons, including all North American species, build nests and feed young; Only about one third of azaleas raise young birds in a parasitic way.
Parasitism in brooding is a special reproductive behavior. Birds lay eggs in other birds' nests, and their parents hatch and brood on their behalf. The meadow pipit in the photo feeds on rhododendron and belongs to the parasitic type of interspecific larvae. Rhododendron is the most representative of more than 80 species of birds. Can parasitize 125 eggs in other birds' nests
The parasitism of larvae is as follows: host selection. Rhododendron in the breeding period looks for hosts similar to those in the incubation period and brooding period. The feeding habits of chicks are basically the same, and the eggs and colors are easy to imitate. Mostly passerine birds. During the parasitic time, rhododendron lays eggs quickly before the host begins to hatch and when the host leaves the nest. In late spring and early summer, they fly north. It doesn't build its own nest or hatch its own eggs. It lays 2- 10 eggs every year on average, but it puts the eggs in the nests of thrush and reed, and lets these birds hatch them carefully for themselves. And every time it flies to the nest, it only gives birth to one.
The co-evolution of larval parasitism is manifested in the morphological characteristics of host eggs. The eggs of parasites are different in color and size. What's the matter with you? But there is no significant difference. At the same time, the host's ambiguity in distinguishing eggs is also one aspect. Have an effect on the reproduction of the host. Rhododendron usually removes an egg from the host before laying eggs, or pushes it out of the nest, forcing the host to lay eggs again. However, once the brood-parasitic chicks hatch, it has the habit of pushing the chicks out of the nest, thus enjoying the parental rearing alone, which will reduce the success rate of host reproduction.
The legendary cuckoo crying blood should be a cuckoo with four tones, commonly known as cuckoo. Because of careful study, the oral epithelium and tongue of rhododendron are red, which the ancients mistakenly thought was full of blood. When cuckoo sings, it is the time when azaleas are in full bloom, so there is a saying that the color of azaleas is dyed with blood by cuckoo's cry: "What are the merits of azaleas and birds?" It is suspected that the blood in the mouth drips into the flowers on the branches. "("Complete Tang Poetry "Volume 759" Rhododendron "sentence)" Rhododendron sends rhododendron, like blood like Zhu. It should be that I can't stay in spring, and the night wind is cold. " (Qiu Jin)
According to Li Shizhen, "Rhododendron was born in Sichuan, and it is also found in the south today. It is dressed like a sparrow hawk, but its color is miserable and black, and there is a small crown on its red mouth. At dusk in spring, people will crow. When they crow at night, they will sing to the north, especially in Zhixia, where the sound is sad day and night. Tian Jia and others use it to promote agriculture. But insect-eating moths can't live in their nests and hide in the winter months. "
The story of "Wang Chunxin's cuckoo crying" is widely circulated among the people. It is said that there was a man named Du Yu in ancient Shu who became an emperor and became a cuckoo after his death. The name of the cuckoo probably comes from this.
Cai Xiang's poem in the Song Dynasty said: "The rain is full of plows, and those who know how to promote agriculture are not savages. It's early spring, and it's time to put on your coat and melt your calves. " Lu You also wrote a poem: "The season is too clear, cuckoos sing in the morning, spring comes to drive, the country is cultivated, the red and purple flowers are exhausted, and the green and yellow wheat ears are full." It doesn't make sense from now on. You can listen to the strings. "The cuckoo in the poem. Cuckoo Zhu Zhen, a poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, really said, "The cuckoo cries for spring return, but the blood remains after kissing goodbye." It also fully embodies the spirit of Du Fu crying earnestly and responsibly to urge people to "spread grain widely".
In spring and summer, cuckoos will crow all night. Its plaintive cries often arouse people's various feelings. In addition, the oral epithelium and tongue of cuckoo are all red, and the ancients mistakenly thought that it was full of blood, so many legends and poems about "cuckoo weeping blood" and "weeping blood deeply" were produced. Nest invader
In Europe, the cuckoo's cry means the arrival of spring, because cuckoos spend the winter in Africa every year and return when the climate in Europe warms up in March. After mating, the female cuckoo is ready to lay eggs, but she can't build her own nest.
It will come to the nest of smaller birds, such as robins and songbirds, take away the original egg and replace it with its own. Compared with its size, its eggs are very small, and the markings on the eggs are very similar to those of other birds, so it is not easy to be distinguished. If not, its eggs will definitely be thrown out.
The cuckoo's eggs hatch earlier than other birds. When the young bird comes out, it will immediately throw other eggs out of the nest. It does this because it will soon grow very big and need to eat all the food that the foster mother can find.
Cuckoo flies back to Europe in spring, stops on a stake, a branch or a wire, and calls for its mate. The cuckoo's name comes from its call: an easy-to-distinguish "cooing" sound.
A little cuckoo is being fed by its foster mother, who is a much smaller warbler. The food it needs is equivalent to the total amount of food that 3-4 young birds born to their adoptive mothers need to eat.
Cuckoo birds lay eggs in their nests when other birds are not looking. It must be finished soon. Its eggs have a particularly thick shell so that they won't break when they fall into the nest.
/view/63645.html？ wtp=tt
magpie
Scientific name: pickup truck pickup truck
Also known as: magpie, guest magpie, flying barge bird, dry magpie, goddess.
English Name: Darkmouth Magpie
Somatotype characteristics
Magpie is a genus of passeriformes, also known as magpie. The body shape is characterized by black head, neck, back to tail, and purple, green, blue and green luster after removal. The wings are black and there is a big white spot on the shoulder. The tail is much longer than the wings and is wedge-shaped; The mouth, legs and feet are pure black. The abdomen is bounded by the chest, and the front is black and the back is white. The body length is 435 ~ 460 mm, and the male and female feathers are similar in color. The young bird's feathers look like an adult bird, but Kuroha is partially dyed brown, and its metallic luster is not obvious.
Iris brown; Black mouth; Feet-black.
Be distributed
Magpies are widely distributed in almost all continents except Central and South America and Oceania. In China, there are 4 subspecies except grassland and desert areas, all of which are local resident birds.
Living habits
Magpie is one of the most popular birds. It likes to nest in the big tree next to the house and move around the residential area. The nest is spherical, hermaphrodite, woven with dead branches, and the inner wall is filled with thick soil, lined with grass leaves, cotton wool, animal hair and feathers. Every year, new branches are added to the old nest to repair it. In addition to forming small groups in autumn, most of them live in pairs all year round. It's loud. Omnivorous, foraging in the wild and fields, preying on locusts, crickets, cutworms, scarabs, moth larvae, frogs and other small animals, stealing eggs and chicks from other birds, and eating fruits, grains and plant seeds. Magpies have been sexual partners for many years. Each nest lays 5 ~ 8 eggs. Eggs are light brown, cloth brown and grayish brown spots. Female birds hatch eggs, and the incubation period is about 18 days. The chicks are late-maturing, and their parents can only leave the nest after feeding them for about 1 month. Red-footed falcons often compete for nests of magpies or bald-nosed crows. Cry: This cry is a loud, gruff quack.
Subspecies differentiation
Magpie is a very widely distributed species with many subspecies differentiation. Traditionally, magpies distributed in Europe, Asia and North America are all the same species, pica. Recently, however, some scholars believe that the North American subspecies of magpie is closer to another magpie distributed in the same area and should be an independent species of pica. Some scholars also pointed out that the common subspecies of magpie (Pica pica sericea Gould) is widely distributed in East Asia, while magpie is distributed in Europe.
Magpie welfare
According to the investigation of scientific workers in Nanjing and Hunan, more than 80% of magpies' food in a year is insects that harm crops, such as locusts, grubs, scarabs, moth larvae or pine caterpillars. And 65,438+05% are the seeds of cereals and plants, as well as birds, snails, melons and weeds. So magpies are very beneficial to human beings. Hard-working farmers, working in the fields in the early morning, see magpies jumping in pairs on the grass to chase pests, and will not avoid humans, so they have a love for it, and its loud and monotonous chirping is hailed as a good omen.
/view/28079.html？ wtp=tt