Shore swallow (riparia riparia). Shore swallow (shore swallow) - photos, information and facts What is the character of the shore swallow

Appearance and behavior. The smallest and most inconspicuously colored of our swallows. The tail is short, without braids. The top is brown, the underside is white, with a wide brownish band on the chest. The soft, smooth, but at the same time very maneuverable flight of shorebirds resembles the flight of barn swallows, however, it is inferior to it in swiftness. It usually does not rise high into the air; it flies low above the surface of water or land. On the ground, like other swallows, it moves poorly. Body length 12–14.5 cm, wingspan 26–30 cm, weight 11–18 g.

Description. The upper side of the body is brown or clay-brown; in the upper part of the chest there is a wide transverse band of the same shade. In addition, a small dark tie can be seen in the center of the chest. The throat, belly and undertail are white. The underside of the wing is brown. The legs are almost unfeathered, only on the back side of the tarsus there are a few short feathers collected in a bunch above the hind toe. The beak is blackish-horny in color. Females are indistinguishable from males. Young birds differ from adults by the presence on the upper side of the body of a scaly pattern formed by light, whitish or buffy edges of feathers. Sharply defined edges of the same shade are present on the tops of the tertiary flight and covert feathers of the wing. The throat and chest band have an ocher or yellowish coating. In some individuals, the scaly pattern on the back may persist until the beginning of summer. next year. It differs from other swallows in the smooth, without a metallic sheen, brown coloring of the upper body, as well as the presence of a dark band on the chest.

Distribution, status. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere: the breeding range covers almost all of Europe, the northern part of Asia (south to the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the coast of the Persian Gulf, southern Iran, Pakistan, northern India), as well as most of North America. An isolated portion of its range exists in the Nile Delta. To the north it is distributed further than other species, and in many places reaches the Arctic coast. Winters in Africa, southern Asia and central parts of South America. In European Russia it is not numerous, but in some places it is a common species.

Lifestyle. Arrives at nesting sites in the second half of May. Confined to open landscapes, it usually stays close to water. It nests in colonies in steep river banks, the walls of sand quarries or pits, digging holes in them up to 1.5 m deep. Colonies sometimes consist of many thousands of pairs, and the distance between holes can be only 20 cm. More often it forms colonies of several tens or hundreds nests; rarely lives in separate pairs. The diameter of the entrance to the burrow is approximately 5 cm; at the end of the burrow there is a nesting chamber with a diameter of 10–12 cm, lined with grass and feathers. The clutch contains from 4 to 7, most often 5 pure white eggs. Both parents incubate the clutch and feed the chicks.

Spends a lot of time in the air above or near bodies of water, hunting for flying insects. It often flies just above the surface of the water, almost touching it. It can collect insects from plants and even from the ground, grabbing them in flight or sitting down for a moment on the ground. After the mass flight of chicks, shorebirds gather in huge flocks and stay close to the colony for several days. Autumn migration begins at the end of July and ends in September. They migrate most often in flocks. Single individuals can linger in nesting areas until October.

Shore swallow, or shore swallow ( Riparia riparia)

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The shore swallow is a bright representative of the swallow family, the external qualities and some behavioral features of which sharply distinguish the shore swallow from other species of these birds. She has a calm, friendly disposition and a fairly eventful life.

Description of the species

Shore swallows are one of the smallest species of swallows: their body length does not exceed thirteen centimeters, their wingspan barely reaches 28 cm, and the birds weigh about 16 grams. They are grey-brown above and dirty white below, with a dark brown stripe across the chest.

The tail is of medium length, narrow, the beak is short and hard enough for digging underground burrows. Females and males are practically indistinguishable.

These birds settle in small colonies (although there are also lonely pairs) on steep rocks and sandy cliffs, where they build their nests with long tunnels.

An amazing feature of shorebirds is their neatness: on the back of their legs they have feather brushes, with which swallows constantly sweep the floor in the nest and corridor.

Adult shorebirds cannot live in apartments, although chicks can be raised in captivity. They are not afraid and do not shy away from people; on the contrary, they quickly begin to feel attached to them and do not shy away from big cities. They spend the night near rivers, in reeds or old, unfinished nests in cliffs.

Life along the coastline is quite dangerous - they are hunted by falcons, stoats, foxes, weasels, and badgers. In addition, shorebirds are often subject to epidemics, which out of a thousand individuals in a colony can leave only a few hundred alive.

Its diet consists almost entirely of insects and arachnids. Plant foods are rarely included. It often feeds on the fly, grabbing flying and jumping insects, but there are also cases of ground feeding.

Habitat

Found in Asia, America, Europe, Africa. Since this bird is a migratory bird, its habitat is quite extensive and is divided into seasons: during nesting it flies to northern latitudes, and in winter it leaves this cold area and flies to the southern regions.

During migration, as well as during the breeding season, it stays near the water. The migration period varies depending on the main habitat of the birds: birds arrive in North America earlier than in Northern Asia, and fly south later. Young chicks fly away earlier than their older relatives and make short stops along the way.

Socket device

Nesting time is May or early June. Nesting sites are easily distinguishable - usually a wall of sand with a huge amount holes in it, these holes are the home for shore swallows.

The holes are different from an ordinary hollow in a tree: they are long, about two meters, and at the end of this tunnel there is a wider room where the nest, eggs or chicks are located, depending on the time of year.

These birds do not have a very hard beak and claws, so the soil for the house is chosen appropriately so that they can dig a nest without any problems. Typically clayey and podzolic soils are used.

The tunnel is being dug by a couple in a very short terms in the second half of April. In two days, birds can go a whole meter deep into the plumb line.

The peculiarity of birds is that they are not able to make turns in the tunnel; it is always straight. Sometimes they stop working halfway and start digging another tunnel because there is a stone or tree root in the way, but there are also unknown reasons.

The construction of the nest itself and the soft bedding is again done by the pair together. For this, a plant base of small twigs, a feather and down pillow are used. Despite the fact that the birds appear inseparable during this period, pairs of shorebirds are not very strong.

Sometimes swallows can be in the same pair for several years, but there are also homewreckers, when the male and female change partners after a year or several years.

How a shore swallow cares for its chicks

There are usually up to 8 white eggs in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for no more than two weeks by the male and female alternately. It is important to note that shorebirds have several behavioral features that are not characteristic of other birds:

• At night, parents leave the chicks even when the babies do not yet have their own plumage. They wrap them in feathers and down, and then fly away to a common roost, which can be several kilometers from the nest.
• The second feature applies to chicks: from the first days of life they try to get out of the nest as quickly as possible, crawling along the corridor, not being able to fly, towards the light or their parents. Experiments have shown that a chick raised outside an underground tunnel develops faster than its counterparts. Perhaps this is what explains the reluctance of the chicks to sit in a dark cave.
• When the shorebirds grow feathers and wings (usually this takes about three weeks), they leave their burrows and never return there again. This is their third feature. Most bird species spend at least another week teaching their young to find food or navigate, but shorebirds do not need such care.

After the chicks have left the nest, the same pair in the same tunnel may lay another clutch in one season, time and weather permitting. At the same time, the old nest is thrown away and new feathers and down are brought in.

Epidemics and predators greatly complicate the already hectic life of this bird: eggs can be stolen by weasels, and a large individual can be attacked by a falcon, and yet every year they fly hundreds of kilometers to winter in warm regions and reproduction in northern latitudes.

An active representative of the passerine family. People have a lot of fairy tales and legends about it. It is believed that the bird brings happiness and prosperity to the house under the roof of which it has built a nest. The bird becomes a talisman against fires and thieves. Therefore, under no circumstances should you destroy the swallows’ home. According to the sign, misfortunes and troubles will not keep you waiting.

Swallow habitat and description

The bird belongs to the swallow family, which has almost 80 species. Most of them live in warm countries:

• Europe;
• Asia;
• America;
• Central Africa.

There are about 10 species in Russia.

Swallows belong to the class of migratory birds. However, individuals inhabiting hot countries do not leave their usual habitats for wintering. In warm climates, food and water are available throughout the year. The same cannot be said about the northern regions.

The swallow is one of the few birds that can catch insects in flight and get food in the air. This is facilitated by anatomical features - a slender, streamlined body, a wide and short beak. Birds feed mainly on flying insects: flies, dragonflies, beetles.

Depending on the species, swallows differ slightly from each other in color and lifestyle. However, all birds have some common characteristics:

• color - the tail, wings, back are dark blue or black with a metallic tint;
• beak - wide, opens very wide;
• body - slender, oblong, streamlined;
• chest - wide, with lighter plumage;
• wings - long, narrow;
• the tail is long in almost all species (sometimes slightly shorter in females);
• paws - short, weak.

There are practically no differences in color between adults and young animals of both sexes. Sometimes the plumage of males is a little more contrasting.

Some species are very miniature - they weigh only 10-12 g, grow up to 9-10 cm. The weight of larger individuals is 50-65 g. The body length reaches 24 cm. The wingspan is 35 cm.

A distinctive feature of all swallows is their flight speed, which is 120 km/h. In terms of agility and speed, birds are second only to swifts. The birds are very similar to each other both in appearance and in their lifestyle. Representatives of these families spend most of their time in flight: hunting, feeding chicks, mating, and sometimes sleeping.

Active and playful birds do not live very long - a maximum of 4 years. Although there are exceptions. Cases have been recorded when the life expectancy of swallows was almost 8 years.

Types of swallows

The swallow family is diverse and has many genera. The most common:

The second name for birds is funnels. Includes three subspecies. Lives in Europe, Asia, Russia. The most widespread species both in terms of number of representatives and range. Most often they settle near human habitation (under the roofs of houses), sometimes on steep cliffs, in mountain crevices. City swallows - migratory birds. They cover long distances, migrating to wintering areas. Usually this is Africa (from the Sahara to South Africa).

A distinctive feature is the plumage. The color of the back is blue-black or simply black, the belly and chest are white. The tail is somewhat shorter than that of representatives of other genera. Body length is 10-14 cm. Weight usually does not exceed 20 g.

1. Barn Swallow

The second name is killer whale swallow. Not afraid of people and often settles in rural areas, arranging a nest under the roofs of houses. Distinctive features:

• long tail, forked at the end;
• long wings, pointed and curved at the end;
• the plumage is blue-black with a metallic tint;
• the chest and abdomen are light beige;
• red-brown feathers on the forehead and neck.

Typically the birds reach 20-24 cm in length. Weigh no more than 20 g.

The range is very wide because the birds easily adapt to different conditions. Individuals breed in North America and Eurasia (with the exception of regions in the subarctic and arctic climate zones). They fly to Mexico, South America, Africa and Asia for the winter. Small groups fly and wait out the cold on the northern coast of Australia.

Birds usually return to the same place to breed. They can build a nest near human habitation, outbuildings, on the rocks. The main thing is that there is a source of water nearby and a sufficient amount of food - beetles, flies, mosquitoes and other flying insects.

Birds are diurnal, most of which is spent in flight. They live in small colonies. They build nests from clay or mud mixed with twigs and feathers. They are distinguished by their beautiful singing, which at first resembles a chirp and ends with a trill.

1. Shore swallow, or shore swallow

A bird that lives in Russia, Europe, Asia and other regions. It is not found only in Australia and Antarctica. The smallest representative of the swallow family:

• body length does not exceed 13 cm;
• weight - 15 g;
• wingspan - up to 28 cm.

The color is unremarkable - brownish-gray. The chest is grayish, with a dark stripe. The wings and tail are somewhat darker than the back.

Birds prefer to settle in colonies on cliffs near water bodies. The soil should be soft or sandy. The fact is that shorebirds make nests in burrows (the length can reach one and a half meters). They hunt in large flocks.

Shorebirds hatch chicks once a year. The number of eggs in one clutch rarely exceeds four. The offspring appears in two weeks, and after another year they become independent and leave the nest.

Reproduction of swallows

The body structure of swallows is ideal for existence in the air, but makes the birds clumsy on the ground. They rarely sit on the ground and do not feel very confident - it is difficult to walk on small paws. Therefore, swallows spend almost all their time in the air. Perhaps that is why they live so little.

As mentioned earlier, birds prefer to roost and hunt in flocks. But they are monogamous. The couple usually spends their entire lives together. Sometimes males who have not found a female join already established families. They hatch eggs and care for chicks.

The mating season begins with the onset of warmth, at the beginning of summer. Males attract females by chirping loudly. They show off their plumage, fluffing up their tail. Both parents build a nest from clay, grass and down. They also take care of the chicks together.

Shore swallows build their nests along the banks of rivers, small rivers and water canals. Urban dwellers (and their number, as a result of the expansion of human cities, has become greater than coastal ones) build their dwellings under roofs on the walls of buildings, houses, structures, and bridges. There has even been a recorded case of a nest being built on a ferry, which constantly moves along the rivers.

Swallows choose for a nest a section of a wall that is covered either by a roof, or a canopy, or the relief of a building. This way the nest is protected from the top from bad weather. The nest itself, if it is not destroyed by people, the swallows do not abandon, but breed in it for several years. The nest is further strengthened or completed with a swallow, if required. Often several nests are located nearby, because swallows live in groups of families; dozens of nests can be located nearby in one place.

Semicircle nest These birds are made from pieces of earth and pebbles and fixed to the wall with the help of their sticky saliva. An entrance remains on the side-top, and inside the bottom and walls are lined with grass, wool, down and other soft materials that will be found. Both the female and the male build the nest. They grab wet dirt, pieces of earth, clay and attach it to the wall. The birds do this one by one while the male collects building material, the female is near the unfinished nest and guards it. Then the birds change places, in order of rotation. Birds do this to prevent sparrows from entering the nest. Sparrows are competitors and love to take over a swallow's nest.

The nest building process continues for two weeks. This is due to forced breaks in construction. Having stuck on some of the earth, the swallows leave the structure for a day or two, letting it dry. If this is not done, the damp earth may collapse and the whole work will have to start all over again.

Usually offspring appear twice per season. Hatching of eggs (4-7 in a clutch) lasts about two weeks. Newly hatched, helpless chicks require constant attention and feeding. Sometimes parents have to fly out of the nest for food up to 300 times a day.

After three weeks, the chicks become independent and leave the nest. After a year they reach sexual maturity and start their own families. It is noteworthy that young individuals produce fewer young than older ones.

Swallows are very friendly and are not afraid to build nests near human habitation. However, they are not adapted to life in captivity. Even a chick that has not learned to fly will struggle to escape from a person’s hands.

Nutrition

The main dish is flying insects. The bird grabs them in the air at a height of 15-20 meters above the ground. When it rains, swallows do not go out hunting, but wait. Birds try not to fly far from the nest while searching for food. All work to catch flies, bugs and other insects is usually carried out within a radius of up to 500 meters from the nesting site.

Insects included in the diet: grasshoppers, flies, butterflies, cicadas, moths, horse flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and sometimes spiders. Wasps and bees are not included in the diet, because they are poisonous to birds.

Swallow's enemies

The main enemy is the hobby falcon. This bird of prey hunts swallows. His flight speed is the same or even higher, so he has the ability to attack. Other birds of prey are often simply unable to catch up with a swallow in flight because of its high speed. The falcon lies in wait for her on the banks of the reservoir when the swallow collects building material for the nest.

Lastauka-zyamlyanka (formerly Lastauka beragavaya)

The entire territory of Belarus

Swallow family - Hirundidae.

In Belarus - R. r. riparia (the subspecies inhabits the entire European part of the species' range).

Common breeding, migratory and transit migratory, widespread species. Relatively few in number only in the river basin. Pripyat, the banks of its tributaries are little or completely unsuitable for nesting.

It differs from other swallows in its smaller size and uniform brown coloration on the upper side of the body. The upperparts, wings and tail are brown. The throat, separated from the chest by a transverse brown band, as well as the chest, belly and undertail are white. The beak is brown; the legs are weakly feathered with white feathers, which in adult birds are almost erased after digging a nesting hole. Females are similar to males. Weight of male 13-16 g, female 13-16 g. Body length (both sexes) 12-14 cm, wingspan 26-29 cm, wing length 10.5-11 cm, tail 5.5-6 cm, tarsus 0 .8-1 cm, beak 0.6-0.7 cm.

Their flight pattern and behavior are similar to other swallows, but they are more associated with bodies of water and often feed. Flying over the surface of the water. The voice is a quiet “sherpa” or chirping “trirr”. In spring they arrive at approximately the same time as city swallows. Arrival times are greatly extended. Arrival and overflight shore swallow in southwestern Belarus occurs in April - the first ten days of May.

Lives in river valleys, along the coasts of reservoirs, in cultural landscape(gravel and sand pits, steep slopes near highways). Most shorebirds inhabit the banks of all major rivers of the republic.

Settles in colonies (there are several dozen and sometimes hundreds of pairs), occasionally in separate pairs on steep river banks, in sheer walls sand, gravel, sometimes clay and peat quarries, in steep banks of reservoirs, reclamation canals, in steep walls of large and deep pits, ravines, etc.

Sandbirds do not appear at nesting sites at the same time. In the same season, they arrive in certain areas at different times, sometimes 1–2 weeks later than the long-term average.

It nests in burrows that it digs in the upper part of a high (at least 1.0-1.5 m) cliff, often in several rows and close to each other. The hole is dug at the end of April - May (sometimes in June) for 3-4 days (in light sandy soil) by both male and female alternately, pecking out lumps of sand with their beaks and removing them with their paws. The entrance to the hole is always open. Its horizontal course ends with an extension - a nesting chamber in which the nest is placed.

The lining is usually loose and scanty, consisting of thin dry long stems, sometimes dry pine needles, on top of which large soft feathers are laid. In some cases, the thickness of the litter reaches 2.5-3 cm. Adult birds constantly bring feathers to the nest and adjust the litter even when chicks are in it. Colonies, if the cliffs are not destroyed, exist for many years and, under favorable conditions, increase annually. Nest height 2.5-4.5 cm, diameter 10-15 cm; tray depth 1-1.5 cm, diameter 4-9 cm; burrow length 60-100 cm (up to 200 cm).

A full clutch contains from 4 to 6, less often 3 or 7-8 white eggs with a matte shell. Egg weight 1.5 g, length 18 mm (15-22 mm), diameter 13 mm (12-14 mm).

Egg laying occurs in the second half of May - early June. However, the first clutches often die due to the destruction of burrows, so there are repeated clutches (at a later date). In the conditions of Belarus there is one brood per year. The female and male incubate for an average of 14 days. The chicks first leave the burrow at the age of 19-20 days, but return to it for a long time (12-18 days) to spend the night and rest. The emergence of chicks from their burrows most often occurs in the third ten days of June - July. During this period, parents continue to feed the young birds.

Observations of sand martin nests, which contained 4–5 chicks at the age of 6–7 days, were carried out in June. The intensity of arrivals of parents with food in the morning (6–9 hours) is 15–30 times per hour, then the frequency decreases slightly (16–17 arrivals per hour), in the evening (18–20 hours) it increases to 15–20 times, at 21–23 o'clock feeding of the chicks stops.

Shorebirds feed exclusively on insects: mosquitoes, mayflies, flies, etc., which they catch in flight in the air. Forage biotopes: meadows in floodplains, fields, banks of rivers and lakes, open water surfaces of various reservoirs.

By the beginning of August, shorebirds concentrate into large flocks consisting of tens and hundreds of individuals. They begin to wander, the migrations acquire a southwestern direction and turn into autumn migrations. At the end of August - the first half of September, birds leave our territory.

The number in Belarus is estimated at 200–300 thousand pairs.

The maximum age recorded in Europe is 10 years 1 month.

Vladimir Bondar, b. Dnepr, Mogilev