Black-headed Bunting - description, habitat

Black-headed oatmeal lives in Asia, on the European part of the continent and in many regions of Russia. She was brought to New Zealand, where she quickly acclimatized and successfully took root. The cheerful disposition and bright coloring make this close relative of the sparrow a welcome guest anywhere. The number of birds is quite large and they do not threaten extinction.

Appearance and habits of black-headed oatmeal

The size of the bird is not much different from the ordinary sparrow. The tail in relation to the body is quite long, with a small indentation. The bird confidently rests on strong legs, the beak is small, thick, adapted for peeling seeds of wild herbs. The bright yellow color of the head, chest, throat and abdomen gives it an elegant look. The top and sides of the head are black, turning on the back and wings in a dark chestnut hue with thin stripes on the wings. This is what the male looks like. The female is much more modest and her outfit is made up of inconspicuous shades of brown with small intersperses of olive and black.

Birds of this species prefer to settle on open flat expanses. They are attracted by low hills, rugged by ravines, steppes, gardens and fields. Avoid low places with high humidity. Black-headed oatmeal does not want to walk and strive to fly even over short distances. The flight pattern is uneven, with sharp turns. The nature of the birds is non-conflict, so they quietly live in large colonies, build nests not far from each other.

The basis of the diet is bluegrass, nettle, sorrel, clover, forget-me-not, dandelion, plantain. Oatmeal will enjoy oats and barley grains. Sometimes it dilutes the menu with insects. The mating season requires a large expenditure of energy, so grasshoppers, spiders, beetles and caterpillars go to food. Black-headed oatmeal belongs to migratory birds, does not like cold weather and already at the end of August begins to pack its way, training young growth for endurance.

Mating and care for offspring

Soon after the spring arrival, the males begin the courtship period. Their songs are simple, but the birds know many different variations of one melody, which turns their performance into a real concert, which the females are simply not able to resist. The oatmeal nest is built solid, deep, hiding it in the middle of the bush at a short distance from the ground. The inner surface is lined with thin blades of grass and horse hair.

In a cozy space 4 - 5 eggs are placed. Sometimes there are more, but then the most powerful chicks survive. They are born after 2 weeks, and after another 14 days they begin to stand on the wing, trying their hand. Oatmeal babies are fed with semi-digested food, the male takes minimal part in the care of the offspring. If a potential threat to the chicks appears nearby, the parents fall to the ground and begin to depict wounded animals in order to divert the danger to themselves, gradually leading away from the nest.

Features of birds and interesting facts

Black-headed buntings, despite their friendly disposition, are rather secretive. They arrive in late April - mid-May and already at the end of summer they are almost invisible. Therefore, many facts are not confirmed. But it is known for sure that:

1. In birds, there are cases of bigamia, when the male obazhaet simultaneously two females.
2. Carl Linnaeus gave the bird the specific name Citrinella, which translates to lemon.
3. Oatmeal can perform up to 300 songs in one hour.
4. It takes root well in captivity, are considered songbirds.
5. The life span is 3-4 years, but there were also champions who managed to survive to 13 years.

Natural enemies are crows, birds of prey, foxes, cats. They cause especially great damage during the period when the chicks have not yet fledged or are just starting to fly.

The sonorous and bright bird flashed among the branches with a spark, often flying into the fields and into the garden. In the spring, she pleases with a song, glorifying the awakening of nature, and at the end of summer she says goodbye until the next year, setting off on a long journey to the Mediterranean coast.

Video: Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala)