Strept - description, habitat, interesting facts

Streptos are understood as representatives of the family related to bustards. The preferred habitats for individuals of this species are Asia, namely its western and central parts, Africa, and also the south of Europe. Birds settle in the open steppe area, by their nature of stay they are sedentary. However, if some individuals live in cold climatic regions, then they can go to the warm regions for wintering. Since no one has canceled the plowing of the steppes, because of this, the population of individuals has significantly decreased.

Habitat

Individuals of this breed group live in southern Europe; by the nature of their stay, they can be migratory or settled. A significant part is distributed throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. Birds live on dry pastures, in the steppe not marshy area, as well as in meadows. You can meet this breed in stony and feather grass areas.

Description

1. Representatives of the family are famous for their large size. They are similar to individuals from the order Chicken, but a little more. Along the length of the body, individuals grow to 40–45 cm. As for body weight, these indicators are in the range of 0.5–1 kg.
2. Despite the relatively low weight, the birds are physically dense. They have a small head, an S-neck curved, and pointed wings. By the way, the range of the latter ranges from 80-100 cm.
3. Legs are strong, medium in length, thin. The tail has a wedge format, short. Paws with three fingers with sharp claws. This characteristic is characteristic of all representatives of the group.
4. The beak is medium in length, but strong and straight. At the tip is sharpened. The feathers on the body are thick and moderately elongated. In color, the breed under discussion is similar to the bustard. Sand back with dark outlines. The abdominal region is whitish.
5. The neck is black, on it there are distinctive light stripes, which are located in horizontal order. The upper part of the head is painted in a brownish tone, on the side there are blue and gray marks.
6. The legs are beige, the beak is dark gray, the wings are plumage, the hue is slightly darker than the main format. Black and white patterns are also visible on them.

Diet

1. Individuals of this species are very active during the day. They begin to get food when the sun rises, and end in the late afternoon. When it comes to cool days, birds eat throughout the day. They can only come off for a vacation.
2. If the breeding season has not yet begun, these birds knock together in flocks of about 60 individuals and live in such a large family until the breeding season. If the winter is cold, then the number of individuals can exceed a hundred or even two.
3. Everyday diet includes equally plant-based and animal-based foods. These birds love insects. From the vegetation choose roots, seeds, etc.
4. In individual representatives of the group, a tendency to animal food is distinguished. In such cases, about 70% of the diet is bugs, and only 30% is given to plant crops.
5. Streptoes can live without water for a long time, because they get it when they use plants. In chicks, the food is not as diverse as in adults. Young animals feed on invertebrates.

Breeding

1. These birds find a mate and stay with it for a long time. If one of the family members dies, then after a while a new search for a satellite will begin. As for the mating season, it originates from the middle or end of spring.
2. Males behave extremely funny when they try to seduce females. They jump and quack interestingly, fan their feathers and scream loudly.At the same time, the sounds are deaf, understood only by the beautiful half of the feathered community. Because of such loud behavior, fights often arise, other males try to conquer their beautiful young ladies.
3. Nesting is not up to par. Birds dig a hole under the bushes, after which the construction of a dwelling begins for future offspring. As a litter, the female collects dry foliage or grass. Clutch consists of five eggs, rarely when the expectant mother gives about ten. Hatching is carried out by two parents and lasts about 3 weeks.
4. When the chicks are born, they are already covered with a thick fluff. Just a few hours later they run after their mother, who takes them to the dense vegetation for safety reasons. A month later, the younger generation makes its first attempts to start flying.

Interesting Facts

1. A characteristic feature of the considered individuals is that the female sits very tightly on the eggs during laying. Moreover, even in case of danger, the mother does not leave the nest. Because of this, such birds often die under agricultural machinery.
2. The presented species has been taken under protection for a relatively long time. At the same time, the number of birds is still decreasing, regardless of their habitat. Currently, strips are trying hard to breed in Spain and France. In the northern regions, birds are sometimes accidental. Specifically, this applies to England.
3. Females from males can be easily distinguished. The latter have a larger size, bright color and the presence of a mustache. Females have a grayish tint. They have no mustache and are relatively small compared to males. Young growth is very similar to females, the plumage color is reddish and the mustache appears only at 3 years old.
4. These birds are characterized by a heavy take-off. Therefore, the representatives in question rise into the air exclusively from the start. The mating season begins in the spring. Only the female hatches eggs. At this time, the males fly in packs to molt.

The birds under consideration are quite interesting individuals. They differ in silence from the congeners. Sometimes the voice of individuals can be heard only during the mating season and when the female calls up the young. Chicks cry for a while, after which they become calm.

Video: Strept (Tetrax tetrax)