| .םירה סיס (307 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
|
ןטבהו ןורגה ,רפרפא םוח עבצב ויפנכו םינוילעה ופוג יקלח .ץרופמ ובנזו תובחר ויפנכ ,דואמ לודג סיס :םירה סיס .םיריעצה ןכו םימוד םיגיוזה .םהיניב דירפמ ירבנע םוח רלוקו םינבל .תודרדרו תומוח םילגרה ,ההכ המוח ןיעה תיתשק ,הטמ יפלכ הטונ והצקו שלושמ יומד רצק רוחש רוקמה .םידחו םיפופכ םירפט תולעבו םינפל תונופ תועבצאה תעברא ,הקזחו הרצק לגרה תסיפ .םילפא תומוקמב רקיעב ,עלס יווגחו םיקדסב ,םיקיקנב ןנקמ ,םייררה םירוזא ולודיג תיב .םייררהה ץראה ירוזא בורב םירידנ ץיק ירקבמ ,םייוצמ חרוא ירבוע ,םינימ תת השולש ץראב .'ז ח המרי ... הנאב תע תא ורמש רוגעו סיסו רתו ... | ||||||||||
|
Subspecies and Distribution.
T. m. melba S Europe through Asia Minor to NW Iran. Winters in W and E Africa. T. m. tuneti C and E Morocco through Middle East and Iran to SE Kazakhstan and W Pakistan. Winters in W and E Africa. T. m. archeri Somalia, SW Arabia N to Dead Sea (Israel). T. m. maximus Mt Ruwenzori (Uganda, Zaire). T. m. africanus E and S Africa and SW Angola. South birds winter in E Africa. T. m. marjoriae Namibia to NW Cape (South Africa). T. m. willsi Madagascar. T. m. nubifuga Himalayas. Winters in C India. T. m. dorabtatai W peninsular India. T. m. bakeri Sri Lanka. | ||||||||||
Descriptive notes.Very large swift with broad wings and shallowly forked tail. 19-22 cm, 70-100 g, wingspan 50-55 cm.Olive-brown upperparts lacking prominent saddle, outer wing appearing blacker. Underparts with white throat and highly distinctive large oval white patch encircled by olive-brown breast band, flanks and undertail coverts. Race tuneti and marjoriae paler, with grey-brown plumage. Race archeri averages paler than tuneti, with shorter wings, and maximus largest race, with very dark, blackish plumge. Races africanus and nubifuga smaller than nominate, with blacker plumage, smaller throat patch and blacker shaft streaks on white areas. Races willsi and bakeri both smaller, with darker pllumage and broader and narrower vreast bands respectively and dorabtatai has broader breast band and shorter wings than nubifuag and separated from bakeri by its lighter plumage and broader breast band. Habitat.In W Palearctic in temperate and Mediterranean zones, typically in mountains but occasionally in lowlands.In remainder of sub Saharan Africa and S Asia occurs from sub desert steppe to equatorial mountains. Typically breeds below 1500 m, but in some areas breed above 4000 m, on high mountains in Kenya and Himalayas. Food and FeedingInsectivorous. In Europe, mainly Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and spiders. In Africa, grasshoppers and winged termites also taken. Usually forages higher than most other swifts, in highest feeding level, 30-40 m, but will feed at low levels, especially during inclement weather.Breeding.Mar-Jun in Israel, Apr-May in Morocco, May in C Europe, Jul in Caucasus, Sep-Oct in Madagascar.Colonial. mixed colonies with African Swift frequent. Monogamous.Nest saucer-shaped, consists of downy feathers from many species, and swift primaries, tightly bound with dried plant matter and saliva, typically with central depression averaging 30 mm on horizontal surfaces. Nest bowls on flatter surfaces average deeper. Copulation by nest or in air. 1-4 eggs, incunation 17-23 days with nest duties shared by both sexes. Movements.Nominate race and tuneti, nubifuga and africanus migratory.Migrayes at high altitude, and often movements observed only when poor weather forces birds down. Palearctic popolations leave Sep-Oct, returning from Feb, later farther N late Mar-Apr. Main migration through Belen Pass, S Turkey, Oct-Nov, in single species groups. At Bosphorus migratouy late Sep. In Israel, May-Dec, peaking Sep-Oct, huge migration noted over West Bank in Mar 1987, whin 10,000 flew N in 15 minutes. African populations partially migratory Aug-Oct through Zimbabwe, Mar-Apr Malawi, and Apr-Sep Botswana. Other races in Africa and India show some non-breeding dispersal. Status and ConservationNot globally threatened. Locally common throughout much of range.Israel.In Israel three subspecies A. m. melba, A. m. tuneti and A. m. archeri . Abundant passage migrant and scarce winter visitor in most parts, and common summer visitor in mountainous regions. |
| |||||||||
| HOME | NEXT | |||||||||
