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.רוחשו ךורא ,רשי ורוקמ .דורו עבצבו דואמ תוכורא וילגר :ןורימת .םירופא םראוצו םשארש אלא הבקנל םימוד םיריעצה ,םוח הבקנה בג ,רתוי ריהב ושאר ףרוחב .וירוחאמ תוטלוב וילגר ןפועמ תעשב .םי יפוחו תוחלמ ,הצחמל םיקותמ וא םיקותמ םימ יווקמו תוציב ולודיג תיב .םימה ךותב היחמצ לע וא םינטק םייא , עקרקה לע ןנקמ .הזכרמו ץראה ןופצב ,ץיקה תפוקתב רקיעב יוצמו ביצי ץראב | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
H. h. himantopus France and Iberia to sub Saharan Africa and Madagascar. E to C Asia and China, Indian Subcontinent, Indochina and Taiwan. H. h. leucocephalus Java to New Guinea and S to Australia and New Zealand. Winters Philippines, Greater Sundas and Sulawesi. H. h. knudseni Hawaiian Is. H. h. mexicanus W and S USA through Central America and West Indies to Peru, Ecuador and NE Brazil. H. h. melanurus N Chile and EC Peru through Bolivia and Paraguay to SE Brazil, and to SC Argentina. | ||||||||||
Descriptive notes.35-40 cm, 165-205 g, tarsus 100-125 mm in male, shorter in female.Very long pink legs distinctive, thin black bill, wings and back black, often with greenish gloss, white below, tail white with variable grey banding. Female has upperparts duller brown, lacking greenish gloss. Some non breeding birds of nominate race develop more extensive grey on crown, nape and hindneck. Juvenile similar to adult female. Races differ mainly in coloring and pattern of head and hindneck, varying from mainly white in nominate race to continuous black in mexicanus and especially knudseni, but nominate too sometimes shows limited amounts of greyish or blackish in these areas. Races leucocephalus and melanurus intermediate. Races mexicanus and knudseni show more pronounced sexual dimorphism in plumage. Habitat.Shallow wetlands of temperate and tropical regions. Breeding habitats mainly at freshwater sites, including marshes and swamps, lake edges, riverbeds and flooded fields, frequently found on alkaline lakes and sometimes occurs on lakes in mountainous areas.After breeding, congregates mainly at estuarine coastal habitats and on large inland water bodies. Food and FeedingCarnivorous, preying on great variety of small, mainly aquatic, invertebrates and vertebrates, occasionally seeds.Main prey types are larvae and adults of aquatic insects, especially beetles, water-bugs, dragonflies, and butterflies and moths also bivalves and gastropods, crustaceans, worms and small fish. Diet often strongly seasonal, depending on habitat. Captures prey by a variety of visual and tactile methods including scything in soft mud when prey not visible, at night. Males often feed in deeper water than females. Breeding.Seasonal or after rain in tropical regions. In Palearctic, laying begins as early as late Mar in N Africa, later further N, and not until May in N parts of range. In New Zealand, begins nesting late Jul to Aug at sea-level.Sometimes solitary but usually in colonies, typically of 20-50 pairs. Nest widely spaced on ground, often amongst grasses and sedges, sometimes nest is floating mass of water weeds, usually well lined. 4 eggs, incubation 22 -26 days, by both sexes. Downy young have crown and back olive brown to ochre dotted with parallel lines of black spots, larger on back, and with black lines on flanks, underparts off-white. First breeding 1-2 years. Movements.Sedentary in places, but local movements to long distance migration elsewhere.N populations of races himantopus and mexicanus migrate in Jul-Nov to Africa and Central and South America respectively, returning in Mar-May. Status and Conservation.Not globally threatend. Huge, near cosmopolitan range and local abundance indicate species secure for present, but controversial taxonomy calls for analysis and monitoring at subspecific level.Israel.In Israel subspecies H. h. himantopus locally rather common breeder parts of the country, quite common in winter and fairly common passage migrant over much of inland and near-coastal waters. |
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