Magpie ordinary: features of bird behavior. What is the magpie rattling about? Mystical sketches ... Common magpie nest, chicks
“The white-sided magpie stoked the stove, cooked porridge ...” We have not been worried for a long time what kind of porridge that magpie cooked ...
Who does not know this restless long-tailed bird, which gallops along the branches, carefully shooting around with its black beady eyes, and chirps incessantly? This fidget will not let anyone pass unnoticed by him, he will immediately rush to inform the whole district about what he has seen. No wonder they say that a magpie on its tail brings news.
Magpie
Joy, happy marriage, sexual success - lucky sign in China,
where the cry of a magpie foreshadowed a meeting with friends; however, in the Western tradition, the magpie is a bird associated with money-grubbing, malicious talkativeness. In addition, the magpie personified one of the foundations of the universe - yang (yin and yang) and stood opposite the raven. Paintings depicting 12 forty meant best wishes, paintings depicting magpies, bamboo and plums or two magpies symbolized marital love joys and expressed the best wedding wishes. In China, it symbolizes good luck and is considered a bird of pleasure. The crackling magpie brings good news and the news that guests will come. During the Manchu Dynasty, the magpie represented imperial rule. The magpie was the emblem of the Manchurian dynasty. Perhaps this comes from the Manchu legend about the magpie that saved the sacred animal - the ancestor of the Manchus. In Christianity, the magpie symbolizes the devil, debauchery and vanity.
In Korea, it is revered as a bird that brings good news. In Korea, the magpie is a mascot and national symbol. In the stories they are weak and defenseless; in addition to the tiger (earth and natural forces), they represent heaven and divine power.
In other countries
Antiquity
In Greek mythology, the magpie was the bird of the god Dionysus.
In Ovid (Metamorphoses. V. 294-314), all nine Emathids turn into forty.
There is a legend that the forty-one of the birds did not want to enter Noah's Ark. She secretly hid on its top and laughed at the perishing world. For this, they do not complain about her. In Rus', magpies were even cursed, they did not appear in Moscow for a long time. There are several legends on this subject.
Somehow, the boyar Kuchka (the progenitor of the Romanov dynasty) was hiding from enemies in the forest just in the place where Moscow now stands. The magpie betrayed him with her cry, the enemies killed him here, and the dying boyar cursed this stupid bird. And there is also a legend that Metropolitan Alexy forbade magpies to appear in Moscow, believing that witches are hiding under their guise.
And if we put aside all superstitions and prejudices, then the magpie is just a very sociable bird, leading a relatively sedentary lifestyle. It settles in small forests, groves, forest belts, not far from human habitation. She avoids dense forests.
So what is the magpie rattling about? Perhaps he is simply talking with his relatives about his bird affairs. Or maybe she is trying to tell us about the absurdity of the signs associated with her? http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-11295/
And what a magpie is talkative, then talkative. This bird does not know how to be silent and does not keep secrets. But he doesn't scream too much. There is a sense in her motley chatter. It chirped a little, which means there is something. He serves as a forest signalman and has treacherous tendencies. There is such a fable about the magpie among the peoples of the Amur. Once I saw a magpie resting tiger in the bushes and let's chirp over it.
What do you want? asked the angry beast. - Why are you giving me away?
What are you, what are you! - zabiserila patter forty. - Not at all! I just want to tell everyone that I saw you first!
It cannot be said that the magpie is ugly. White-sided, black head and back. And the wings and long stepped tail seem to be tinted with oil, and they cast either blue, then green or purple. The entire solar spectrum got into the magpie tail. But like all her relatives from the "black family of crows", the magpie is very cautious and cunning. You can only fool her once. And then none of your tricks, no disguise will help. A smart bird, as if anticipating your intentions, keeps at the right distance. Magpie does not like those who pay attention to her, and is calm when they are indifferent to her.
An old Russian unit of account, used until the beginning of the 19th century, mainly in the fur trade, since 40 is the number of skins for sewing a full fur coat. For example, 2 forty sables - 80 skins.
The number "40" means integrity and totality. In Rus', this is the number of plurality.
In mathematics
40 - octagonal number, the sum of the first four pentagonal numbers
Paganism
The Baalbek Temple in Mount Lebanon, like many others, had forty columns.
In Inca pagan temples, forty rays emanating from the Temple of the Sun were depicted.
The Inca Empire was divided into forty provinces; the census unit was forty thousand people.
Of particular interest in this regard is the pagan Slavic holiday Magpie.
among the East Slavic pagans, Forty, which fell on March 22, was a fun holiday. They “called spring” to Soroka, sang songs on the street (it was forbidden in winter), baked “larks”. The number forty is especially revered on this day, and the bird of the magpie is considered a birthday girl. Apparently, in honor of this holiday, the Slavic pagans got a bright headdress - a magpie, which did not go out of fashion in the Ryazan and Oryol provinces until the 19th century. One of the distinguishing features of this dress was bright feathers on the temples.
SOROKA - an old Russian headdress for married women - an embroidered cover made of canvas, calico or other fabric, worn over a kichka.
They said that on Magpie, a white-sided magpie should put forty twigs in a new nest and begin to warm it with feathers. Well, but the fact that a thief magpie drags everything bright and beautiful into the nest, who doesn’t know! ..
Proverbs, signs:
The magpie will say to the crow, the crow to the boar, and the boar to the whole city.
If only a jay (magpie) had not its own tongue (for a century it would fly at will).
The magpie knows where to spend the winter.
Friendly magpies in a flock are stronger than tigers walking alone
Friendly magpies peck the dragon
Beat the magpie and the crow, you will achieve the white swan
A cunning magpie to catch a hassle, And forty forty - forty troubles.
Aryan horoscope http://symbolist.ru/horoscops/ariy.html
1915, 1947, 1979
This is the year of gaining protection - many prayers come true, wishes come true. This year you can not throw words to the wind. Those born in the year of the Magpie should be quick, brisk in the language, crafty; they fearlessly unravel intrigues and intrigues, instantly understand what is happening and independently combine situations. This person should be able to do several things at the same time. They are quirky, born players. Although Magpies "burst" incessantly, they should not throw words into the wind. If a person is dexterous, mobile, he has logical combinatorial thinking, then the Magpie totem has manifested itself. In addition, a person can change hair color several times in a lifetime.
The antitoteme is manifested in speech - such people are tongue-tied, do not pronounce many letters; they have a slow reaction to what is happening, it is impossible to entrust them with any secret - they will immediately spill the beans.
In the year of the Magpie were born: Cleopatra, Byron, Hasek, Schopenhauer, A. Zhelyabov, Kafka, Mussolini, Edith Piaf, S. Rotaru. 
One of the most beautiful birds living in our regions is considered to be the common magpie. This beautiful representative of birds from the Raven family grows up to 45 centimeters in length and weighs 150-250 grams. The bird has a unique plumage, which is painted in bright white and contrasting black. long tail has a greenish tint, and the wings are distinguished by a tint with a bluish tint. Such parts of the animal as the head, neck, back, crop and upper side of the chest are completely black. The belly, underside of the breast and stripes on the shoulders are white.
You can meet magpie in the forests of Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. The bird stands out for its unique property: it prefers close contact with people, so its nests are often found in forest parks, city parks and human gardens. Magpies do not like dense forests, which explains the lack of species in the Far North and in highlands.
For the flight of a magpie is characteristic particular gravity and straightness. After landing, the bird moves with proud jumps or characteristic dancing steps. In the eastern regions of Russia and Asia, forty sizes are slightly smaller than the sizes of representatives of other habitats. Among the well-known and most common breeds of magpie, it is worth highlighting:
- Siberian blue.;
- Spanish blue;
- Chinese azure;
- red-billed azure;
- Himalayan green;
The flattering terrain of South Asia is a favorite residence for long-tailed magpies.
Magpie nest, chicks
Magpie ordinary prefers a paired way of life. They nest singly or colonies of 5-7 pairs. Representatives of the species are distinguished by amazing fidelity to a partner and the skill of building a nest.
Both birds are always involved in the construction process. To carry out the laying of a spherical nest, the animal uses hard branches, foliage and clay. Thin roots, blades of grass, dry straw or tufts of soft animal hair are used as bedding for the inside. An entrance is attached to the side of the nest, and next to it is a clay tray. To equip the roof bird uses boughs.
In most cases, the common magpie nests at a decent height, among the branches of tall trees. Nests are very rare in shrubs and low herbaceous plants. One nest often contains from five to eight magpie eggs with a characteristic bluish-green color.
The process of incubation of eggs lasts from 18 to 20 days. Science has proven that female magpies have an amazing maternal instinct. . Even if a shot gets stuck in her body, she does not leave the nest and continues to protect future offspring. During incubation, the male conscientiously guards the nest and brings food to the female 3-5 times per hour.
Magpie chicks can stay in the nest for three to four weeks. After that, they begin to make the first independent sorties. Until the moment of growing up, parents carefully feed their babies and protect them from any danger. Adults bring a variety of food to the nest, including:
- worms;
- snails;
- Zhukov;
- and after the chicks of small birds, such as finches, tits and others);
Magpies are able to destroy other people's nests in order to find food. If the cubs have food, this behavior is not noticed.
Magpie character
Magpie ordinary has a peculiar character, which in many respects resembles the character of other corvids. Over the years, the bird has stood out for its unique intelligence, quick wit, and curiosity. Before taking any step, the feathered one clearly thinks it over, sensibly assesses the situation and remains observant to the end. Any changes in the environment lead to increased caution. Noticing the danger, the birds begin to scream loudly, warning their relatives about the impending disaster.
And though the behavior of the bird in the nest and in flight it is considered relatively calm, when it enters a potentially dangerous situation, it begins to make loud cries and sounds that may resemble chirping, squeaking, shrill “kya-kya”, croaking and flute melody. It is important to note that the cry of a magpie makes alert not only representatives of its species, but also other birds. Hearing an alarming magpie voice, which indicates the approach of a predator or hunters, forest dwellers begin to hide in burrows, nests or other shelters. For this reason, magpies are considered the best scouts and guards of the forest. It's easy to guess, from which the famous saying “brought a magpie on its tail” came from.
By the way, the tail is also a very amazing part of the bird, which is distinguished by its own characteristics. When a feathered friend of the forest fauna sits on a branch, he characteristically twitches his tail. This behavior is unusual for other birds. If we compare the magpie with other representatives of the crow family, then it leads a very active and mobile lifestyle. The bird rarely stays in one place for a long time, it constantly jumps from branch to branch, looks into other people's nests, and flies long distances in search of a delicious treat.
Magpies avoid close contact with humans.. To replace close relatives of crows and rooks, which, with the advent of cold weather, make mass migrations to city parks and gardens, they make only single flights to the forest park zone. There is an opinion that the animal knows how to steal valuables and jewelry. But the belief is greatly exaggerated, because. the bird is ready to take some thing only if it is sure that nothing threatens it. In all other situations, she will not risk her life for an incomprehensible object.
What does the common magpie eat
Magpie bird prefers nutritious food animal character. The main part of the diet is occupied by various insects and small animals, including:
- Zhukov;
- locust;
- slugs
- snails;
- frogs;
- lizards;
If the opportunity falls, the feathered predator does not refuse the opportunity to eat a large piece of meat. When the nesting season comes, the magpie spends a lot of time looking for nests of songbirds to steal eggs and eat small chicks. But this forest hunter attacks only single birds, as individuals living in flocks can attack her and give a serious rebuff.
The rest of the time the bird does not attract much attention to itself and is looking for carrion, picks up garbage and visits feeders. When it comes to finding food, she shows incredible courage, ingenuity, and sometimes impudence. Watching films about nature, you can see how a bird without any respect takes food under the nose of a fox or a bear.
What are the enemies of the common magpie
Like many other birds, the common magpie has many natural enemies. Among them:
Also, a marten can climb into the bird's nest, and the inhabitants of tropical regions repeatedly suffer from snake attacks. But due to the amazing insight and good ingenuity, the number of forty remains very large. Birds know how to run away from danger and protect their family.
The cultural significance of the bird in different countries and nationalities are very different from each other. The Indians of North America associated the magpie with forest spirits, and in the regions of East Asia it was considered a messenger of happiness and was treated with great honor. In European countries, the bird did not deserve special treatment from people. The owners of crops, orchards and farms reacted negatively to contact with the magpie, as she often picked up grain scattered during sowing.
The hunters could not bear the bird due to its characteristic behavior when danger is detected. If a hunter entered the forest, sitting in a nest or on a branch, she immediately issued alarm cries and notified other animals about what was happening.
When the high has gained high demand and new pace of development, the attitude towards the bird has not changed much. Until now, it is considered a harmful representative of birds, the corvid family, because of its ability to destroy the nests of small songbirds. But the harm done to the flattering fauna is justified beneficial actions that the magpie does, destroying colonies of harmful insects.
Magpie is a conspicuous bird that draws attention to itself with its contrasting plumage.
Photo: magpie in flight. 
What does a magpie look like?
Magpie has black with a metallic, green or blue tint feathers on the back, head and chest. All other parts of the body are covered with snow-white plumage. But every year in the spring and summer there is a molt, during which all the colors fade, acquire a grayish tint and practically merge.
In terms of size, females and males are almost the same, males do not exceed 240 grams, and females - 100 grams. The length of the bird from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail is 50 cm, and the length from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other is on average 1 meter.
Chicks in color practically do not differ from adults. Young birds do not have pure white feathers, a metallic blue sheen is present only in the middle third of the wing. A little earlier, young magpies molt.
Photo: magpie in flight. 
Photo: magpie on a branch. 
Photo: look of a magpie. Magpie Intelligence
Magpies are perhaps the most intellectually developed birds on Earth. They are able to show sadness; magpies have several social rituals. Some magpies are able to imitate the voices of other birds, animals, insects, pursuing their own goals. For example, magpies imitate the chirping of locusts as a decoy for this insect. Magpies are the only birds capable of recognizing themselves in the mirror.
Communication
Magpies have a very diverse language, consisting mainly of chirring and croaking sounds. The meanings of signals forty are very much dependent on the circumstances, the tempo of the signal, its length, loudness. So, a warning call is used by hens even in the absence of immediate danger, and by males only when one occurs.
Forty signals have a degree of emotionality, the more excited the bird, the faster and more intermittently it emits chirps. Accordingly, the reaction of fellow tribesmen also varies - at a high rate of chirping they fly away, and at a low rate they only stop.
The mating singing of magpies is individual, depending on the time and the specific magpie. It can be arrhythmic gentle trills, pipes, and, sometimes, even imitation of other animals.
In general, forty have a rather rich vocabulary. Denoting the boundaries of their territory, the magpies call "kya", "kik" from the crowns of trees, the chicks, asking their mother for food, squeak "pirr", and the first-year-olds report to the old magpies "yshiyak". As you can see, for almost every case, the crows have their own signal.
Habits and reproduction
Magpies are sedentary, paired birds. Pairs are formed in the first year of life, the first offspring appear in the second year, after the nest is built. They always build several nests, from five to ten, but live in only one. In April, the female lays five eggs and incubates them for eighteen days.
It is not uncommon to see small, five-headed flocks chirping on trees - this is an adult couple and their chicks. Magpies honor their territory and, if necessary, staunchly protect it from other birds and even from some mammals.
Photo: a pair of forty. 
A magpie drags a branch to build a nest. 
Photo: Magpie collects materials for building a nest. 
Magpie chick galloped along the shore of the lake. And adult magpies flew nearby, guarding him with a cry.
What do magpies eat
A hungry magpie is a casuistic phenomenon. Like most corvids, the magpie has a great range and dexterity in feeding. She can destroy the nests of other birds, eating eggs and even chicks, steal food from animals and humans, insects and even mammals are used. Magpies are omnivores. Their diet contains both plant and animal foods. Magpies cause some damage to agricultural land, pecking grain from the fields.
The powerful beak of the magpie is its faithful assistant in search of food. With it, she splits the shell, bones, tears off pieces of flesh from large prey, digs out larvae from the ground.
They bring magpies and benefit, destroying pests (weevils, bedbugs, locusts).
Photo: a magpie got a chick from another bird. 
In autumn, magpies like to climb the trunk of a tree in search of insects hiding in the cracks in the bark. Magpies and birds of prey
Magpies, like crows, when they see a bird of prey, such as a buzzard or sea eagle, try to drive it away.
The buzzard looks at the magpie. 
The buzzard looks at the magpie. 
Magpies chasing a buzzard, Golden Horn Bay, Vladivostok. 
The Steller's sea eagle "swears" at the magpie that is harassing him. 
Not every eagle can withstand the attacks of a nimble and impudent magpie. | Magpie | |
| Magpie. Rtishchevo, Komsomolsky park |
|
| scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: |
Animals |
| Type: |
chordates |
| Class: | |
| Squad: |
passeriformes |
| Family: |
corvidae |
| Genus: | |
| View: |
Magpie |
| International scientific name | |
|
pica pica(Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
| View in taxonomic databases | |
Magpie(lat. pica pica) is a bird of the corvid family ( Corvidae).
Description
Body length 46 cm, wings - 18.5-20.5 cm; weight more than 250 g. In an adult magpie, the head, neck, back and upper chest, as well as elytra, lower tail coverts and lower leg feathers are shiny black; tail feathers metallic purple-green, bluish at the top; the color of the sides of the body and the lower part of the chest is white. The iris is dark brown, the beak and legs are black. Magpie is notable for its very long stepped tail, its length in adults is 24.7-27 cm.
In young plumage without a metallic sheen, the black color is replaced by more or less brownish, the tail is shorter (21.5-25.4 cm).
Voice
In the summer-autumn life of forty, their “singing”, which is more typical for young birds than for old ones, is of undoubted interest. It is a quiet tongue twister, interrupted by short sounds "zhokh-zhokh". By the nature of the performance, this is a “subsong”. The singing bird, being alone, sits inside the bush and alternates the song with the usual chirping. Such singing can be heard quite rarely, as magpies sing very irregularly.
Spreading
area
Magpies inhabit all of Europe from the North Cape in Scandinavia to the southern tip of Spain and Greece. It is absent only on a few islands in the Mediterranean. It also inhabits parts of the coastal regions of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia in northern Africa.
From the east of Europe, the magpie is distributed to about 65 ° north latitude, from the Middle East its range extends to Turkey and parts of Iran almost to the coast of the Persian Gulf. In the Far East, the northern limit of distribution retreats south to the Sea of Japan up to about 50° north latitude. In Asia, the magpie inhabits areas up to Northern Vietnam, also north-west of Mongolia. In North America, the western half of the continent from Alaska to Baja California, inclusive, is inhabited by magpies.
habitats
Magpies are inhabitants of forests of various sizes and origins. They are especially willing to populate field-protective forest belts, as well as plantings along highways and railway tracks. In the west of the Saratov region, the magpie inhabits the watershed and floodplain forests, and if there are conditions for building a nest, it lives along the edges and outskirts of deciduous and coniferous watershed forests. In conditions of artificial plantations, it does not avoid monocultures and mixed plantings.
Lifestyle
In nature, the magpie is very cautious and shy.
Migrations
In mid-September, groups of magpies can be found, which are united on the basis of the common places of overnight stays. In the subsequent period, the structure of such temporary populations becomes stable, the number of birds in them constantly increases and reaches its maximum level by the time a permanent snow cover is established.
In winter, magpies make regular daily movements. They gather within the boundaries of large and small settlements, as well as on their outskirts, flocking here from early morning, and immediately begin to search the garbage dumps where they find food waste. In the evening, they fly back to the mass campsite.¶
reproduction
Magpie nest on maple
The first elements of mating behavior are observed in magpies from mid-March. During this period, they gather for the night in traditional places outside the nesting areas and only in the daytime lek within the habitats suitable for nesting. However, even earlier, from the first days of March, in some reproductive areas, group pre-nuptial flights of these birds can be observed. Magpies gather in relatively dense flocks of up to 25-30 individuals and make a circular flight around the territory at a low altitude, without making any sounds. In the last ten days of March, roosting finally breaks up, and individual current pairs or groups of magpies are most often observed in the immediate vicinity of future nests.
Showing is less pronounced than in other corvids; includes a specific song of males, individual calls, flights at high altitude, sharp descents, pursuit, etc. From the first days of April, the nest-building activity of these birds becomes clearly visible, and the most intensive nest-building within the Saratov region is observed in magpies in the second half of April. Rare examples of earlier nest building are also known. In general, within the boundaries of large and small settlements in the central part of the Saratov region, in the first ten days of April, the formation of nests ends, in the first days of the second decade, the construction of the tray is completed and the birds begin to lay eggs. However, birds with building material are also observed at a later time - until mid-June, which is probably due to repeated nesting due to the death of the first clutches or chicks.
For nesting, it chooses young trees or settles in the lower tier of mature forests. This feature determines the absence of the species in old forests (coniferous and deciduous), devoid of undergrowth.
The nests are massive spherical, having a lateral entrance. The outer frame of the nest is usually constructed from thin dry birch and willow twigs held together with clay. Occasionally, these rods are partially replaced by coarse stems of grasses, such as reeds. Sometimes even a metal wire is woven into the nest. The tray is also coated with clay and lined with moss, soft grass and wool. From above and from the sides, the nest is covered with branches that form a lid.
Usually magpie arranges its nests at a height of 1.5-5.0 m, in rare cases higher. The size and shape of nesting structures vary depending on the height of the location, the structure of the nesting tree, the nature of the biotope, etc. However, their internal dimensions are relatively stable and amount to 10-14 cm for the depth of the tray, and 10-19 cm for its diameter. high population density, the minimum distance between neighboring nests is 30-50 m. There are examples of denser settlements.
There are known examples when birds did not build new nests, but completed constructions of previous years or other pairs that left their individual sites for some reason. In general, it takes about a week for a pair of magpies to build a new nest in early spring, while late or re-nesting birds build nest structures in a shorter time.
From the middle of May and in June, clutches are more often observed in the nests, the eggs in which are at different stages of incubation, which may indicate the beginning of incubation from the first or second egg. The peak of oviposition occurs in the first days of May; in natural habitats, the onset of oviposition is observed in the last ten days of April. The clutch usually contains 5-7, rarely 8 or even 9 eggs. Forty eggs have two types of background color: light blue (76.6%) and blue (24.3%). Spotted pattern is typical for 56.7% of eggs, spotted-linear and linear-spotted - 43.3%. The share of eggs with a dense pattern distribution accounts for 59.4%, a uniform distribution was recorded for 40.5% of the eggs. At the same time, the pattern in most cases (83.7%) is localized at the blunt end of the egg, much less often - in the middle part (10.8%), although there are examples (5.4%) when the pattern was concentrated on the sharp end. Egg sizes: 27.3-41.9 × 21.2-26.4 mm.
Nests with unincubated or weakly incubated clutches are also noted in a later period - in June. Sometimes the presence of a second, less pronounced, peak in the reproduction of magpies is massive. In general, the length of the egg-laying period for magpies in the Saratov region is about 60 days. The prolongation of the egg-laying period and the entire breeding period is due to many reasons, among which the primary one is the high devastation of nests by predators and humans.
The appearance of chicks is usually noted from the first decade of May to the beginning of July, and the duration of the incubation period is close to 20 days. The chicks stay in the nest for 23-25 days, rarely fly out on the 20th day, and only in rainy weather they stay up to 28 days. Despite the noticeable difference in age of the chicks, they leave the nest more or less simultaneously. Usually the example of the elders encourages the younger ones to leave the nest. The first chicks in urban populations forty in central parts areas fly out of nests from the second half of May. In the west of the Saratov region, in natural habitats, the emergence of young animals occurs at a later period, usually in mid-June.
For the first few days after leaving the nest, non-flying chicks stay in close proximity to it and are fed by their parents. Adult birds continue to feed the young for about a month after the chicks acquire the ability to fly. All this time, young and adult magpies usually live within a limited area in the vicinity of the nest. However, in some cases, probably due to limited food resources, families move to other places richer in food. These mainly include river floodplains and forest edges. Here, families are sometimes combined into groups that persist until autumn and beyond. Only sometimes the broods disintegrate within a month - one and a half after the chicks leave the nest, and young magpies roam independently throughout the region.
Nutrition
The predominant diet of magpie chicks is food of animal origin, mainly insects, which belong to eight different orders. Most often, adult magpies bring beetles (53 species) and Lepidoptera (28) to the nest. Coleoptera are represented in the diet of nestlings mainly by adult forms of small ground beetles, May beetle ( Melolontha hippocastani), weevils, pine barbel and other species; butterflies - caterpillars and pupae of the pine cocoon moth, bears ( Arctiidae), pine moth ( Bupalus piniaria), scoop. Representatives of other orders of insects and other invertebrates, in particular spiders, molluscs, worms and nods, are caught by magpies irregularly and in small quantities.
Vertebrates play a secondary role in the nutrition of nestlings and are represented by amphibians, lizards, grass snakes, eggs and nestlings of small passerine birds, and voles. The plant component of the diet is very poor (elderberries, weed seeds), carrion and food waste are brought to the nest by adult magpies relatively rarely. Thus, despite the overall high diversity of the food spectrum of nestlings, only about 25 types of food clearly dominate in their diet. Magpies feed equally on soft and coarse food, and the insects they bring vary considerably in size. The dynamics of the nutrition of nestlings during their development is due mainly to changes in the phases of insect development in nature, and not to the selectivity of adult birds when collecting food.
The main share in the diet of adult magpies during the nesting period is occupied by animal food, mainly insects (Orthoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera). In the west of the Right Bank, in forested areas, adult birds prey mainly on adults of beetles, caterpillars and butterfly pupae. Also, mouse-like rodents, nimble lizards, eggs and chicks of small passerine birds are registered in the food of adult magpies within the Right Bank of the Saratov region. In the second half of summer, the importance of forage of plant origin (weed seeds, bird cherry, cherry, raspberry, and grape fruits, grains of cultivated plants, gourds, etc.) somewhat increases, and in some areas they may even predominate. Usually, plant objects play a dominant role in the food of magpies only in conditions of a shortage of food of animal origin.
In the post-nesting period, magpies remain near nesting sites for a long time. Those pairs, whose nests are located near roads, feed in the autumn period mainly on the side of the roadway. Such feeding behavior is especially evident from mid-October, when a significant number of insects are concentrated on the asphalt surface, which warms up in the daytime.
In winter, magpies make regular daily movements. They gather within the boundaries of large and small settlements, as well as on their outskirts, flocking here from early morning, and immediately begin to search the garbage dumps where they find food waste. In the evening they fly back to the place of mass spending the night.
Literature
- Dementiev G.P. Sparrows (Complete guide to birds of the USSR by S. A. Buturlin and G. P. Dementiev). - T. 4. - M., L.: KOIZ, 1937. - S. 31
- Malchevsky A. S., Pukinsky Yu. B. Birds of the Leningrad region and adjacent territories. - L .: From the Leningrad University, 1983. - S. 538-541
- Birds of the north of the Lower Volga region: In 5 books. Book. IV. The composition of the avifauna / E. V. Zavyalov, V. G. Tabachishin, N. N. Yakushev et al. - Saratov: Publishing House of Saratov University, 2009. - P. 176-190
- Felix I. Birds of gardens, parks and fields. - Prague: Artia, 1980. - S. 156
- Flint V. E. et al. Birds European Russia. Field identifier. - M.: Union for the Protection of Birds of Russia; Algorithm, 2001. - S. 160
| Birds of the Rtishchevsky district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detachments |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| storks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passeriformes |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pigeons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anseriformes |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Woodpeckers |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cranes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| cuckoo |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shellfish |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charadriiformes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| owls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Falconiformes |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Swift-shaped | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flora and fauna of the Rtishchevsky region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Flora of Rtishchevskiy district |
|
||
| Mushrooms of the Rtishchevsky district |
|
||
| Fauna of the Rtishchevskiy district |
| ||
Jornovell let out a magpie call and signaled for it to move further into the forest. It was an alarm.
Julivee also heard something that frightened him: the creaking of the cart wheels. Just a few moments later, voices and laughter were heard.
A country road led through the clearing where they landed, running towards the castle on the lake. And a whole caravan was approaching along this road. The fog and soft ground drowned out their sounds. Now it was too late to run across the clearing. A gust of wind ripped the haze into wide streaks. The danger of being discovered was too high.
Together with Jornovell, Julivee retreated into the thicket. There were maybe a dozen of them on this side of the clearing. Most of the detachment was hiding on the other side, closer to the castle. And very soon the second wave under the command of Fenril will arrive to land here.
Julivee groped for the flutes in her belt. No, it won't help. In no case should you attract the attention of people - then they will quickly pass by.
Sounds rang out from the fog, and then a motley crowd appeared, consisting of soldiers, on whose shoulders heavy arquebuses lay. The soldiers chatted and joked with the women and the actors. The young bard sang a bawdy ditty about the count, his very young wife, and his stable boy. Julivee couldn't help but smirk. Sometimes people behave like little children. As disdainful as she was of the knights under the banner of the Tree of Blood, she liked these. Despite the arquebuses, they did not seem at all warlike. They went not to the battle, but to the feast. She would most willingly weave a spell that would blind people and make them think she was one of them. The sorceress was curious about how they know how to celebrate here. She knew holidays in Firnstein and Drusna. She drank by the fires with the centaurs and danced with the lutins when they celebrated the birth of the horned lizard. But to have fun with her sworn enemies, the warriors of the bloody god Tured, she seemed especially interesting. The war with them has gone on too long. The knights Ollowane had gathered around him had been tested in a dozen battles. All of them experienced horrors that distorted their souls. Now they saw in people who gave themselves to Tured, only enemies. But with all this, the enemies laugh and love in the same way as the children of the elves.
Suddenly the motorcade stopped.
Out of the corner of her eye, Julivee saw Jornovell taking an arrow from his quiver.
No, she whispered.
Her companion grimaced, saying that he was not stupid enough to shoot.
One of the soldiers standing on the road was waving something high over his head.
Julivee held her breath. The guy had a giant eagle feather in his hand! Comrades surrounded the soldier. There was laughter.
The group was joined by a woman in screaming bright clothes. A belt with small coins accompanied her every step with a quiet ringing. She wore a skirt and a very short shirt that left her belly exposed, and her long red hair fell over her shoulders. A long, dark stick smoked at the corner of his lips. Julivee heard one of the kobold spies who roamed the worlds speak of such a thing. They did not agree on why one should hold sticks of twisted leaves in one's mouth and inhale their smoke. Most considered this a cult act, by which the flesh is mortified in order to ask Tured for forgiveness for sins. Perhaps most often these sticks are used during the holidays. Julivee would gladly try one.
The group of soldiers split up in front of the woman. They showed her a pen as long as an arm. Suddenly there was laughter. The woman removed the smoldering stick from her mouth and blew into the man with the feather in the face. At the same moment, she grabbed him in the groin, and then shook her head.
The laughter of the soldiers became even more unbridled.
There was a cry of a magpie.
Julivee turned around in fear. Behind them, danger was approaching from the forest!
