Mountain hangfling
| Mountain hangfling | ||||||||||||
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Mountain hangfling ♂ ( Linaria flavirostris ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Linaria flavirostris | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The mountain hangfling ( Linaria flavirostris , Syn . : Carduelis flavirostris ) is a species of bird from the finch family (Fringilidae). It populates Northern Europe and parts of Asia, in Germany it only occurs as a winter guest. The species is currently not endangered in its range. Because of its resemblance to the male linflin that is widespread in Germany , it can be confused with it.
Mark
Both sexes are quite similar. Compared to the bloodlines, they appear darker (top and bottom striped), a little slimmer and have a deeper notched tail. The white wing field, which is formed by the outer plumes of the hand wings , is less noticeable than that. In the simple dress , the eponymous waxy yellow beak with a black tip is noticeable. This is gray-brown in a magnificent dress . The beak is pointedly short. The head and throat are rusty beige, the throat unspotted.
features
The males have a pinkish rump as a characteristic . This is hardly visible in freshly molted animals in autumn and winter because of the brownish feathers.
The females lack the pink rump. Otherwise they are very similar to the males.
The young again resemble the female, they are only more strongly streaked on the breast.
The size corresponds to that of the stallion. The length is between 12.5 and 14 cm, the weight 15 to 19 g.
voice
The male's territorial song is more reminiscent of the song of the Zitronengirlitz and is chirping, trilling and rolling with long stanzas interspersed. Often it is performed by a low singing station, sometimes in flight. On sunny days this song can already be heard in the winter quarters.
When taking off you can hear croaking "gjä" -calls in a row like a hänfling. It is characterized by a long rising shout, which can be expressed as "Tschui" or "Tweeiht".
As contact calls you can hear a hard "jätt".
The flight call is usually three-syllable "tjip-ep-ep" and is harder than that of the hemlock .
distribution
The nominate form ( L. f. Flavirostris ) inhabits the NW Palearctic , especially Norway , parts of Sweden and N Finland . The subspecies L. f. pipilans colonizes Ireland , Scotland and the enclosed islands further west . England is only populated in exceptional cases. The subspecies L. f. brevirostris inhabits parts of the Middle East and Central Asia ( Tibet , Manchuria , Transcaucasia ).
habitat
The mountain hangfling lives in open terrain, treeless, barren herb heaths and stony coastal habitats. Upwards it inhabits alpine meadows up to above the tree line. L. f. brevirostris lives in the alpine meadows and steppes of the high mountains.
Foraging for food mostly takes place on the ground in the low vegetation, so that they are difficult to spot. Sometimes the bird hangs on the seed heads of perennials, which it skillfully picks up.
food
The diet consists mainly of seeds that are ingested from the ground, rarely from trees. The food spectrum includes seeds of the vegetation of the steppes, mountain meadows, stubble fallow, ruderal areas and coastlines (e.g. samphire , sand aster , goosefoot plants , composites ).
Reproduction
The territories are occupied by the males in March (western subspecies) or in April (nominate form). There is one, in exceptional cases a second annual brood (May / June). The nests are often in small, loose colonies in the low bushes or sheltered by stones on the ground. The nest is mainly built by the female. It consists of small twigs, fine roots, stalks and moss, lined with animal hair on the inside. The clutch is complete with (4-) 5-6 (-7) eggs . The eggs are similar to those of the stallion. The egg dimensions are on average 17.3 × 12.8 g. The color is bluish-white with reddish-brown spots and scribbles that condense like a finch on the blunt pole in a wreath. The breeding season is 12 to 13 days. Only the female breeds and is fed by the male. The nestling period is another 15 days, during which both partners feed the young from the crop . After flying out, the fledgling young are fed for about two weeks.
hikes
The wintering of the western Palearctic animals takes place mainly on the North Sea , less on the Baltic Sea coast . The period extends from October to April. They are less common inland, mostly after cold and snow falls in the coastal area. But they are likely to be easily overlooked.
behavior
During the migration they are often in large, dense flocks, they are very active and not shy. In times of winter, the birds often seek communal sleeping places in buildings ( Hamburg ). The lightest facades are preferred. If there is little snow, the birds scratch it aside to get to the seeds below.
literature
- E. Bezzel among others: Encyclopedia of the breeding birds of Europe. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, p. 376 u. 377, 2001
- S. Hoeher: clutch of birds in Central Europe. Neumann Verlag, Radebeul, p. 118, 1972
- A. Voigt: Excursion book for the study of bird calls. Quelle & Meyer, Heidelberg, 12th edition, p. 252, 1961
Web links
- Linaria flavirostris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2017. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Accessed January 25, 2018th
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Linaria flavirostris in the Internet Bird Collection
- Feathers of the mountain hippo