Ibis beak
| Ibis beak | ||||||||||
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Ibis beak ( Ibidorhyncha struthersii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||
| Ibidorhynchidae | ||||||||||
| Bonaparte , 1853 | ||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||
| Ibidorhyncha | ||||||||||
| Vigors , 1832 | ||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||
| Ibidorhyncha struthersii | ||||||||||
| Vigors, 1832 |
The ibis beak ( Ibidorhyncha struthersii ) is a species of bird from the order of the plover-like (Charadriiformes) that lives on mountain streams in Central Asia . Since his close relatives are controversial, he is placed in a family of his own. It lives mainly on the larvae of mayflies and stone flies .
features
The medium-sized and strongly built bird is 40 cm long and weighs 270 to 320 g. Females are usually slightly heavier than males. The most striking feature is the strongly curved beak, which is reminiscent of ibises and from which the bird takes its name. This is 7 to 8 cm long, again a little longer in females, and dark red in color.
The plumage colors are unmistakable. The face and crown are black or dark brown, a white band delimits this plumage region. The back of the head, neck and back are blue-gray; towards the tail this color gradually turns gray-brown. Black cross bars pattern the back of the back and tail. The wings are gray in color, the hand and arm wings are black. A narrow white and a wide black band separate the gray chest from the white belly. There is no color difference between males and females ( gender dimorphism ). In the winter dress, the face is no longer monochrome black, but appears dashed in black and white by numerous white feathers. Juvenile birds lack all black plumage, and their beak is gray.
The legs of the ibis bill are relatively short, the foot is tridactyl . Basal webbed feet are located between the outer and middle toes, but not between the middle and inner toes. Ibis bills walk around on their legs in a stooped position, only occasionally do they straighten up for a panoramic view. You can swim well. They only fly when it cannot be avoided.
Distribution and habitat
Ibis beaks live in Central Asia . The countries they inhabit include Kazakhstan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Nepal and Bhutan . In India they live in the extreme north on the slopes of the Himalayas . They are also native to large parts of China , especially Tibet and Xinjiang .
The habitat are mountain streams with a stony bottom. These must flow slowly to moderately and must not have any vegetation. In summer they live at altitudes of 2000 to 4000 m, in winter they change to lower altitudes of 500 m and below.
Way of life
activity
The ibis beak is a diurnal bird. During the breeding season the pairs defend their territories against any intruder, but in winter the birds sometimes gather in small groups of up to eight individuals.
nutrition
The diet in summer differs from that in winter. Since ibis beaks hibernate at lower altitudes, they then have a richer food supply that includes small fish and crustaceans in addition to insects. In summer, fish do not play a role as they are rarely found in the narrow brooks in the high elevations. Insects then make up more than 90% of the diet, and of these, mayfly larvae and stonefly larvae together make up three quarters, followed by caddisfly larvae at a large distance .
Usually the bird rummages with its beak between the stones of the water bed for prey. Often he moves stones with movements of his beak in order to scare away small animals. The third method of getting food is by picking up from the surface of the water.
Reproduction
During the breeding season, which begins in March or April, the pairs begin to defend territories. A district comprises 90 to 1000 m of a river section, depending on the population density it is larger or smaller. It is about 100 m wide. The clutches are found on sandbanks, gravel islands or peninsulas and only in rare cases off the river bank. A pit dug into the sand or a place in the gravel that has been freed of larger stones serves as a nest. Two to four eggs are laid, which are greenish-gray in color and covered with brown spots. Both parent birds breed. At this time of the year fresh snow can often still come, so that one can sometimes come across snow-covered, brooding ibis beaks. They hide their beak under a wing when they breed. The plumage provides excellent camouflage on the gravel ground .
The young hatch in May or June. They leave the nest after a few hours, but will be looked after for a long time. Up to the 25th day of life they regularly find protection under the plumage of the parent birds. They fledge at 45 to 50 days. In the event of danger, the boys remain motionless.
Systematics
The assignment to the plover-like species is undisputed, but the relationships within this order are not entirely clear. While the ibis beak used to be assigned to the snipe birds , today it is mostly run in its own family. The oystercatchers and avocets have long been believed to be the closest relatives . A close relationship of the three taxa has meanwhile been confirmed in DNA analyzes.
hazards
The main enemy of the ibis beak seems to be the red fox , which prey on nesting birds and their young. Many clutches are also destroyed by changing water levels. Humans, on the other hand, are only indirectly endangered when they drive flocks of sheep through river valleys that trample the clutches. As a rule, humans and ibis bills hardly have any contact. Since the bird is not stalked and it has a large range, it is listed by the IUCN as not endangered.
Sources and further information
Sources cited
Most of the information in this article is taken from the source given under literature; the following sources are also cited:
- Jump up ↑ Allan Baker, Sergio Pereira & Tara Paton: Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Charadriiformes genera: multigene evidence for the Cretaceous origin of at least 14 clades of shorebirds . In: Biology Letters 2007, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 205-210
- ↑ Ibidorhyncha struthersii in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2011th
literature
- Josep del Hoyo et al .: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzins to Auks. Lynx Edicions, 1996, ISBN 84-87334-20-2 .
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Ibidorhyncha struthersii in the Internet Bird Collection