Hunter reads
| Hunter reads | ||||||||||
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Jägerliest ( Dacelo novaeguineae ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Dacelo novaeguineae | ||||||||||
| ( Hermann , 1783) |
The Jägerliest ( Dacelo novaeguineae ), better known under the name Lachender Hans , is a bird from the kingfishers family (Alcedinidae). In Australia it is called Kookaburra (pronounced: ˈkuːkəˌbɑːrɐ ).
Occurrence and way of life
Kookaburra ( Dacelo novaeguinae ) are the best known species in the genus of the Kookaburra ( Dacelo ) and the largest representatives of the family of kingfishers (Alcedinidae). Contrary to what the epithet novaeguinae suggests, the species does not occur in New Guinea . Their main distribution area is in the east and south-east of Australia , while the closely related crested lily ( Dacelo leachii ) occurs in the north and north-west of Australia . In Western Australia , Tasmania and New Zealand , hunter leashes were introduced for their usefulness.
Kookaburras are not tied to a specific habitat, but occupy the same territory all year round. In addition to dry eucalyptus forests and areas rich in trees, they often inhabit parks and gardens and similar habitats like the Haubenlieste. You are traveling individually, in pairs or in small family groups. Couples live monogamous; It is not uncommon for breeding pairs to be accompanied by up to half a dozen offspring from previous years who help defend their territory and raise their young. The clutch usually has (two to) three white eggs; often the youngest is killed by other siblings. The fledglings are fed by the family group for another six to ten weeks.
features
Jägerlieste have a strong beak, a head that is large in relation to the body, a stocky build and short legs with small but sharp claws. Above the brown eyes there is a clear brown stripe over the eyes that protects them from the sunlight. Their wings and tail are relatively short. On the underside, between the wings and the head and on the head with a brown crown , the plumage of the hunter's lair is white to ivory in color. The top and the wings are dark brown to brown.
The males can be recognized by shimmering blue spots on the upper side of the wings, while females have white spots. The top of the beak is black, the underside is brown and white. An adult hunter's head measures 40 to 47 centimeters in length. They can live up to 20, sometimes 25 years.
voice
The trademark of the Jägerlieste is their distinctive voice in defense of the territory, reminiscent of loud laughter. Their regular laughter early in the morning and in the late evening hours also earned them the name "Bushman's watch". They start with a low shout that ends in a loud, hysterical laugh. If a Jägerliest starts with a stretched body and a sharply erect tail, he waits after his call for other Jägerlieste in his neighborhood to answer. The call sounds like "ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ka-ka-ka" and is often performed in a choir. In addition to this distinctive ringing frequency, it has five other ringing sounds.
nutrition
As a hide hunter they prey on insects , small mammals , birds and reptiles . The hunters take a typical posture. The prey animals are targeted with the head turned sideways. In the shallow water they catch crabs , mussels and fish . They rarely act as nest robbers. Occasionally the chicks are also captured by domestic chickens. Small prey are crushed with their beak. Larger prey animals are taken across the beak and hit on stones and branches. After the prey has been killed, it is taken lengthways with one jerk and devoured.
In Australia, the hunter's eggs are particularly popular because they devour mice , rats and poisonous snakes . A hunter's reading grabs a snake with its powerful beak. Then he kills them or blows them up and drops them several times from a great height on the ground. During nesting, they cut up snakes for their chicks and feed them with small bites. Hunters are also known as cheeky thieves. So it can happen to careless campers that the hunters steal their food.
Reproduction
Hunters are loyal to each other for a lifetime, so they lead a permanent monogamous marriage. The male feeds the chosen female during the advertisement. Then the nest built by the male is inspected together. They are not picky about the choice of breeding site. Tree cavities are preferred in dead trees. The two to four white eggs are laid in hollowed-out hollows of tree termites, in abandoned termite mounds, in hollow tree stumps, abandoned tree hollows or, among other things, in burrows of old eucalyptus trees . The eggs are hatched alternately by both parent birds. When a predator approaches, the hunters mostly successfully defend their brood with their powerful beak. The naked and blind chicks hatch after about four weeks and are very voracious. Both adult birds are involved in brood care and feeding. After another four to five weeks, the chicks leave the nest completely feathered. The young birds do not put on a down dress as they do not need it in their warm burrows. The boys remain partially up to four years with their parents and help them as breeding helpers at the next brood. In this way they learn the breeding business and improve the siblings' chances of survival.
Aborigines and hunters read
In the mythology of the Aborigines, the hunter-lovers played a special role. Because of their early morning laughter, the following legend emerged: At the first sunrise, the god-like Baiame is said to have commanded the Kookaburras to laugh out loud so that people would wake up and not miss the sunrise. Another legend has it that if the bird is insulted, the offender will be punished. This is how children should grow crooked teeth when they offend the Kookaburra.
Others
- Australia has dedicated its own series of coins to the bird , which has brought out a new motif in different sizes (1 ounce to 1 kg) every year since 1990. There is also a bimetal version with a Chinese zodiac sign every year.
- At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, a hunter's read named Olly was one of the three mascots, alongside the platypus Syd and the Echidna Millie .
- There is a very popular nursery rhyme in Australia about Kookaburra .
- In an episode of the television series Perry Mason , the ability of the bird to laugh at sudden incidence of light plays a crucial role in clearing up the case.
- In the book series Die Drei ??? plays a Kookaburra in the novel The Three ??? and the laughing shadow play an important role in identifying an Australian criminal.
literature
- Sarah Legge: Kookaburra , King of the Bush, Australian Natural History Series, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria 2004, ISBN 9780643090637
Web links
- Information in English
- Information in German with sound sample
- Dacelo novaeguineae in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2004. Retrieved on January 25 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Dacelo novaeguineae in the Internet Bird Collection