Soot swallow star
| Soot swallow star | ||||||||||
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Soot swallow star |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Artamus cyanopterus | ||||||||||
| ( Latham , 1801) |
The soot swallow star ( Artamus cyanopterus ) is 35 centimeters, a very large representative of the family of the swallow starfish . Another common name for this species is gray-brown swallow star .
Appearance
These animals have brown body plumage. The long, strong wings are black, except for the rear ends, which are provided with a long, thin white stripe. The tail is also black, only the tip of the tail is white. The beak is blue-gray. The legs and claws are also black. Outwardly, the sexes do not differ in the plumage from each other.
distribution and habitat
The black swallow star occurs in the coastal forests of South Australia, Southeast Australia and on the island of Tasmania . The animals from the eastern distribution areas and on Tasmania move to more northerly locations in winter.
Way of life
These very sociable animals live together in flocks of 100 or more specimens and roam the landscape. The sooty swallow star feeds on butterflies , dragonflies and termites , which it catches in flight high in the air. They are very good fliers, but do not get along well on the ground. These animals help each other with the care of their plumage. At night, sometimes also during the day, the Black Swallow Starlings sit close together in groups of up to 100 in the canopy of the trees. Your call is a short "brit-brit" sound.
Reproduction
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During the courtship season, the male brings the female food and both partners flutter with half-open wings and rotating tail next to each other until their movements are perfectly synchronized, only then does mating occur. The breeding season lasts from August to January. During this time, each breeding pair defines a small area for themselves, but several pairs often nest close together. The bowl-shaped nest, which is built by both adult birds together, consists of thin twigs, grass and root parts and is also provided with green parts of plants. It is created in a dead trunk or other cave opening, usually at a height of 1 to 11 meters above the ground. Nests have been found under a pile of dead bark or at the base of palm fronds. The female lays 3 to 4 white eggs with purple-brown spots. The incubation period is 16 days. Both alto birds take over the breeding business. After hatching, both parents feed the young in the nest for 2 to 3 weeks. The young have spotted plumage. Non-breeding conspecifics, such as young birds from the previous year, supported the parents in providing the young with food.
Danger
Because of its widespread distribution and that no threats are known for this species, the IUCN classifies this species as ( Least Concern ) harmless.
literature
- Wildlife of Australia and the Antarctic Page: 76 Publisher: ARTIA, Praha 1986
- THE BLV Encyclopedia Birds of the World Page: 492 BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG Munich 2004 ISBN 3-405-16682-9
- Encyclopedia of the Animal World, Birds Page: 226 Orbis Verlag GmbH Munich 2003 ISBN 3-572-01378-X
Web links
- Artamus cyanopterus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2019.