Thanks to folk art, people are familiar with soroky since the earliest childhood. But what the person knows about a way of life of this bird? Forty not such simple as can seem at first sight. In comparison with other birds, it differs in high I.Q. The bird is able to start a strong family and will carefully treat the posterity. Besides, forty easily transfers adverse living conditions.
Forty – a beautiful and bright bird, her black-and-white brilliant color of feathers cannot be confused with color of plumage, other representatives of bird's family. This is a clever, cunning and courageous bird, her image is often used in fairy tales, proverbs and sayings. In the small poem which parents read to children the main character, acts as forty.
Appearance
Forty treats to family of vranovy (voronovy) birds. The most famous representatives are jays, sandpipers and crows. Total number of family totals more than 120 species of birds.
By the size of forty there is a little less ordinary crow. She differs in beautiful plumage and a long tail. The primary color of feathers is presented by a black velvet shade with a characteristic violet outflow and metal gloss. The stomach and shoulders are painted in bright white color. Thanks to such contrast, forty looks very effectively and it is easily remembered.
The bird possesses a streamline body, round eyes and a direct beak with a small bend. Thin paws and a long tail add grace to shape of a soroka. The tail can have various form. At some birds from the basis to a tip it can extend, at others has peculiar tufts on each side.
It is difficult to determine sex of an individual by appearance. Color of plumage and the sizes of a bird are identical to a male and a female. The average weight of an individual is 215 g, at the same time males can be a little heavier, than females. Length of a bird together with a tail is equal to 50 cm, and the wingspan reaches 90 cm.
Within a year brightness of plumage can change. When there comes the spring, feathers begin to turn pale, and at the beginning of June become absolutely inexpressive. The molt period at young individuals begins in June. Adult birds can fade not only in July, but also in August. To determine the age of a soroka, it is necessary to pay attention to her tail and color of plumage. Young birdies have a tail shorter and dim, and white feathers have a gray shade.
Where there live sorok
Soroki live in many corners of the world. This bird can be met in the European countries, in the Far East and in Asia. In the territory of Japan forty lives on the island of Kyushu where it is protected as a nature sanctuary. In Africa these birds can be met in coastal territories of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. In North America forty lives on Alaska and in Baja California. The small group of birds lives on Kamchatka.
The kind of a soroka which has blue plumage lives in two different places of the globe. Some representatives of a blue soroka located in the region of the Far East, and others - in Spain and Portugal. For science still remains a riddle why one species of a bird was divided by thousands of kilometers.
On the island of Taiwan the bird who is called tolstoklyuvy azure forty lives in the Pacific Ocean improbable beauty. She prefers to live in mountains at the height up to 1200 m. Inhabitants of Taiwan consider a bird a symbol of the island and try to keep her population.
Flying forty lives in Scandinavia, other representatives of a look lead settled lifestyle. They are perfectly adapted for life in adverse, winter conditions. Soroki prefer to lodge near people where there is an opportunity easily to get to themselves livelihood. Magpie nests can be found in gardens and parks. In the wild nature they meet in dense forests and the tropical jungle.
Way of life
Soroki, as well as crows, have mind and ingenuity. This is a careful bird who by the voice is capable to notify all inhabitants of the wood on the coming danger. Therefore not for nothing there is a saying "a little bird told". Soroki, using loud chirring, constantly exchange words with relatives, and some birds are capable to imitate sounds of other animals.
Unlike a crow forty, more dexterous and mobile bird. Often she is interested in brilliant objects, but specially she does not hunt for them. If she steals the pleasant bagatelle, then will hide in the nest.
At a soroka mental abilities are well developed. This is the only bird in the world who recognizes herself in a mirror. For example, if before a parrot to establish a mirror, then he will perceive the reflection as other parrot.
For livelihood of forty uses any food. As the bird treats family vranovy, she eats not only animals and plants, but also drop. Therefore they like to accompany larger predators to regale on the production remains.
The bird likes to visit others nests, she with pleasure eats eggs and drags off baby birds. At the same time forty tries to be careful as small birds are capable to be protected. They quite often gather in packs to drive out the devastator of nests.
Moving on the ground, forty hunts small rodents and lizards. Its diet is supplemented by snails, bugs and larvae of insects. The city bird is not afraid of people and quietly steals from them food. In case of need her courage goes beyond all limits, and forty is capable to steal food from under a nose from a dog.
In the African countries of a soroka like to look for livelihood on pastures where buffalo s are grazed. There they not only catch insects, but also bring together parasites who hide in a woolen cover on backs of animals. Thus, rendering to buffalo s service, they find to themselves food.
Reproduction
In the first year of a bird look for couple. Throughout all life of a soroka remain faithful each other. They can lodge one by one or create colony from several couples. Nests of these birds differ in special accuracy. Unlike a crow's nest the lodge of a soroka is difficult in the form of a sphere in which it is possible to get through a side entrance. For construction of a nest, birds use small branches. As a laying for baby birds serve feathers, wool and a soft grass.
Cunning couple builds several lodges at once, and only one will be used for cultivation of posterity. Other nests are necessary to soroka as the spare dwelling. Moving on different lodges, they mislead predators and thus protect the main nest. In the nature the soroka has a great number of enemies. Their nests are attacked by martens. Adult individuals are production for hawks, owls and other larger birds.
On average the female lays about 5 eggs and hatches out them 3 weeks. Baby birds are born naked and blind. Both parents are engaged in cultivation of posterity. They in turn arrive to a nest and feed baby birds. The matured cubs leave a nest and live on branches, at this time parents continue to feed them. After baby birds get stronger and will be able independently to fly, they move off in searches of food together with parents.
Relation of the person to a soroka
In the countries of East Asia the soroka was called the messenger of happiness, and Indian tribes considered a bird by spirit of the wood. Unlike these people, Europeans were negative to a soroka. Jabber of a soroka notified inhabitants of the wood on appearance of the person and thus it broke hunting. During sowing works on arable lands, the bird pecked grains and caused damage to a harvest. Besides the soroka is considered the wrecker that it spoils nests of songbirds.
But forty - not only the wrecker. It destroys mean insects, small rodents and snails who constitute danger to development of agriculture. Forty in a friendly way to treat the person. She can easily be tamed, but as the poultry it is usually not kept.