29.03.2024

Hunting for the shirokonoska

Places called a dolphin, loponos-ka and soksun. As well as pintail, it is widely distributed in the CIS. The duck is of medium size, inferior to the pintail, but has a fairly dense constitution: in the autumn before flying, it often reaches a weight of 800-850 grams and more.

In spring, the nesting places arrive somewhat earlier than the pintail. A shirokonoska settles in water bodies with abundant vegetation, but avoids forest rivers and lakes, preferring them to water bodies with open shores. It is common not only on fresh water bodies, but also on salty lakes.

A distinctive feature of the broad-legged duck from other ducks is its shovel-shaped beak. It is much longer and wider than mallards, pintails, gray and other ducks.

The female is painted almost the same as the mallard duck. The drake in the wedding dress is very beautiful. He has a black head and neck with a purple-blue tint on the sides. Back, podhvoste and nadhvoste are black with metallic luster. Goiter white, breast yellowish, sides light brown. The upper back is grayish-brown, with white feathers on the shoulders, the rest of the back is black-brown, with white markings. Mirrors on the wings are brilliantly green, the beak is black, the paws are orange-red.

Like most ducks, the Shirokoskians molt twice a year. In the summer they have a complete molt, in the autumn and in winter the incomplete feed on the shirokoska mainly animal food and less – plant.

Nest arranges in dry places, often under bushes or trees, on logging, in field or in meadows, usually near water. In the masonry it is from seven to eleven, most often ten, light with a yellowish-olive hue of eggs. Nasizhivaet duck twenty two to twenty three days.

Ducklings develop quite quickly and, before reaching the age of two months, begin to fly.

Shirokonoska is an excellent object for both sports and commercial hunting. She is more trusting than other ducks, and is therefore hunted in large numbers. However, relatively easy prey makes hunting it less interesting and less athletic than most other real ducks.

Shirokonoska is less “talkative” than a croak, a seruh and other ducks, its voice is similar to the voice of a quack, but more monotonous. The voice of the drake is soft and resembles the deaf sounds of “kho-kho-kho.” Most often the male gives a voice in the spring.

They leave for the wintering of the shirokonoski earlier than mallard and pintail. Usually, the autumn migration occurs, depending on the terrain and weather conditions, from the end of September to the second half of October.

Duck lumbago is one of four species of birds of this genus. Lives broad-lion in large areas of North America, Europe and Asia. Other species of shirokosokok live on the territory of Africa, South America and Australia.

Shirokonoska duck

Shirokonoski create pairs on wintering grounds. One female often takes care of up to 12 males. They swim for it on the water or they pursue the female in the air.

At the peak of courtship, the birds circle together low over the water. After this, the duck sits on the water next to one of the drakes. Thus, she selects her chosen one. Next, a couple flies around the site and looks for a place convenient for building a nest. Ducks-shirokonoski build a nest more often on the ground, near to water. Usually it is well hidden in the grass or reeds.

In the soft earth, the duck makes an oval groove that covers the grass, fallen leaves and soft fluff that pulls out of its chest. Pooh, like that of other ducks, is spread out with a roller at the edges of the nest. The female alone is engaged in settling the nest, hatching eggs, and she takes care of the chicks themselves. The function of the male is to protect the female and chicks. Within two weeks, the female duck-worms lay 9-11 eggs. But it does not start hatching until after the last egg is laid.

Therefore, usually, all ducklings hatch at the same time. Nestlings of the shirokoski leave the nest very early – the mother takes them to a pond. A duck teaches ducklings to get food. Thanks to her, they acquire the first skills: they learn to look for food and hide from danger.

FOOD

It feeds on the shirokoska mainly animal feed. The basis for feeding this duck is small water animals: mollusks, planktonic crustaceans, various aquatic insects and their larvae. One or in a small flock, she combs the shallows. The bird swims in a circle and drives an open beak from side to side.

If she manages to grab the prey, the broad-brow closes the beak and pushes the water out with the tongue. Small grooves on the inner surface of the beak come on each other and act like a sieve, catching all the animals that hit the beak. Furrows are so small that ducks exfoliate even the smallest plankton. Sometimes in search of food the bird immerses the head and neck in the water or dives so deep that only the tip of the tail is visible on the surface.

Ducks are omnivorous birds. From plant foods, preference is given to the green parts and seeds of various aquatic plants. In most areas, the broad-leaved ones feed on the day, and where they are hunted, at night.

LIFESTYLE

Shirokonoski live in freshwater reservoirs, they keep mainly in shallow waters. On the shore, they find places densely overgrown with reeds and grass. On lakes with dense vegetation they sometimes come together in large schools.

Forage feeders are looking along the coast and avoiding deep places

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