| י257) שחפית בנגלית | ||||||||||
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:שחפית בנגלית . שחפית בינונית בגודלה, בולטת במקורה הכתום . בעת הדגירה כיפת ראשה, עורפה וציצת ראשה שחורים . חלקי גופה העליונים אפרפרים כחלחלים, מצחה ושאר חלקי גופה התחתוניים לבנים . נוצות כנפיה העליונים אפרפרים, חלקם התחתון לבן ורק קצות הכנפים אפורים כהים . בחורף לובן המצח גדל וכיפת הראש מקבלת פספוס שחור ולבן. הזויגים דומים . בית גידולה חופים טרופים, סובטרופים ולב ים. דוגרת בשפלות חוליות על איים ואיי אלמוגים . בארץ מזדמנת אקראית נדירה בחופי ים התיכון, נדירה פחות במפרץ אילת ... ואת השחף ... ויקרא י"א, 16 | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
T. b. emigrata Libya. Winters W African coast. T. b. bengalensis Red Sea, Maldives and presumed in Pakistan. Winters W to S Africa and Sri Lanka. T. b. torresii Persian Gulf, and from Sulawesi to New Guinea and N Australia. Winters N Indian and SW Pacific Oceans.םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
Medium sized tern whit cap and crest black. 35-43 cm, 185-240 g, wingspan 85-105 cm. Orange bill with yellow distal area, and slight droop towards tip. Legs and feet black with yellow webs, iris brown. Underparts white, apparently less often tinged with pink than in T. sandvicensis, which is similar in size and appearance but bill color differs. Resembles Great Crested-tern but smaller. Differs from all similar species in having rump and tail grey, not white. Conflicting evidence as regards racial variation, but most torresii from Australia are darker above than nominate. Mediterranean race emigrata larger and very slightly paler, said to be virtually identical to some torresii. Many birds breeding in N Indian Ocean from Red Sea to Pakistan intermediate between these and nominate race. Habitat. Tropical and subtropical coasts. Breeds on low-lying sandy and coral islands and coral flats. Often associates with T. bergii - Greater Crested Tern. Food and Feeding. Diet on fish and shrimps. Quarters 5 m above water, turning, hovering and plunge-diving, often submerging, also surface-dips. Forages in surf and ranges offshore. Often feeds in large mixed tern flocks. Breeding. Depend on geographical zone. May-Jun in Persian Gulf, Aug in Somalia, Sep-Dec in Australia. Forms large, dense colonies on offshore islands, sandbanks and coral cays. Often nests with Great Crested-tern and Roseate Tern. Makes shallow unlined scrape in sand or shells, usually selecting ridges or bare areas surrounded by vegetation. 1 egg, incubation 21-25 days. Downy chick very pale to almost white above, with black spots on crown, back and wings forming fine lines, pure white below, with bill olive-yellow or black. Age of first breeding 2 years. Movements. Migratory in Mediterranean, with post-breeding movement ot Morocco and Sengal and Gambia, but only partly migratory in most of range. Middle East birds pass E coast of Africa to Natal. N Indian Ocean populations partly migratory. Vagrant inland. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. World population 230.000 pairs, half of them in Australia. Israel. In Israel subspecies T. b. bengalensis. Quite rare spring and summer visitor in Gulf of Eilat. |
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