י 307) סיס הרים

Alpine Swift
Alpine Swift
Alpine Swift










Tachymarptis melba
Tachymarptis melba
Tachymarptis melba



:סיס הרים
. סיס גדול מאוד, כנפיו רחבות וזנבו מפורץ
, חלקי גופו העליונים וכנפיו בצבע חום אפרפר
. המקור שחור קצר דמוי משולש וקצהו נוטה כלפי מטה
. קשתית העין חומה כהה, הגרון והבטן לבנים וקולר חום ענברי מפריד ביניהם
, הרגלים חומות ורדרדות. פיסת הרגל קצרה וחזקה
. ארבעת האצבעות פונות לפנים ובעלות טפרים כפופים וחדים
. הזויגים דומים וכן הצעירים
. בית גידולו אזורים הרריים, מקנן בנקיקים, בסדקים וחגווי סלע, בעיקר במקומות אפלים
. בארץ שלושה תת מינים, עוברי אורח מצויים, מבקרי קיץ נדירים ברוב אזורי הארץ ההרריים
... 'ותר וסיס ועגור שמרו את עת באנה ... ירמיה ח ז
.
Subspecies and Distribution.
T. m. melba S Europe through Asia Minor to NW Iran. Winters in W and E Africa.
T. m. tuneti C and E Morocco through Middle East and Iran to SE Kazakhstan and W Pakistan. Winters in W and E Africa.
T. m. archeri Somalia, SW Arabia N to Dead Sea (Israel). T. m. maximus Mt Ruwenzori (Uganda, Zaire).
T. m. africanus E and S Africa and SW Angola. South birds winter in E Africa.
T. m. marjoriae Namibia to NW Cape (South Africa). T. m. willsi Madagascar.
T. m. nubifuga Himalayas. Winters in C India. T. m. dorabtatai W peninsular India.
T. m. bakeri Sri Lanka.
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Descriptive notes.
Very large swift with broad wings and shallowly forked tail. 19-22 cm, 70-100 g, wingspan 50-55 cm.
Olive-brown upperparts lacking prominent saddle, outer wing appearing blacker. Underparts with white throat and highly distinctive large oval white patch encircled by olive-brown breast band, flanks and undertail coverts.
Race tuneti and marjoriae paler, with grey-brown plumage.
Race archeri averages paler than tuneti, with shorter wings, and maximus largest race, with very dark, blackish plumge.
Races africanus and nubifuga smaller than nominate, with blacker plumage, smaller throat patch and blacker shaft streaks on white areas.
Races willsi and bakeri both smaller, with darker pllumage and broader and narrower vreast bands respectively and dorabtatai has broader breast band and shorter wings than nubifuag and separated from bakeri by its lighter plumage and broader breast band.
Habitat. In W Palearctic in temperate and Mediterranean zones, typically in mountains but occasionally in lowlands.
In remainder of sub Saharan Africa and S Asia occurs from sub desert steppe to equatorial mountains. Typically breeds below 1500 m, but in some areas breed above 4000 m, on high mountains in Kenya and Himalayas.
Food and Feeding.
Insectivorous. In Europe, mainly Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and spiders. In Africa, grasshoppers and winged termites also taken. Usually forages higher than most other swifts, in highest feeding level, 30-40 m, but will feed at low levels, especially during inclement weather.
Breeding. Mar-Jun in Israel, Apr-May in Morocco, May in C Europe, Jul in Caucasus, Sep-Oct in Madagascar.Colonial. mixed colonies with African Swift frequent. Monogamous.
Nest saucer-shaped, consists of downy feathers from many species, and swift primaries, tightly bound with dried plant matter and saliva, typically with central depression averaging 30 mm on horizontal surfaces. Nest bowls on flatter surfaces average deeper. Copulation by nest or in air.
1-4 eggs, incunation 17-23 days with nest duties shared by both sexes.
Movements.
Nominate race and tuneti, nubifuga and africanus migratory.
Migrayes at high altitude, and often movements observed only when poor weather forces birds down. Palearctic popolations leave Sep-Oct, returning from Feb, later farther N late Mar-Apr.
Main migration through Belen Pass, S Turkey, Oct-Nov, in single species groups. At Bosphorus migratouy late Sep. In Israel, May-Dec, peaking Sep-Oct, huge migration noted over West Bank in Mar 1987, whin 10,000 flew N in 15 minutes.
African populations partially migratory Aug-Oct through Zimbabwe, Mar-Apr Malawi, and Apr-Sep Botswana. Other races in Africa and India show some non-breeding dispersal.
Status and Conservation.
Not globally threatened. Locally common throughout much of range.
Israel.
In Israel three subspecies A. m. melba, A. m. tuneti and A. m. archeri . Abundant passage migrant and scarce winter visitor in most parts, and common summer visitor in mountainous regions.

A. m. melba
(in Israel)

A. m. tuneti
(in Israel)

T. m. marjoriae

T. m. maximus

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