| י 315) שרקרק ירוק | ||||||||||
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:שרקרק ירוק . שרקרק גדול, רזה, רובו צבוע בירוק ובעל כנפים ארוכות . לחייו ומצחו תכולים, גרונו ערמוני-כתום . תחתית כנפיו בצבע ערמוני ותחתית זנבו אפרפרה . אברות זנבו המרכזיות ארוכות. בגרונו חסר הפס השחור , בית גידולו אזורים חמים ויבשים, מדבריים ומדבריים למחצה . פתוחים עם עצים פזורים בקרבת מקוי מים . בארץ עובר אורח לא שכיח, במערב הארץ ודוגר קיץ נדיר בבקעת הירדן ובית שאן ... והא ההוא דיתיב בי כרבא ושרק ... חולין סג' ע"א | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
C. r. rudis C and S Turkey and Israel to Syria, Iraq, and SW Iran, also N Egypt and Nile Valley, and sub Saharan Africa. M. p. chrysocercus Morocco to Algeria and from Senegal to L Chad. Winters in sub Saharan W Africa. M. p. persicus Nyle Delta (Egypt), N Israel and SE Turkey, S to Persian Gulf, and E to N shores of Caspian and Aral Seas, S shores of L Balkhash, N Afghanistan and N and W India. Winters mainly in E tropical Africa.םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
Slightly large than the European Bee-eater, slim with long wings. 30-31 cm, 38-50 g, wingspan 45-49 cm. Male of nominate race with upperparts grass-green in fresh plumage, wings and tail more golden-green, sometimes all parts except rump quite strongly olive, with bleaching or wear turns more bluish, particularly on tertials and rump. Wings with narrow, dusky trailing edge. Forehead narrowly white by bill, shading backward to powder-blue, but often, possibly immature birds, forehead yellowish and blue eyebrow poorly developed. Broad black eyeband, cheeks broadly blue but may be narrowly white. chin bright yellow, sometimes dull yellow, throat rufous, underparts bright green. Bill black, long and slender. Iris claret. Female like male, but tail streamers average shorter. Race chrysocercus has upperparts more golden, and is slightly smaller than nominate, though streamers often longer. Habitat. Semi-desert and desert, steppe, dunes, saline pans, cultivation, thorn woodland and sandy slopes with small gullies, pits, and embankments. Breeds mainly in sand deserts near water fringed with bushes and acacia or tamarisks. Food and Feeding. Main diet based on bees and wasps in Asia and dragonflies in Africa. Takes much greater diversity of airborne insects, almost exclusively honeybees when they are plentiful. Catches very small insects as well as large beetles, locusts and cicadas. Feeds by making long pursuit flights from perch and even from ground. Returns to perch to knock prey and, if hymenoptera, to rub its tail. Breeding. Mar-Jun. Monogamous. Nests solitarily, or in loose colonies, often forms mixed colonies with European Bee-eater. Sited in bank of canal or ditch, low cliff, sandy mud plain also in earthen shoulder of metalled road. Burrow 1-3 m long depending on softness of soil, nearly straight, in cliff horizontal and in level ground declining 15-20 degrees. 4-8 eggs, incubation 23-26 days. Movements. Migratory, moving in small and large flocks, mainly by day, passing on broad front often at considerable height, vacates breeding grounds in Aug. On long sea crossing obliged to migrate at night. Saharan population winters in sub Saharan W Africa. Asian population winters partly in Indea, Pakistan and Yemen, but mainly in E half of Africa from Ethiopia to Natal. Status and Conservation. Not globally treatened. Common and widespread. Israel. In Israel subspecies M. p. persicus. Uncommon passage migrant, mainly in eastern, and quite rare breeding summer visitor in Jordan River Valley. |
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