| י 316) שרקרק מצוי | ||||||||||
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:שרקרק מצוי . השכיח והססגוני מבין השרקרקים בארצנו. קולות שריקתו הקנו לו את שמו . כיפת ראשו ועורפו ערמוניים, צבע זה הולך והופך בהדרגה עם ירידתו לכיוון השת, לזהוב . כיפת ראשו ועורפו ערמוניים, המצח לבן במרכזו וטורקיז בצדדיו. פס העין שחור . המקור דק וארוך ונוטה כלפי מטה, הגרון והלחי צהובים , פס שחור דק מבדיל בין הגרון לצוואר . הגחון בצבע טורקיז, הזנב הארוך בצבע כחלחל זית ואפור מתחת . הרגל קצרה ולה שלוש אצבעות קדמיות ארוכות ודקות. הכנפים ארוכות. צבעי הנקבה דהים במקצת . בית גידולו בקעות עם נחלים, שדות חקלאיים, גבעות, ערבות וחורשים . בעיקר אזורים בהם ישנם דבורים רבות. מקנן במחילות החפורות בגדות נחלים . בארץ מבקר ודוגר קיץ שכיח, בצפון הארץ ומרכזה, ועובר אורח נפוץ למדי בכל רחבי הארץ ... והא ההוא דיתיב בי כרבא ושרק ... חולין סג, ע'א | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
Merops apiaster Morocco to Libya and SW Europe E to W Russia and C and SW Asia, S to Afghanistan and Oman, also S Namibia and South Africa. Winters at lower latitudes in tropical Africa.םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
Similar in size to the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, from which it is told by its chestnut crown and mantle, and yellow throat and lower back, yellow and chestnut on th face. 28-31 cm, 45-70 g, wingspan 44-50 cm. Highly distinctive with multicolored plumage. Male has black gorget, greenish-blue underparts, scapulars and rump flaxen. Long uppertail coverts the same green as tail, latter with streamers. Primaries and their coverts and tertials green to green-blue, but rest of upperwing mahogany. Iris red-crimson, mouth flesh-pink. Female tends to have scapulars and lower back greener, lees flaxen, than male, lesser wing coverts less intensely green. Habitat. Sunny hillsides, meadows, pasture and cultivated land with shelter-belts and scattered trees, plains, dissected steppe, broad river valleys, shrubby riverbanks in semi desert, and practically any open and well-timbered country, and Mediterranean macchia scrub. Food and Feeding. Diet relies largely on bumblebees and honeybees, mainly in Europe, wasps of many families and stingless bees in Africa, but takes most other orders of insects as opportune. In fact, probably eats all day-flying insects. Nestling are fed larger insects than those consumed by adults, particularly if latter are foraging more than a few hundred meters from nest. Forages from vantage point on tree, fence or telephone wire, making lengthy forays after a passing insect, seizing it after short dashing chase, and bringing it back to the perch to beat its head and if a stinging bee or wasp, rub ets tail to devenom it. Breeding. Apr in NW Africa, Oct-Nov in South Africa, May-Jun in Europe and Jun-Jul in CE Europe. Pair usually stay together for life. Sometimes solitary but often in loose aggregations or well defined small or large colonies. Nest-burrow, occasionally in flat or sloping sandy ground but generally in earthen cliff. Digging process takes 10-20 days. Average 7 eggs, incubation 19-20 days. Chicks at first naked, pink and blind, later covered in spiky grey feather sheaths, fed by both parents. Movements. Migratory. French and Spanish populations fly via Strait of Gibraltar down Moroccan Atlantic coast into W Africa. Italian and Sicilian birds probably cross to Tunisia and with NW African populations, head for W African wintering grounds. Ringing returns show that Balkan and Caspian birds pass through Cyprus and the Levant and head up R Nile and through Uganda to SE African wintering grounds. Asiatic populations either follow the Nile route or cross Arabia and Red Sea on a broad front. Flocks fly mainly by day, and over 80% of birds return in spring to site of previous year's colony. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. Common and widespread over much of its range. World populations estimated at several million pairs. Israel. In Israel subspecies Merops apiaster. Very common passage migrant and common breeding summer visitor. |
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