| י 327) עפרוני עב-מקור | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
|
:עפרוני עב-מקור . העפרוני בעל המקור העבה ביותר מבין העפרוניים, מה שמעיד עליו שמזונו העיקרי זרעים . צבעו חום-חולי בחלקי גופו העליונים ולבן עם כתמים ונקודות שחורות . בזמן מעופו בולטים הכתמים הלבנים בכנפיו. בזמן עמידתו גופו זקוף וראשו מורם . בית גידולו במדבריות סהרה והרי האטלס דרך ירדן ועד סעודיה . ניתן למוצאו במדבריות, חמדות וואדיות עם עשב . בארץ נדיר מאוד, נודד לא שכיח ולעיתים מבקר חורף בערבה ובצפון הנגב ... כנף רננים נעלסה ... איוב לט' יג | ||||||||||
|
Subspecies and Distribution.
Rhamphocoris clotbey From N Africa mainly Egypt to Middle Eas through Sinai, Israel, Jordan, Arabia and Syria םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
|
Descriptive notes.
17 cm, wingspan 36-40 cm. Medium sized to large lark with remarkably deep, heavy bill and broad, head, upright stance and long legs, and relatively long winged and short tailed, flight silhouette. Uniform pink grey-brown upper chest to vent, and broad white trailing edge to wings. Appears strikingly dark head-on, with pale bill, white throat, white eye-ring, and white vent obvious in contrast. Sexes dissimilar, female usually smaller with black areas less intense and underbody less heavily marked. Habitat. Zones bordering or overlapping edges of desert, especially on open stony hammada where some sparse vegetation may be present. Accordingly ranked as a typical desert lark, but also found on wadi beds with grass and other plants or on stony clay terrain with relatively rich vegetation, including succulents such as Aizoon. Food and Feeding. Diet based on seeds, green plant material and insects. Sometimes hops when feeding. Reaches up to plant heads to pull them down to ground and uses bill as clippers to cut green shoots. Will dig for food, hard seeds apparently swallowed whole, not crushed, and weak bite given when in the hand suggests bill muscles not as strong as large bill would suggests. Breeding. Late Mar to late May in N Africa, Apr in Jordan. Nest on ground, usually under bush or stone, less often in the open. Shallow depression filled with lining of vegetation, often with rim of stones on open side. 2 eggs, smooth and glossy, creamy -white to pink, finely speckled with red-brown or chestnut, with underlying greyish mottling. Movements. Basically resident, though subject to nomadic dispersal outside breeding season. Indication that some birds move towards coastal plains for winter. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. Israel. In Israel subspecies Rhamphocoris clotbey. Very rare and irregular migrant, possibly winter visitor in Southern Negev and Arava Valley. |
| |||||||||
| HOME | NEXT | |||||||||