| י 328) עפרוני ענק | ||||||||||
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:עפרוני ענק . עפרוני גדול ומגושם. צבע גבו חום-אפור אחיד, גחונו לבן . על צוארו כתם שחור משני צדדיו. כנפיו רחבות בבסיסן ומחודדות בקצותיהן . במעופו בולט הצבע הלבן של שפת הזרימה של כנפיו. אברות זנבו החיצוניות לבנות . המקור עבה וגבוה וצבעו צהבהב-קרם, נחיריו סמוכים לקודקוד ומכוסים בזיפים . בית גידולו מדרום אירופה דרך צפון אפריקה ועד למרכז אסיה , מצוי בערבות עשב מלווים בשיחים נמוכים, באזורים יבשים וטרשיים . לעיתים באזורים מעובדים ושטחי מרעה . בארץ שלושה תת מינים. העפרוני הענק יציב מצוי, לעיתים דוגר קיץ ... כנף רננים נעלסה ... איוב לט' יג | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
M. c. calandra S Europe and N Africa, E to Ural, Transcaucasia E Turkey, N-W Iran and shore of Caspian sea. M. c. hebraica Israel, W Jordan N to Syria and parts of Turkey. M. c. psammochroa N Iraq, Iran, N Afganistan and S USSR from Turkmeniya to Kazakhstan. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
18-20 cm, 50-58 g, wingspan 37-39 cm. A large lark with stout head and bill and a black patch on side of neck. Crown, rear face, hindneck, back, and wings buff to grey-brown with black-brown feather-centres forming streaks on head and back, line of spots across median coverts, and panels on greater coverts and inner secondaries. Upperparts essentially brown and well streaked, underparts off-white, little streaked but with large black patches on sides of upper breast. Face dominated by heavy, rather conical bill and quite prominent supercilium and eye-ring. White trailing edge to wing, underwing dark. Tail has white outer feathers. Habitat. In lower, middle, and marginally upper middle latitudes, subtropical, Mediterranean steppe, and temperate, on open lowland plains and upland plateaux. Avoids rocky, gravelly, saline, and other infertile or degraded soils, and semi-deserts. Food and Feeding. Diet in winter, seeds and grass shoots, in summer mainly largely insects. Runs during feeding, taking items from ground. Digs for pupae wigh bill and can use it to crack frozen snow crust. Occasionally flies up to inspect tops of bushes from the air. Will drink brackish water. Breeding. Apr in Spain, Apr-Jun in Algeria and Greece, Apr in Cyprus. Nest on ground, under tussock, shallow depression, lined with grass stems and leaves, with inner lining of softer vegetation, building by both sexes. 3 eggs, smooth and slightly glossy, whitish, sometimes greenish or yellowish, heavily spotted and sometimes blotched dark brown or red-brown, and pale purple. Incubation 16 days. Movements. Resident in southern Europe, Near East and N Africa, though migratory to partially migratory in USSR. Resident over much of west Palearctic range, birds not necessarily sedentary. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. Decreased France, Italy, Greece, Israel and Spain. Israel. In Israel three subspecies M. c. hebraica. Resident in N Negev and C-N Israel. M. c. calandra winter visitor and M. c. psammochroa occasional in winter. |
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