| י 383) זמיר הירדן | ||||||||||
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:זמיר הירדן . דומה לזמיר מנומר, אך חסר את הנימור וזנבו ערמוני חלקי גופו העליונים חומים ערמוניים, החזה וצידי גופו חומים-אפרפרים . לעומת בטנו הלבנבנה. שירתו מיוחדת במינה במגוונם ועוצמתם של צליליו ומכאן שמו בית גידולו משתרע באירופה כולה למעט צפונה ומזרחה, ובחלקו של האזור . האירנו-טורני. זמיר הירד זו הציפור הלאומית של אירן מקום חיותו יערות וחורשות רחבי עלים שקרקעיתם מוצפת מים, עצים ושיחים . לאורך גדות מים , בארץ נמצאים שלושת תת המינים, עוברי אורח שכיחים למדי באביב ברוב חלקי הארץ . ומבקרי ודוגרי קיץ בבקעת הירדן ...אמר רב יהודה בניא (כניה) שרי ברדא אסירי .... חולין סב, ע"ב | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
L. m. megarhynchos Europe and N Africa, in S USSR east to Crimea and Taman peninsula, in Middle East to C Turkey and Levant. . L. m. africana Caucasus and E Turkey, and Iran. L. m. hafizi Aral Sea and E Turkmeniya to Mongolia. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
16-17 cn, 21-26 g, wingspan 23-26 cm. Medium-sized, graceful chat, with alert, rather upright carriage, noticeably uniform plumage, and skulking habits. Russet-brown above, warmest on tail, dull brown-grey below, with paler throat and vent, pale eye-ring emphasizes gentle expression. Flight flitting and low. Song rich and fluty. Sexes similar, no seasonal variation. Habitat. Breedsin west Palearctic in middle and lower-middle latitudes, with some oceanic hias, in mild and warm temperate, Mediterranean, and steppe climatic zones. Differs from Thrush Nightingale in more southerly, westerly, and generally somewhat warmer breeding range, less restricted to lowlands, valleys, and neighbourhood of water in most regions, and more ready to inhabit drier sandy soils and sunny hillsides. Food and Feeding. In breeding season, terrestrial invertebrates, especially beetles and ants. Feeds on ground, taking food mostly from litter layer but also from bare ground and from leaves or twigs or while gripping bark. Move on ground by long hops with also drop on to prey from perch and catch insects in flight. Breeding. May-Jun in Europe. Nest site on ground or slightly above, in twigs and undergrowth below scrub, or in dense herbage. Nest bulky cup of dead leaves and grass, lined with finer materia, and feathers, occasionally domed, building by female only. 4-5 eggs, sub-elliptical, smooth and very slightly glossy, pale blue, green, or green-blue, finely speckled and mottled pale red-brown, often no more than a general reddish tinge. Incubation 13 days by female only. Movements. Migratory, wintering in Afrotropics and one area of Iraq. Western populations, nominate megarhynchos, winter between Sahara and rain forest from West Africa E to Uganda. European breeding birds leave in autumn between Jul-Sep, with peak passage through British birds observatories on S and W coasts in late Aug. Eastern population africana and hafizi winter mainly in Kenya and Tanzania, though movements and wintering areas confused by difficulties of separating the two races. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. Decreased in west Europe, but in France estimated over 1 million pairs. Israel. In Israel three subspecies L. m. megarhynchos the common form passage. L. m. africana a quite common passage migrant, breeder in Jordan River. L. m. hafizi very rare, recorded only in Eilat. |
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