י 483) ירגזי מצוי

Great Tit
Great Tit
Great Tit








Parus major
Parus major
Parus major


:ירגזי מצוי
. גדול, בעל זנב יחסית גדול, בעל מקור עבה וחד וראשו גדול ומעוגל
. בולט בראשו השחור לבן, וגחונו הצהוב אשר במרכזו סינור שחור
. בית גידולו משתרע באזור הטרנספליארקטי והאורינטלי, בכל סוגי האקלים מלבד בטונדרה
. בית חיות אזורים מיוערים במגוון מינים אותם הוא מעדיף על פני מחטניים
, בארץ יציב ושכיח ביותר בעיקר במישורים וההרים של מרכז וצפון הארץ
. חודר לצפון הנגב אף לסיני
Subspecies and Distribution.
Major Group.
P. m. major Eurasia from Scandinavia and France E to Altai mountains, S to N and C Spain, C Italy, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Azarbaijan, and Transcaucasia.
P. m. newtoni Britain and Ireland, grading into nominate in S-E England, N-W France, belgium, and Netherlands.
P. m. corsus Portugal, S Spain, and Corsica. P. m. mallorcae Balearic Is. P. m. ecki Sardinia.
P. m. excelsus N-W Africa. P. m. aphrodita S Italy, Sicily, S Greece, E to Lesbos, Samos and Kos, also Cyprus, grading
into nominate in Makhedonia, Albania, and S and S-W Yugoslavia.
P. m. niethammeri Crete. P. m. terraesanctae Levant, from Syria to Israel and Jordan.
P. m. blanfordi Iran and N Iraq. P. m. karelini Talysh area and N Iran.
P. m. kapustini Alatau and Mongolia Altai E to Sea of Okhotsk, N Manchuria, and Amur river.
Cinereus Group.
About 9 races frome Transcaspia and N-E Iran E to India to S-E Asia
Minor Group.
About 10 races from S Tibet E to China and Japan and N to Amur valley in E USSR. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם
Descriptive notes.
13-14 cm, 14-18 g, wingspan 22-25 cm. Large tit, with quite long and broad tail, quite heavy and spiky bill, and rather large domed head. Body and tail like Sylvia warbler.
Plumage basically blue-green above and yellow below, white-cheeked black head, black central stripe on underbody, and white wing-bar and tail edges.
Sexes closely similar, some seasonal vareation.
Habitat. Breeds in west Palearctic from higher to lower middle latitudes, continental and oceanic, in coolest and warmest forest zones, from subarctic to Mediterranean, and marginally in steppe and semi-desert.
Extralimitally in Asia extends deep into tropics. Able to ascend mountains to treeline exceptionally 1900 m. But is much more a lowland species, disliking pure coniferous forest, and preferring mixed types and preferring mixed types and more open or even fragmented and scattered tree cover may be less important than structure and density of undergrowth.
Food and Feeding.
Wide variety of insects, especially Lepidoptera and Coleptera, also spiders. Significant amount of seeds and fruit in winter. In winter, forages in wide variety of sites but mainly below 6-7 m. In spring, feeding height generally rises suddenly to above 9 m when feeding on caterpillars. In winter, takes insects from bark, twigs, walls, and leaf litter, and may move nearer to human habitation to feed at bird-tables, etc.
Breeding.
Laying begins Apr over most of west Palerctic, Mar-Apr in lowland areas in south, May in north. in extreme south (Israel), usually begins mid Feb.
Nst site, in tree-hole or, if not available, in wall or other man-made structure of any kind.
Nest, foundation mainly of moss, often with some dry grass or other vegetable matter, thickly lined with hair, wool, and often feathers.
3-18 eggs, sub-elliptical, smooth, not glossy. White, very variably speckled or spotted reddish-brown, often with concentration at broad end, underlying spots violet or violet-grey.
Incubation, 12-15 days, by female alone.
Movements.
Resident over much of southern and central part of range and irregular eruptive migrant from northern areas, sometimes moving in huge numbers. Altitudinal migrant from some of highest breeding areas.
Status and Conservation.
Not globally threatened. Populations increasing and spread in all Europe.
Israel.
In Israel subspecies P. m. erraesanctae abundant resident in low-lying and mountainous of central and northern Israel, penetrating N Negev.

P. m. terraesanctae
in Israel

P. m. aphrodita

P. m. major

Minor Group.

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