| י 514) חצוצרן מדבר | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
:חצוצרן מדבר | קטן יחסית וחסון, מקורו עבה וקצר, בקיץ צבע נוצות הזכר ורדרדים . במצחו וגחונו, עורפו וגבו חומים-ורודים. מקורו מאדים . בחורף צבעי הזכר דהים כמו של הנקבה והמקור מצהיב . בית גידולו משתרע מהאזור האירנו-טורני ועד מרכז אסיה ובאזור הסהרו-סינדי . בית חיותו מדבריות טרשיים וסלעיים דלי צמחיה ובקרבת מקור מים . בארץ יציב שכיח באזורים המדבריים, החצי-מדבריים והערבה . במערב הארץ ובצפון ומרכז הנגב
Subspecies and Distribution. | B. g. amantum Cnary Is. B. g. zeditze N Africa from Mauritania through Magrhreb and Libya to W and N Egypt, also S Spain and N Niger. B. g. githaginea C and S part of Nile valley and S-E desert of Egypt, S to N-C and N-E Sudan. B. g. crassirostris W Arabia, Sinai, Levant, S-C Turkey E through Bahrain, Iran, and Transcaucasia to Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and W Pakistan. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם
Descriptive notes.
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12-14 cm, 16-22 g, wingspan 25-28 cm. Rather small, stocky finch with bulbous bill, deep head, and rather short tail. Plumage rather uniform dusky or sandy-pink, with orange to wax-red bill, large dark eye, darker flight and tail-feathers, slightly paler rump, and orange-flesh legs. Song distinctive. Sexes dissimilar, some seasonal variation. Habitat. Patchily distributed across warm arid mainly lowland or hilly subtropical regions from western Sahara across North Africa and Middle East. Concentrates in deserts, semi-deserts, and steppes with minimum of vegetation and much stony or gravelly surface, preferably fronted by rocky crags or vertical exposures with plenty of crevices and sparse growth of small bushes and grasses. Lives mainly on ground but require daily access to water and is ready to fly some distance to it, especially towards Food and Feeding. Diet seeds and other parts of grasses and low herbs, also a few insects. Forages almost wholly on ground, generally in rocky areas with scattered semi-desert vegetation. Flits, creeps, and runs mouse-like around stones and shrubs searching for seeds. Breeding. Eggs laid early May in S Spain, 1st half of Mar in Canary Is., Feb-Jun in N-W Africa, 1st clutch Mar-May , 2nd May-Jun in Israel. Nest site, depression on ground under rock, shrub, tussock, etc., in cleft between stones, or in cavity in rock face or wall of house, generally 3-6 m above ground. Nest, untedy foundation of small twigs, stalks, roots, rough grass, etc., neatly lined with dry grass, plant down, wool, hair, and feathers. 4-6 eggs, sub-elliptical to short oval, smooth and slightly glossy. Pale blue, sparsely marked with rusty to purplish-black spots and speckles, generally at broad end. Sometimes small reddish-violet under-markings. Incubation, 13-14 days, by female only. Movements Resident and dispersive or nomadic. Need for daily water-supply leads to erratic movements, also to temporary colonization and frequent small-scale changes of range. In N Africa zeditzi, erratic pattern of movement leads to local abundance in some years and absence in others, both in summer and winter. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. Has recently spread in Spain, Morocco, and Israel. In Israel estimate a few thousand pairs. Israel. In Israel subspecies B. g. crassirostris common resident and dispersive in most highland deserts of S C and E Negev, the Arava through Judean Desert, Dead Sea Depression to Shomron Desert.
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