| י28) שקנאי מצוי | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
|
:שקנאי מצוי עוף גדול, צבעו הלבן מווריד בתקופת הקינון. לראשו ציצית , קצות כנפיו שחורים, כתם צהוב על חזהו, מקורו כחלחל . השק צהוב או ורודרד ורגליו כתומות או ורודות . הצעירים צבעם חום בהיר ההופך לבן עם חילוף הנוצות . בית גידולו מקוי מים מתוקים או מלוחים במקצת, מקנן באיים סמוך לחוף על הקרקע . בארץ מבקר חורף וקיץ מצוי . שקנאי נזכר בתלמוד במסכת חולין ס"ג ע'א ... שקנאי ובטני מקום שנהגו לאכול אוכלין... . Pelecanus יש המפרשים שקנאי = חוברה, כיום משתמשים בשם זה ל | ||||||||||
|
Subspecies and Distribution.
Pelecanus onocrotalus Breeds E Europe to W Mongolia, wintering NE Africa, Iraq to India. | ||||||||||
|
Descriptive notes.
Male 175 cm; 9-15 kg, bill 350 mm; female 150 cm, bill 300-400 mm; wingspan 230-360 cm. Long billed, legs pink, flight-feathers all black from below; feathering on forehead tapers to a point over bill. During breeding, facial skin pinkish-yellow in male, bright orange in female, and legs tinged crimson; forehead swells out to form "knob". Non-breeding adult lacks pinkish tinge to plumage and yellow breast; bare parts duller. Juvenile greyish-brown above, dirty white below, with dull bare parts. Habitat. In Eurasia, fresh or brackish water of lakes, deltas, lagoons and marshes, often requiring extensive reedbeds for breeding In Africa, alkaline or freshwater lakes, sometimes marine; breeds on inselbergs in W Africa, also flat inshore islands. Fishing technique usually demands shallow, warm water. Generally in lowlands, except in E Africa; recorded at 1372 m in Nepal. Food and Feeding Fish mostly 300-600 g, In Europe prefers carp; recorded taking mullet in China and Cyprinodon disparin India; commonest prey in Africa are cichlids. In Africa, generally takes larger fish than P. rufescens, but can survive on abundant small fish: large fish may make up 90% of diet. Estimated daily food requirement 900-1200 g. Normally feeds in groups, often co-operatively, but solitary on occasions. Breeding. Spring in temperate zones, all year round in Africa, starts Feb/Apr in India. Ground nester, habitually in large colonies; vest is usually pile of reeds, sticks, etc, but spmetimes nests directly on almost bare rocks in Africa. Average 2 egg; incubation 29-36 days, chicks hatch naked, grow blackish-brown down; Age of sexual maturity probably at 3-4 years. Movements. Migratory in N populations; arrives Danube Delta late Mar/Apr, leaves Sept/Nov; current wintering grounds of European population unknown. Many Asian breeders winter in Pakistan. Resident and dispersive in tropics and some S temperate sites. Regularly flies long distances from colony to feed probably commutes 100's of km daily between colony at Mogade, Cameroon and Chad. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatend. Has declined dramatically in Palearctic over past century and now considered regionally threatened, although numbers thought to be fairly stable 75,000 counted on autumn mitration through Israel, late 1980's. Israel. In Israel subspecies Pelecanus onocrotalus. Abundant winter and summer visitor. observed throughout the country, |
| |||||||||
| HOME | NEXT | |||||||||
