Characteristics of the gray duck
In the variety of the duck family, the gray duck is popular. In Latin, the name of this species sounds like Anas strepera. It is easy to find it on the reservoirs of the south of Russia. Many people confuse these birds with other birds of this genus: mallards and pintail duck. But, these breeds have differences. Let's figure it out.
Gray duck
Appearance different from others - short description
The mallard is a fairly large bird with noticeably darker feathers than that of the serp. Its weight reaches 2 kg. Another clear difference can be considered light stripes on the tips of the wings (about 1 centimeter, sometimes more). The gray duck is smaller, it weighs up to 1 kg. A rare drake can weigh about 1.5 kg. One glance at the photo will be enough to make sure of this. A feature of the species is the presence of a white mirror on each wing. The drake of this breed is larger than the female, and there is an external similarity between them. Frequent crackling quacking is another difference from males, whose sounds are more like croaking.
The female's light brown feathers are decorated with transverse stripes on the body and bright feathers on the wings. The ducks have a yellowish beak and paws. At the same time, the color of drakes is dominated by a gray color with a small pattern and a white belly. Even its beak is gray. At the time of mating, the male changes plumage, and when the female begins to hatch the offspring, he generally begins to molt. After that, plumage appears on the drake, very similar to the coloring of the female.
Among the people, the gray duck is also known under other names. Among the popular ones are the following:
- half duck;
- sirushka;
- seruha;
- seed and others.
This bird completely sheds its plumage twice a year: completely in summer and a little in winter. During this period, the duck is unable to fly. but for safety reasons it hides in the grass or reeds. These birds were first mentioned in the book "The System of Nature" back in 1758 by Karl Piney. He was engaged in research, the result of which was evidence of the origin of the gray duck from the sickle.
Where do everyone live and what they eat, from duck to ducklings
Photo hunters confirm that the serukha (this is the other name for the birds of this breed) is often found in the southeast of the CIS. There is a high probability of meeting these birds on the islands of the North Atlantic. Recently, the gray duck began to nest in Western Europe. In Russia, this bird can be found in the steppe and forest-steppe regions. It is interesting that birds living in the Baltic countries and in the West of Russia do not fly away from Europe to winter.
To winter, these ducks fly away in flocks to the southern and western coasts of the seas. Their habitat is a shallow body of water with a weak current. Also birds love swamps, swamps, ponds and lakes, but prefer fresh or slightly salted water. It's all about the amount of food growing.
The gray duck prefers a plant-based diet of grass and algae. Only during the breeding season does it add insects and small fish, tadpoles and mollusks to its diet.This bird is able to dive shallowly for prey, but more often it looks out for food in the upper layer of water. Birds also do not disdain grain crops - if there is a sown field near the place of residence, then the birds will certainly visit there.
How to nest and the breeding process
It is interesting to watch the drake ready to mate. With his neck extended upwards, he sits on the water, spreads his tail and croaks loudly. Love games begin in wintering places, from where birds fly in pairs. Birds mate on the water, and chicks are hatched once a year. Nests begin to grow a couple of weeks after returning from warm countries, after rest.
In a well-camouflaged place on the ground, a gray duck builds a nest: first it digs a hole, covers it with grass, and above it with its down. When finished, it is 15 cm deep and 20 cm wide. In exceptional cases, the bird occupies alien, abandoned nests in the trees. One of the cases that compels us to do this is the late flooding of rivers.
In a clutch of serukha, there are most often up to 11 eggs. Rarely - 14. They look small, have a yellowish-olive color. The female is able to lay only one egg a day and only after she has laid everything: she sits down to incubate, making rare breaks for eating. Babies are born in 27-28 days.
Males of this breed are nomads by nature. They are not particularly interested in offspring. The Drakes make constant overnight flights. First, in search of food, and after that they slowly move towards wintering places. Meanwhile, the second stage of molting begins. During it, they lose small feathers. They manage to fly far enough already at the moment when the female is still busy with the growing ducklings.
The duckling has its own diet. He likes beetles, worms and crustaceans. Birds are naturally cautious, so they stay away from forests and dense thickets. When offspring appear, they move to open water bodies. Feathers in young ducklings are formed after 60 days. Then the chicks are already independent and can fly.
Unique view
The small weight of this breed does not hinder hunters, and the gray bird often becomes the same prey as other ducks. Hunting and a decrease in nesting sites have led to a decrease in the population. The gray duck is even listed in the Red Book and is protected by several regions of Russia.
The gray duck belongs to brood birds. What does it mean? It is assumed that the yolk volume in the egg is 35%. It contains food for the chicks for several days after hatching. Babies are born, covered with thick fluff, sighted and able to move. This category includes not only ducks, but also geese, chickens, swans, cranes, etc.
Other Useful Bird Facts
By nature, the gray duck is very wary and suspicious. Excellent eyesight allows her to deftly evade pursuers. Because of this, these birds are difficult not only to hunt, it is even problematic to take a photo. Returning from wintering grounds lasts about 2 months, so it turns out that they arrive home later than other river ducks, in May. Quiet quacking of a flock is a peculiar way of communication. In an effort to enrich their diet, the cherubs fly to wheat fields at night.
In addition to people, the duck has other enemies:
- crows, owls, hawks and seagulls are among the birds;
- raccoons, foxes, minks and weasels are among the animals.
The only way to protect yourself from predators is to hide well in the tall grass. Helps in disguising the discreet color of the feathers. If the female sits on the eggs, she does not leave the nest until the danger comes too close. The gray duck flies noisily, but very easily and quickly. Most often, during the flight, she quacks loudly. From the water surface it takes off almost vertically, which also distinguishes it from fellow tribesmen.
The feathered one is swimming, ridiculously lifting the ass. It's all about the habitat - she lives in shallow water, where there is no need to dive for food, thanks to the ability to be content with the vegetation surrounding the water.However, the bird feels free on the ground.
To fly to warm regions, the birds gather in small flocks. This happens in the middle of autumn, from September to October. A large number of birds are concentrated in the Chelyabinsk region. Here they are especially popular with hunters. Two species of birds: the gray duck and the coot, have a population of about 1 million heads in this region.
Seruha is valued for its high quality meat.
Final part
The gray duck is an endangered species listed in the Red Book. In order to be able to observe her further, you need to protect and protect the representatives of the breed. Just think: in all of Moscow, only 3 cases of breeding of these birds have been recorded. It is interesting that this happened before 2000, now it is difficult to even meet them in the vicinity of the city.
Rare couples are seen, and even then not every year. It is clear that not only hunting is to blame, but also ecology and urbanization. Ducks try to avoid places inhabited by people. And there are fewer and fewer of them in the Moscow region. The same applies to the pollution of water bodies. It turns out that the situation is extremely deplorable, but each of us is capable of influencing it to the best of his ability. And no matter how trite it may sound, but: people, take care of nature!