Post #14422

Opolovnik: The cutest tit in Russia. But her life is a complete nightmare This is not a piece of cotton candy, this is a bird that you can see outside your window. Meet the long-tailed tit. Perhaps the cutest bird of our region! This tiny bird is smaller in size than a sparrow: weight - 6-10 g, maximum length - 16 cm. But every centimeter is a concentration of charm. Just look at the round shapes! Those beady eyes! In the 19th century, the long-tailed tit was very popular among bird lovers and was considered the most beautiful among small birds, for which it received the name Apollonian. Due to its predominantly light color, the titmouse is also called the snow titmouse. And for the shape of a fluffy scoop with a long handle - a ladle. In general, there are names for every taste. The distribution area is the entire forest zone of Eurasia from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. They prefer deciduous or mixed forests, parks, and dense bushes. The proximity of a body of water is welcome. These birds, if they live somewhere near you, are impossible not to notice. They live in a fluffy flock of 6 to 16 lumps, which constantly flutter from place to place in search of food. The food basket of the polovniks contains exclusively insects, their eggs and larvae. Aphids are held in special esteem. The movement of the flock is accompanied by incessant squeaking and chirping - the birds recognize each other by their voices. The group usually consists of parents, children and family helpers. More about the latter a little later. For now, just live with it. Polovniks are skilled nest builders, and they work together, regardless of gender. They prefer to build the future house in the forks of branches at a height of about three meters. The nest is shaped like an egg, with a flight hole located in the upper part. The materials used are mosses, lichens, and blades of grass. And all this splendor is held together with the help of cobwebs and threads from insect cocoons. In the exterior decoration you can see pieces of birch bark, feathers and even plastic bags - all this perfectly disguises the home from uninvited guests. As the air warms up in early to mid-April, the female begins to lay a clutch. Ultimately, the nest can contain up to 16 eggs - a record among small birds. Only after laying the last egg, the female begins directly to incubate, and after 14 days naked yellowthroats are born, the meaning of life of which is to eat. Up to 350 times a day, the female and male rush back and forth in search of food for their insatiable offspring. Often so-called helpers help parents feed the chicks. Most often, these are their own children from the previous year, who for some reason did not create a pair, or whose nest or clutch was destroyed. If such a polovnik does not dare to re-build a nest and hatch eggs, then he joins the existing family and begins to help with feeding the chicks. The genes are still related and we must carry them into the fu