BIRDWALKERMONDAY

This Blog contains Wildlife and Bird Photos from Walks, Safaris, Birding Trips and Vacations. Most of the pictures have been taken with my Nikon P900 and P950X cameras. On the right of the page are labels for each species of Bird/Animal etc. Click on a label and it will show all of the photos taken for that species. I am adding as much information for each species as I can from sources Wikipedia. To see any pictures at full size just click on the picture.

Saturday 27 May 2017

15-11-2015 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EGYPTIAN LOCUST (Anacridium aegyptium)

These grasshoppers inhabit trees and shrubs, scrub land, maquis, and orchards in warm and bright environments, at an elevation from sea level to 1,500 m.

Anacridium aegyptium is one of the largest European grasshoppers. Adult males grow up to 30–56 mm (1.2–2.2 in) long, while females reach 46–70 mm (1.8–2.8 in) in length. Their bodies are usually gray, brown, or olive-coloured, and their antennae are relatively short and robust. The tibiae of the hind legs are blue, while the femora are orange. The hind femora have characteristic dark marks. They are also easily identified by their characteristic eyes, which have vertical black and white stripes. Their pronota show a dorsal orange stripe and several small white spots. The wings are clear with dark marks.

This species is a folivore, essentially feeding on leaves of various plants. It is a solitary species, harmless to crops. Adults are mainly seen in August and September, but they are active throughout the year. After mating, these grasshoppers overwinter as adults. Spawning occurs in spring just under the soil surface and the nymphs appear in April. These grasshoppers undergo several molts. Nymphs differ from adults in appearance; their color varies from yellow to bright green and ocher and the wings are absent or small, as they are gradually developed after each molt.

15-11-2015 MONTE CORONA - COAL TIT (Periparus ater)

The Coal tit (Periparus ater) is a small passerine bird widespread and common resident breeder throughout the temperate to subtropical Palearctic, including North Africa.

The Coal tit has a distinctive large white nape spot on its black head. The head, throat, and neck of the adult are glossy blue-black, setting off the off-white sides of the face (tinged grey to yellow depending on subspecies) and the brilliant white nape; the white tips of the wing coverts appear as two wingbars. The underparts are whitish shading through buff to rufous on the flanks. The bill is black, the legs lead-colored, and the irides dark brown. The young birds are duller than the adults, lacking gloss on the black head, and with the white of nape and cheeks tinged with yellow.

Coal tits are found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They are all-year residents throughout almost all range, making only local movements in response to particularly severe weather; only the Siberian birds have a more regular migration. Coal tits prefer humid conifer forests but also frequent shrubland, conifer plantations, gardens, and urban areas.

Coal tits are social birds and often form small flocks in winter with other tits. They resemble other tits in acrobatic skill and restless activity, though they more frequently pitch on a trunk, and in little hops resemble a treecreeper. Coal tits are active during the day spending most of their time searching for food trees. They also visit gardens to feed on a variety of foods put out, particularly sunflower seeds. While searching for food, Coal tit flocks keep contact with incessant short 'dee' or 'see-see' calls. Their song is a strident 'if-he, if-he, if-he', heard most frequently from January to June, but also in autumn. The song resembles that of the Great tit, but much faster and higher in pitch. North African birds also have a 'currr' call similar to that of the European crested tit which is not found in Africa.

Coal tits breed once per year between March and late July. They prefer to nest in a hole in a rotting tree stump, often low down, and the nest is deep within the hole; holes in the ground, burrows of mice or rabbits, chinks between the stones in walls, old nests of Pica magpies or other large birds, and squirrel dreys are also occupied. The materials, moss, hair, and grass, are closely felted together, and rabbit fur or feathers are added for the lining. The female lays 7 to 11 red-spotted white eggs and incubates them for 14-16 days. The chicks hatch blind and helpless and remain in the nest for about 14 to 19 days.

Being common and widespread, Coal tits are not considered threatened at present; however, in central Europe, they experience a shortage of insect prey caused by industrial pollution.

Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Coal tit is 90,000,000-164,999,999 mature individuals. In Europe, the breeding population consists of 15,900,000-28,800,000 pairs, which equates to 31,800,000-57,500,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.