Red-headed kinglet. Red-headed Kinglet An excerpt characterizing the Red-headed Kinglet
Taxonomic affiliation: Class - Birds (Aves), row - Passeriformes (Passeriformes), family - Kinglets (Regulidae). One of 5 species of the genus, one of 2 species of the genus in the fauna of Ukraine. Nominative subspecies breeds. An endemic subspecies, R. I. tauricus, has been described for the Crimean Mountains.
Conservation status of the species: Invaluable.
The range of the species and its distribution in Ukraine: Nesting area - Sev. Africa, most of Europe, Asia Minor. In Ukraine, nests in the highlands of the Carpathians and Crimea, locally occurs in the West. Polissya. There are known flights to different districts of Ukraine (Odessa, Kherson, Chernivtsi, Lvov, Kiev regions).
Number and reasons for its change More than 90% of the world population is located in Europe (3.3-6.7 thousand pairs), where the status of the species is favorable, the condition of most European populations is stable. In Ukraine, it is distributed locally. The total number is estimated at 400 pairs, in the Carpathians it is not known, in the Crimea it is low (150-200 pairs). In Crimea, males sing in spring, they occur 150-200 m apart (in forests), in the parks of Yalta - 5-6 per 20 ha, in the Carpathians - up to 2-3 per 100-1000 ha of nesting biotopes. Negative factors: an increase in the volume of forestry work during the nesting period, a decrease in the area of old forests, a violation of layering, an increase in the areas of monocultures, which the species avoids.
Features of biology and scientific significance: Nesting migratory bird, in the Crimea it happens in winter. In Crimea, he chooses mountain coniferous forests, as well as forest parks and parks, in the Carpathians - mixed spruce-beech and spruce-beech forests, in the West. Polissya - old pine forests. During periods of migration, it occurs in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. The nesting period in the Crimea is from the end of February, in the Carpathians - from the end of April. During the year, two broods (1st - in May-June, 2nd - June-August). Clutch 7-11 eggs. The female builds the nest and incubates the clutch (14-16 days). Chicks fly out 15-16 days after hatching. It feeds mainly on insects.
Morphological features: A very small bird: body length - 9 cm, weight - 4-6.5 g. The plumage of the top is olive-green, the bottom is whitish with a slight brown tint. The male has a yellow-hot-red spot on the crown, which is outlined in front and on the sides by black, a white “eyebrow” is above the eye, black stripes pass through the eyes. The female has a yellow “cap”, while young birds do not have it.
Population conservation regime and protection measures: Listed in the convention (Appendix II). KKU (1994). Protected in the Carpathian Reserve, Crimean Reserve, Yalta Mountain and Forest Reserve "Cape Martyan", "Gorgany". Unexplained status in Uzhansky, Carpathian, Shatsk National Parks. In Ukraine, it has not been studied enough, a special program is needed to preserve the species.
Reproduction and breeding in specially created conditions: There is no information.
Economic and commercial importance: There is no information.
The smallest bird of Eurasia and North. The yellow stripe on the head caused people to associate with the crown. The size and appearance do not allow calling the bird a king. So the singing baby got a name kinglet. The scientific name of the genus is Regulus, meaning knight, king.
Description and features
The king has three elements that emphasize individuality. These are the sizes, color scheme (especially of the head) and the shape of the body. The usual length of an adult bird is 7-10 cm, weight is 5-7 g. That is, the kinglet is two and a half times smaller than the brownie. With these parameters, he won the title of the smallest bird in Eurasia and North America.
Only some warblers and wren approach the kinglet in terms of weight and dimensions. The kinglet is very mobile, fussy. A small, rushing ball with a crown on its head, declaring itself by singing at high notes. Perhaps, in his appearance and behavior, people saw a kind of parody of crowned persons, and therefore called the bird a kinglet.
Males and females are about the same size, body shape is the same. The plumage color is different. Bright yellow-red stripes in a dark edging are noticeable in males. In exciting moments, when the male is trying to demonstrate his importance, the yellow feathers on his head begin to bristle, forming a semblance of a crest.
There are differences in the plumage of males, females and young kingbirds.
The back and shoulders of the birds are olive in color. The lower part of the head, chest and abdomen are light, of a faint gray-green hue. On the middle part of the wings there are transverse white and black stripes. Next come the longitudinal alternating stripes. In females, the parietal feathers are dimmer, sometimes visible only during the mating season. In general, females, as is often the case with birds, are less impressively colored.
The body shape is spherical. The wings open to a length twice the size of the body - 14-17 cm. One wing is 5-6 cm long. The head does not violate the general rounded outlines of the body. It seems that the bird has no neck at all.
Lively, round eyes are outlined with white feathers. In some species, a dark streak runs through the eyes. The beak is small, pointed. The nostrils are shifted to the base of the beak, each covered with a feather. Only one species - the ruby beetle - has several feathers covering the nostrils.
The tail is not long, with a weak middle notch: the extreme tail feathers are longer than the middle ones. The limbs are quite long. The tarsus is covered with a solid leathery plate. The fingers are strong and developed. On the soles of the hollow to improve the girth of the branch. For the same purpose, the rear finger is extended, it has a long claw on it. The design of the paws indicates a frequent stay on the branches.
Being on bushes and trees, kinglets make acrobatic movements and flips, often hang upside down. Two species - the yellow-headed and ruby kinglet - are not so attached to trees, often catching insects in flight. As a result, they do not have a notch on the sole, fingers and claws are shorter than in other species.
The kinglet in the forest is hardly noticeable. It is more often heard than seen. Males repeat their not very intricate song from April until the end of summer. Song of the King is a repetition of whistles, trills, sometimes at a very high frequency. The singing of males is connected not only with the readiness for reproduction, it is an effective way to declare oneself, about the rights to a given territory.
Kinds
In the biological classifier there is the most numerous order of birds - passerines. It includes 5400 species and more than 100 families. Initially, until 1800, the kinglets were part of the warbler family, which combines small songbirds.
Having studied the morphology of birds in more detail, naturalists decided that the kinglets and warblers have little in common. Created in the biological classifier a separate family of korolkovyh. There is only one genus in the family - these are kinglets or, in Latin, Regulidae.
The biological classifier is constantly being adjusted. New phylogenetic studies add fuel to the fire. As a result, birds that were previously considered subspecies increase their taxonomic rank to become species, and vice versa. To date, seven species of kinglets are included in the family.
- yellow-headed wren. The species is distinguished by a parietal yellow stripe with dark edging. In males, the stripe is wider with a reddish tint. In females - sunny-lemon. It is included in the classifier under the name Regulus regulus. Combines about 10 subspecies. Breeds in coniferous and mixed Eurasian forests.
Yellow-headed, the most common type of beetles
Listen to the singing of the yellow-headed beetle
- Canarian king. Until recently, it was considered a subspecies of the yellow-headed beetle. Now it is separated into a separate form. The Canarian kinglet is characterized by a wider black frame of a golden stripe on the head. Scientists gave the species the name Regulus teneriffae. The main place of residence is the Canary Islands.
- Red-headed kinglet. The color design of the head includes a yellow-orange stripe, mandatory for all kinglets, wide black stripes running from both sides of the yellow crown, white, clearly visible, eyebrows. The classification name is Regulus ignicapillus. It is found in temperate latitudes of Europe and North Africa.
Listen to the singing of the red-headed beetle
- Madeira King. The position in the biological classifier of this bird was revised in the 21st century. Previously considered a subspecies of the red-headed beetle, in 2003 it was recognized as an independent species. He was given the name Regulus madeirensis. The bird is not common, endemic to the island of Madeira.
- Taiwanese queen. The color scheme of the main parietal band differs little from the nominative species. The framing black stripes are slightly wider. The eyes are highlighted with black spots, which are outlined in white. The chest is white. Sides and undertail are yellow. The scientific name is Regulus goodfellowi. Breeds and winters in mountainous, coniferous and evergreen forests of Taiwan.
- Golden King. Feathered with an olive-gray back and a slightly lighter belly. The head is colored approximately the same as in the nominative species. In Latin they are called Regulus satrapa. song wren, goldenhead lives in the United States and Canada.
- Ruby-headed kinglet. The dorsal (upper) part of the birds is olive green. The lower half - chest, abdomen, undertail - light gray with a slight olive tint. The main decoration of the beetles - a bright stripe on the head - can only be seen in males at the moment of their excitement. Scientists call the bird Regulus calendula. It is found in coniferous North American forests, mainly in Canada and Alaska.
Listen to the singing of the ruby-headed beetle
Kings have a distant relative. This is a bird nesting beyond the Urals, in the southern regions of the east. It is called the king chiffchaff. It is similar in size and color to the kinglet. On the head, in addition to the central yellow stripe, there are long yellow eyebrows. Wren in the photo and warbler are almost indistinguishable.
Lifestyle and habitat
Kinglets are forest dwellers, they prefer coniferous and mixed massifs. The habitat of the kinglets coincides with the distribution areas of the common spruce. None of the species breeds north of 70°N. sh. Many species have overlapping habitats.
The nominative species spread over most of Europe. In the Pyrenees, the Balkans, the south appears fragmentarily. The Russian area of habitat ends before reaching Baikal. Ignoring almost all of Eastern Siberia, the kinglet chose the Far East as the easternmost place for nesting. Separate populations settled in the Tibetan forests.
Two species - golden-headed and ruby-headed beetles have mastered North America. The principle of resettlement of birds is the same as in Europe, Asia - bird kinglet lives where there are coniferous perennial forests. Preference is given to spruce trees. But besides spruce, the beetles treat well the common pine, mountain pine, fir, and larch.
All types of kinglets are not afraid of height differences. They can thrive in forests that are at sea level and rise up to 3,000 meters above sea level. Due to the difficulties of observation and the secretive way of life during the nesting period, it is not always possible to determine the exact boundaries of the range.
Ringing did not fully reveal the ways and extent of the migration of kinglets. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately indicate the migration routes of birds. Moreover, many forest dwellers are limited to resettlement in suburban parks and forests, closer to human habitation.
Flights involving small birds are somewhat erratic. Migrant kinglets mingle with native birds. Sometimes they change their habits and wait out the winter in deciduous forests, bushy wilds. Where they form irregular flocks of varying sizes, often in association with small tits.
The German biologist Bergman developed the rule in the 19th century. According to this ecogeographical postulate, similar forms of warm-blooded animals acquire larger sizes, living in regions with a colder climate.
Kinglet is a very small bird, about the size of a hummingbird.
It seems that this rule does not apply to kinglets. Wherever they live in Scandinavia or Italy, they remain the smallest passerines. Within the genus Regulus, the subspecies living near the Arctic Circle are no larger than the kinglets living near the Mediterranean coasts.
Sizes of the kinglet bird too small for the body to generate enough heat. Therefore, birds often spend winter nights united in small bird groups. They find a suitable shelter among the spruce branches and huddle together, trying to keep warm.
The social organization of birds is quite diverse. In the nesting season, beetles lead a paired lifestyle, in other periods they form flocks, without a visible hierarchical structure. These restless groups are joined by small birds of other species. Bird discordant commonwealths often embark on a seasonal flight together or look for a more satisfying place to live.
Nutrition
The basis of the diet of kinglets is insects. Most often, these are arthropods with soft cuticles: aphids, soft-bodied beetles. Eggs and insect larvae are even more valuable. Kings with the help of their thin beak get their food from the cracks in the tree bark, from under the growths of lichen.
Usually kinglets live on the upper floors of the forest, but periodically descend to the lower tiers or even to the ground. Here they pursue the only goal - to find food. Spiders often help them. Firstly, the kinglets eat them themselves, and secondly, they peck out spider prey entangled in sticky threads.
Despite its modest size, the kinglet has a huge appetite.
Less commonly, beetles attack flying insects. The protein diet of the beetles is diversified with the seeds of coniferous plants. They manage to drink nectar, in early spring they were seen consuming birch sap flowing from tree wounds.
Kings are constantly busy looking for food. They interrupt their singing to have a bite to eat. It is explainable. Birds are small, metabolic processes in the body proceed very quickly. Requires continuous feeding. If the kinglet does not eat something within an hour, it may die of hunger.
Reproduction and lifespan
In the spring, the kinglet begins to sing intensely. This indicates the approach of the breeding season. He declares his rights to the territory and calls the female. Kings are monogamous. There are no special tournaments between males. A ruffle and a fluffy crest is usually enough to drive out an opponent.
The couple builds a shelter for the chicks. King's nest- This is a bowl-shaped structure suspended on a branch. The nest can be located at very different heights from 1 to 20 m. In May, the female lays about a dozen small eggs. The short diameter of the egg is 1 cm, the long one is 1.4 cm. The eggs are incubated by the female. The incubation process lasts 15-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents.
King chicks are still dependent on their parents, and the male begins to build a second nest. After the first brood flies on the wing, the whole procedure is repeated with the second clutch. The survival rate of chicks is low, no more than 20%. At best, only two out of 10 will bear fruit next year. This is where the life of little kings usually ends.
King nest with masonry
There is a custom in Ireland. On the second day of Christmas on the day of St. Stephen, adults and children catch the kinglets and kill them. The Irish give a simple explanation for their actions. Once Stephen, one of the first Christians, was stoned to death. The place where the Christian is hiding was indicated to his persecutors by a bird - a kinglet. She still has to pay for this.
One of the versions explaining the names of the kinglets, that is, the little king, is associated with a fable. The authorship of some is attributed to Aristotle, others to Pliny. The point is this. Birds fought for the right to be called the king of birds. For this, it was necessary to fly above all. The smallest hid on the back of an eagle. I used it as a transport, saved my strength and turned out to be above everyone. So the little pichuga became a king.
At the University of Bristol, ornithologists have established themselves in the idea that the kinglets understand not only the signals of relatives and animals adjacent to them. They quickly learn to understand what birds unknown to them are crying about. After a few listens, the kinglets began to clearly respond to the recorded alarm, which had never been heard before.
see also 18.18.1. Genus Korolki - Regulus
Red-headed Kinglet - Regulus ignicapillus
The forehead and eyebrow are white, the crown is orange-yellow, limited by black stripes that join on the forehead.
Breeds in forests of Krasnodar Territory, Kaliningrad and Pskov regions, occurs in Sochi region in winter. The song is a gradually rising thin whistle "fi-fi-fifi-fiu", the cry is a quiet "chi-chi-chi".
On about. Wrangel flew American kinglet - Regulus calendula, without dark and light stripes on the head, with a red spot on the crown of the head and a white throat.
Table 51 . 559 - ladle ( 559a - northern form, 559b - southern form); 560 - whiskered tit (560a - male, 560b - female); 562 - brown sutora; 612 - yellow-headed beetle; 613 - red-headed kinglet; 633 - remez (6ЗЗa - Caspian form, 633b - European form, 633c - Siberian form); 644 - common nuthatch (644a - northern form, 644b - Caucasian form); 645 - black-headed nuthatch; - rocky nuthatch; 647 - common pika (647a - sitting bird, 647b - pattern of movement along a tree trunk); 648 - short-toed pika; 649 - red-winged wall climber (649a - in summer, 649b - in winter).
- - - Aythya ferina see also 6.1.7. Genus Nyrka - Aythya - Aythya ferina Male bluish-gray with a chestnut-red head and neck, black chest and red eyes ...
Birds of Russia. Directory
- - m., assayer ...
Dictionary of the gold industry of the Russian Empire
- - a defect in the form of a ball of metal, separately frozen and not melted with the casting, formed from splashes during improper pouring ...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Metallurgy
- - "...: a frozen drop of the melted top of the pyrometric control cone..." Source: "GOST R 53788-2010. National standard of the Russian Federation. Refractories and refractory raw materials...
Official terminology
- - a genus of birds from the warbler family, with a straight, thin beak, the edges of which are concave, and the nostrils are covered with a leathery scale, a slightly notched tail, a tarsus, dressed in horny tops and loose dense plumage, on the crown of the head ...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron
- - R. kinglet / ...
- - ...
Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language
- - ...
merged. Apart. Through a hyphen. Dictionary-reference
- - lka, husband. 1. Sweet orange variety with reddish flesh. 2. A small forest bird of the passerine order with a bright crown coloration. 3...
Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
- - king, husband. 1. Sweet orange with red flesh. 2. A rooster or chicken of an especially small breed. 3. A small ingot of a noble metal, about the size of a pea, usually obtained from the laboratory processing of ore ...
Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
- - red-headed adj. Having a red head, a head...
Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova
- - ...
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- - redhead "...
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- - ...
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- - noun, number of synonyms: 1 bird ...
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- - noun, number of synonyms: 1 plant ...
Synonym dictionary
"Red-Headed King" in books
red-headed ant
authorred-headed ant
From the book Little Mountain Workers [Ants] author Marikovsky Pavel IustinovichRed-headed ant It looks like the red ant formica pratensis, only its head is brown-red, shiny, and the abdomen is slightly lighter. The scientific name of the red-headed ant is Formica truncorum. He is a resident of the steppes of Europe and Asia, and in Semirechye he lives only in the mountains, on
Wren
From the book Define your totem. A complete description of the magical properties of animals, birds and reptiles by Andrews TadKinglet Key attribute: Courage and resourcefulness Period of activity: Spring There are more than a dozen species of Kinglet. It is a small, squat bird that people often treat with the same fondness as a robin. As a rule, the kinglet has a reddish-brown
red-headed pochard
From the book Encyclopedia of an avid hunter. 500 secrets of male pleasure author Luchkov Gennady BorisovichRed-headed pochard The bird of this species is much more widespread than the white-eyed pochard: it lives in almost the entire European part of Russia, inhabits the forest-steppes and even the steppes of Western Siberia, reaching Baikal itself. The bird loves mainly lakes with thick reeds, on
- Class: Aves = Birds
- Subclass: Ornithurae, or Neornithes = Fan-tailed birds, new birds
- Superorder: Neognathae = New-palatine birds, neognats
- Order: Passeriformes = Passeriformes, passeriformes
- Suborder: Oscines = Singers
- Family: Regulidae = Kings
Species: Regulus ignicapillus (Temminck, 1820) = Red-headed Kinglet
Species: Regulus ignicapillus = Red-headed Kinglet
STATUS. Little-studied species (IV category) Habitat: Rare, little-studied species. Wing length 52-56 mm. Forest zone. Spreading. The northern border of the range enters Russia. Distribution is only approximately known. Bird sightings are confined to the western part of the Greater Caucasus Range and the Black Sea coast in the area of the villages of Lazarevskoye - Khosta, perhaps somewhat wider.
Outside of Russia, it is distributed in the Black Sea region of the Lesser Caucasus, in the Crimean mountains, in Transcarpathia, as well as in the Baltic states (1 - 4). Outside the former USSR, it is found in Western Europe, the Madeira and Canary Islands, Northwest Africa, and northern Asia Minor (1, 3). In recent years, in Europe and in our country, the dispersal of this species to new areas has been noted (5).
The nature of his stay in Russia has not been finally clarified. Obviously, the red-headed kinglet is a sedentary species, making small migrations outside the breeding season. Nesting is expected in the fir forests of the Western Caucasus. The mating behavior of birds was observed in the spring in the area of Krasnaya Polyana. Males with enlarged testicles and a female with an egg ready for laying were also obtained here. In summer, broods of young birds were recorded in the vicinity of Sochi (6). Red-headed beetles regularly winter on the Black Sea coast of the Western Caucasus in forests of various types, mostly deciduous, especially in dense areas with evergreen vegetation (6 - 8).
Number. The total population of the red-headed beetle is unknown. In the fir forests near Krasnaya Polyana in the spring of 1965, there were 1 pair of red-headed beetles per 2–3 km of the route. In the autumn of 1966, a significant number of these birds were recorded near the village of Lazarevskoye, but in the winter of 1960/61 and 1961/62. in the vicinity of Sochi, beetles were not numerous (6 - 8).
limiting factors. Not studied. The limited distribution and low abundance are probably due to the conditions of existence of the species near the boundaries of the range. Security measures. No special security measures were taken. Some part of the population lives within the Caucasian reserve. It is necessary to study the distribution and ecology of the species. Sources of information: 1. Ivanov, 1976; 2. Zhordania, 1977; 3. Stepanyan, 1978; 4. Kostin et al., 1981; 5. Bosak, 1977; 6. Boehme and Stepanyan, 1974; 7. Stepanyan, 1965; 8. Stepanyan, 1966. Compiled by: V. T. Butiev.
http://nature.ok.ru/doc/birds/2_98.htm
Red-headed beetle in the Crimea
Breeds in coniferous forests of Western Europe, Mediterranean islands, North Africa, Asia Minor. There is very little information about this species due to the sporadism of its distribution. In nesting time, this beetle was found in the Carpathians, the Caucasus, and the Crimea. The details of distribution in our country are unknown, biology is little studied.
In Crimea, the red-headed beetle was found in small areas of coniferous forests on the territory of the reserved hunting economy: in 1968 - in the tract Red Stone, in 1975 - in the Central Basin. Both plots are no larger than a few hectares. A thorough examination of similar pine forests in other places of the Crimea did not find these birds. Sedentary or migratory beetles of the Crimean population remains unknown.
Thus, the red-headed beetle occupies the position of a very rare and unexplored species in the fauna of the CIS and Ukraine. The kinglet enters the territory of the CIS at the edge of its range; this bird deserves careful study and close attention as a species whose extinction for some "unknown" and "unforeseen" reasons is not excluded. It is advisable to consider the inclusion of the red king in the list of rare animals of the Red Book.
In order to preserve the species, it is necessary to avoid any forestry work in the places where this species is supposed to nest.
Regulus ignicapilla (Temminck, 1820). It is very similar to the yellow-headed beetle, from which it is quite difficult to distinguish from a distance. But close up, the details of coloring differ well. The red-headed kinglet has a brilliant white eyebrow, a black stripe running through the eye, a black spot behind the eye, a bronze tint on the sides of the neck, a brighter orange-red crown, and the plumage of the body is lighter. The singing of the red-headed kinglet is similar to the singing of the yellow-headed kinglet, but the song ends not with a flourish, like with the yellow-headed kinglet, but with an almost monotonous repetition of one note.
DIMENSIONS
.
Wing 47.4-55 mm.
Tail 36-42 mm.
Metatarsus 16.5-18 mm.
Beak 7.7-8.2 mm.
Weight from 5 g and above.
COLORING
.
In an adult male vertex satin-orange, bordered in front and on the sides by a thick black stripe, accompanied by a narrow lemon-yellow edging. The anterior part of the forehead is ocher-yellowish. A contrasting white stripe extends from it above the eye and ear coverts. Parallel to it, a black stripe passes through the frenulum and eye. White spot under the eye. Very narrow black "whiskers" and gray ear coverts complement the variegated pattern on the sides of the head. The back, shoulders and rump are yellow-green. The sides of the neck are greenish-yellow. The wings are gray-horn in color, with two transverse white stripes on the coverts. There is a black square spot at the base of secondary feathers. Covering brushes form a triangular black spot. All flight feathers with yellow-green narrow edges, and inner secondary ones with light ends. The rudders are the same color as the flywheels. The underside of the body is dirty buffy white, whiter in the middle.
adult female similar to the male, but the stripe on the top of the head is lemon-yellow, the orange color on the head is usually not.
Juveniles in breeding plumage brownish-green above. There are dark gray stripes on the crown and sides of the head.
Beak black; legs light brownish; iris brown.
VOICE
.
Singing is a monotonous repetition of the call sign squeak.
BIOTOPE
.
Coniferous forests: spruce, pine and fir, as well as mixed forests and juniper thickets. In the mountains (Carpathians), according to Kistyakovsky (1950), it does not go as high as the yellow-headed beetle, and is rarely found near the upper border of the forest.
MARRIAGE BEHAVIOR
.NEST
.
The nest is located on spruces, firs and in bushes of juniper, wild rose or in thickets of ivy. It is suspended from branches, has thick walls, a small but deep tray and somewhat tightened edges.
EGGS
.
Eggs 7-12, usually more reddish than the yellow-headed beetle.
Dimensions 14.3-12.5 x 11-10 mm
Full clutches are observed from early May to mid-July. There are two clutches in the summer. Incubation lasts 14-15 days.
AREAL
.
Central and southern Europe: France, Holland, southern Denmark, Germany, the Kaliningrad region and the Lithuanian SSR. To the south it reaches southern Spain, southern France, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and east to the Transcarpathian region and Poland; in addition, nests in the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor (Vadley, 1951).
Thus, the red-headed beetle enters the USSR only in a narrow strip in the west - the Transcarpathian and Kaliningrad regions and the Lithuanian SSR. According to old reports (Loudon, 1909), it breeds in Lithuania, Latvia and possibly Estonia, but according to Taurins and Vilks (1949), it is a rare migrant in Latvia and thus it is hardly possible to assume that it nests in Estonia.
MIGRATION
.
It winters in the Mediterranean, occasionally in Egypt, and finally in Transcaucasia. Returns from winter quarters in March-April.
LITERATURE.
