The world of birds

Did you know...

All day long, hidden among the reed or in the tree tops, birds give away their presence with the singing. Stop for a moment and listen to them! Their singing is enabled by the syrinx which is the most developed in song-birds. Those familiar with birds can tell the different bird species apart by their singing.

Not many animals can take pride in elegance and beauty as the Great White Egret. Its feathers are completely white, and you can distinguish it from other egrets by its yellow bill and thin black legs. When they are mating, their bill gets darker, and they grow magnificent, decorative feathers on their back. In the past, fashion designers used these feathers to decorate women's hats.

THE WORLD OF BIRDS 

Birds belong to a group of vertebrates that stand out for their singing, coloration of feathers and flight. They have drawn people's attention since ancient times. By its constitution, a bird’s body is adapted for flying; short and firm, with strong muscles used for getting their wings to move. Their bones are strong, yet hollow and light.  Birds' feathers form the flight surface of wings, but it also provides protection and thermal insulation. Some male and female birds differ in their feather colour. The male mallard tries to attract the female with its richly coloured feathers, while the female adapts to its environment with the brown colour in order to protect little ducklings from predators.

Birds are very active creatures, their metabolism is fast, therefore they are always in search of food. Simply look at the bill of the Great White Egret or a woodpecker! The shape of a bird’s' bill is adjusted in order to successfully catch food. In order to ensure enough energy to fly, woodpeckers spend the whole day tapping with their bill on the tree's bark to find insects, whereas the Great White Egret catches fish and small animals that live in the water.

From an international aspect, Croatia stands out for its biodiversity and is among the European countries which have a large number of bird species. However, its birds’ fauna is pretty endangered at the same time. Almost half of all endangered bird species are swamp birds, or the birds that live in wet habitats. Swamp birds use swamp habitats to find food, nest or to rest, which makes them dependant on wet areas. A large number of birds in migration build their nests, spend the winter or rest in our swamps.

Anecdotes from the life of Common Kingfishers

Common Kingfishers live by the swamps, lakes and rivers, and they are excellent anglers. They spend most of their day under the water hunting fish, yet they can't even swim. When they spot their prey, they come down into the water almost vertically with the wings tightly pressed to their body, diving a metre deep. After they have caught the fish with a skilful bill, they rise to the surface with the vigorous strokes of their wings.

The Common Kingfisher male is a true gentleman. Before mating, he catches fish and seductively feeds the female with it. He bows with his wings lowered, he stretches out his head in her direction and offers her the fish. A caring father provides enough energy for the female so she could lay 6 to 7 eggs, from which the chicks will hatch.

Kingfishers don't build their nests as most other birds do. The male and female dig a tunnel with their bills on a steep earthen or sandy edge of a lake or river. The tunnel can reach the length of one metre, and there is a ball-shaped extension with the nest at the end.