An invisible inhabitant of the fields is a lunar steppe

These small birds of the order of the Falcon - like are now rarely found in the vastness of our Motherland. Lun steppe - the so-called endangered species of birds, which is nevertheless worthy of close study. Let's figure out how it differs from its relatives, why the population decreases.

It may happen that a bird of light-gray color will fly straight out from under the feet of the traveler. If he roamed the fields of the Trans-Urals, then with a high degree of probability it can be argued that he met a rare representative of the family of hawks. He is called the lunar steppe. He is quite different from his relatives.

Appearance

Lun steppe (photo presented in the article) is colored unevenly. The upper plumage is of a blue color. The bottom, as a rule, is pure white. The females are larger and lighter than males. Experts consider the representatives of this species to be the "most slender" of all hawks. Especially from the brethren this species is distinguished by narrow wings, which have a span of up to one hundred and twenty centimeters. In the flight of this inhabitant, the steppe can be confused with a seagull. Only with close inspection this visibility is rapidly melting. Lun steppe has a completely different plumage. Most of all, it can be characterized by the word "pockmarked." In general, the bluish color alternates with dark inclusions, more noticeable on the wings. The female has a white "collar" and the same "eyebrows". I must say that the color of the light is not bright, but muted.

Habitat

Lun steppe settles, as the name implies, among the fields. He prefers the uninhabited locality, so now it can be found only in the Trans-Urals. In the Ciscaucasia, southern Siberia and the European part, it also occurs, but extremely rarely. Sometimes nests in the highlands, the tundra. These birds are to taste marshy places, abundant in vegetation. There, picking up a place where a little moisture, they arrange the nests. Hawks perfectly mask their "settlements", so as not to become a natural prey for other predators. They live not in pairs, but in small groups. Nests are usually located at a distance of one hundred meters from each other. Up to six pairs can be counted in an improvised "settlement". Lun steppe can meet in the mountains. Only there he lives on level "tundra" plots.

Nesting places

Hawks during the breeding period build characteristic houses. For this, a hole up to five centimeters deep is excavated in the earth. The nest is laid out with soft herbs. Around, as a rule, a "protective redoubt" is constructed of coarser stems. In the course are thin twigs, reeds or other. Most often, a couple builds their nest among vegetation, near a swamp or spring. Less often it can be found in the open steppe (uninhabited). If the couple took a fancy to the outskirts of the cultivated field, then most likely, the nest will build among the withered rubble of uprooted bushes and grasses. That is, where the female sitting on the nest, no one will disturb.

Offspring

Like any predatory bird of the falcon family, the lunian lays up to six eggs. Most often there are from two to four. The female does not leave the clutch until the chicks are born. In the event of a threat, both parents try to protect the offspring, fearlessly attacking the "aggressor". They try to lure him away from the nest. The chicks appear after 28 days. Still almost one and a half month need constant guardianship of parents. The male always feeds his girlfriend, and then the brood. Survival of offspring does not exceed fifty percent. Babies are an easy prey for predators, despite the constant care of the female. The first few days they are covered with light down, so that they are visible from afar. Then the color of the plumage changes.

Threats and protection

There are few natural enemies in this species of hawk. These include only larger feathered predators, such as the steppe eagle or burial ground. Nevertheless, the population of the lunya is constantly shrinking. The main reason - the life of a person, which prevents the preservation of the "food base" of this inhabitant of the steppes. By the way, lun is not fastidious in eating. Most often, it hunts small rodents, than it helps a person to preserve the harvest. It can do catching small birds or insects, it happens that they are content with lizards. Like all birds listed in the Red Book, this hawk is protected by the state. His capture is prohibited. There is no information about the breeding.