Duck ogar (red duck) what does it look like? Duck ogar: photo

Duck ogari is a waterfowl that belongs to the family of ducks. In many cultures of different peoples, including Slavic, ogar was considered a sacred bird. In the Altai, until the Second World War, this bird was not mined. Only the threat of death from hunger forced the locals to hunt this amazing bird.

Description

How does a duck ogari look like? A large bird weighing up to 1600 grams, on high legs. In appearance, it looks more like a goose, especially in flight. The adult in length can reach 70 cm, the wingspan - up to 145 cm. Ogari swim, swim, fly and run.

Duck ogari (its photo is in the text) is distinguished by a beautiful red plumage. At the beginning of the season, the color is darker, almost chocolate, burns over the summer and becomes bright red with a reddish tint. This color of plumage is practically all over the body of the bird. Only on the head it is lighter. Flap wings, tail and nadhvoste black black, with a greenish tint.

In addition, the covering feathers on both sides of the wing have well-marked white spots. On the minor feathers on the leading edge, a speck of green is clearly visible - a "mirror". The beak and legs are black.

In the mating season, the male on the upper part of the neck has a black edging. After molting, this "collar" disappears. Almost white feathers are seen on the sides of the head. The youngsters have a dimmer plumage, they are more reminiscent of female ogarya, covering feathers, rather gray than white.

Habitat

Wild ducks ogari have a fairly extensive halo: Turkey, northwest Africa, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Russia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Romania, India, China.

Despite such a wide geography, in some countries the population of birds is steadily declining due to economic activity of a person. There were times when wild ogari settled in the city.

A vivid example is the Moscow population. It is believed that it appeared in 1948 from birds that flew from the zoo. It was at this time that the birds living in the Moscow zoological garden stopped cutting their wings.

Birds have bred, live mainly on the grounds of Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, Timiryazevsky Park and Kuskovo Forest Park. For the winter they do not fly away, preferring to spend the winter on ice-free water bodies. Do not forget about their "small homeland" - the Moscow Zoo, where in the severe season they are always fed by the staff of the institution.

Features

Duck ogar has a number of characteristic features peculiar only to this species of birds:

• They do not live in packs, preferring couples (they gather in flocks only during moulting or wintering);
• Although they refer to waterfowl, do not need spacious reservoirs for normal living;
• In the period of mating games, the female chooses drake;
• A selfish bird, does not tolerate rivals in its territory and drives away birds of his species from the occupied pond.

Duck ogari (photo of her really causes admiration) has a loud voice, which he enjoys with pleasure. True, her cry is more like an ass, and in females it is louder and sharper.

Food

The fodder, or red duck, looks for itself at dusk or at night. Happy bird resting. Ogari eats both vegetable and animal food. Food for birds can serve as worms, small beetles and other insects. Duck ogari on occasion can pick up and carrion.

On ponds, birds filter the water in search of food. Can eat crustaceans, small fish and frogs. But still prefer to get food on land. They graze in the meadows, plucking young greenery. In autumn, seeds of winter crops are pecking in the fields. A smart bird selects on the roads grain, spilled during transportation.

Reproduction

After returning from wintering in March, when the ice did not get out on the ponds, the ogari begin to look for a pair. The initiative is shown by the female. The drake can only stand on one leg or, with his head down and dragging his wings, circling around his future "wife".

Ogar, or red duck, for nesting choose the burrows of foxes and other normal animals. Can arrange a nest in the cleft of the rock or in the hollow of a tree. Suitable and old abandoned buildings, and steep slopes on the shore of water. By the way, the pond is not the main thing in choosing a place for a nest. It can be located at a distance of 2-3 km from it.

Birds are monogamous, they create couples for many years. Some even nest prefer the same thing from year to year. After mating and preparing a nest (it must be lined with a thick layer of white fluff), the female lays one egg each day. Eggs of milk or cream color, weighing 80 grams. In total there are 8 to 12 eggs in the clutch, sometimes there are more - up to 18 pieces.

After the duck takes the last egg, it sits on the masonry. In the period of incubation the male is very aggressive and does not allow anyone to enter his territory. The instinct of nest protection is so strong that the bird does not always adequately perceive the situation and without hesitation can attack a larger opponent.

After 30 days, ducklings appear. Fluffy chicks are pure white, except for the top of the head - it is black and has a brown back. Duck ogarh immediately takes them to the pond. Kids swim and dive. Parents, both equally, take care of the chicks up to two and a half months until they stand on the wing.

Sexual maturity of the young reaches to two years. During this period ducks begin to create pairs.

Breeding in captivity

Ogar, or red duck (a difference only in the name), multiplies perfectly in captivity. They quickly get used to the person and the conditions of detention. Aggressive behavior during incubation and desperate protection of their chicks forces the owners of the ogarhs to allocate to them a separate fenced area.

The usual conditions of maintenance, as for other breeds of ducks :

• In the summer period a barn with bedding for spending the night, walking with water (even a bath will do);
• In winter a warm room with abundant bedding and constant access to a water bowl.

The beautiful instinct of hatching and the natural fortress of the kids allow to keep the hatched chicks at 100%.

Water is necessary for birds, it can be a natural or artificial pond. In order to get well-fed ducks weighing 3-4 kg, and drakes - up to 6.5 kg, the bird should be abundantly fed. Add to the diet bran, grain, waste from the table. The quality of meat depends on the diet of the feed, with the right amount of tender low-fat dietary meat. In addition to meat, from red ducks can get up to 120 eggs and fluff of high quality.

The bird is also of interest from the point of view of settling artificial park reservoirs. She quickly finds a place for nesting and gets used to a person.

Hunting

Meat ogari in the fall with the transition to vegetable food is very tasty, without any tastes.

They are hunted, as well as other ducks. Usually from the skada made near the pond. The only thing that is paid attention to the experienced hunters when hunting for this bird: if possible, shoot at once a couple. In the event of the death of one of the ogareys, the second will circulate above the place of death of the partner and screaming sadly. The spectacle is unpleasant and heartbreaking. Still get a bird in places of molting and during migration.