Bird blower: lifestyle and atypical social organization

Trumpeters are crane-like birds belonging to the family Psophiidae and included in the single genus Psophia. They live in the Amazon basin. Such an unusual name was given for the male cry, associated with the sound of the pipe.

The bird trumpeter resembles a chicken in size. The length of her body rarely exceeds 50 cm, and the mass is close to 1 kg. The head is small, the neck is elongated. The back is arcuate, the tail is shortened. The beak is short, curved downwards, sharp. A somewhat awkward appearance gives it rounded feathers. Legs long with a high back finger.

The color of the tail feathers is dark, but the different color of the inner side of the wings has caused them to be divided into three types: the syrupian trumpeter, the green-winged trumpeter, the white-winged trumpeter. Nestlings of all kinds during hatching have a black-brown fluff, which only after 1.5 months will be replaced by characteristic feathering.

A trumpet bird flies reluctantly. She prefers to eat in the lower tier of the forest. Pieces of fruits, nuts, dropped by monkeys, parrots and other inhabitants of the upper forest tiers, as well as various insects and their larvae make up her diet.

These birds in the way of life belong to the public, move in search of food in groups of up to 12 individuals. In the droughty period of the year, they can walk around Vast territory. Often there are meetings of relatives who run to each other all group quickly and noiselessly. Having approached, they make characteristic loud sounds, waving their wings, shouting. The battle lasts until the weaker group escapes.

In the groups of these birds a hierarchy is developed. The weaker individual crouches, approaching the dominant, and the latter slightly flinches with his wings. The leader periodically demands food, which the subordinates willingly bring to him. In their spare time, the group members can arrange imaginary fights, flap wings, create simulated attacks. Night trumpeter holds a bird on a tree. After some time, there are cries of the members of the group, indicating that their territory is in order.

According to the social organization of the bird, the trumpeter is different from many representatives of the birds. Co-operative polyandry, that is, cohabitation of the dominant female with several strong males, was brought about by nature. With this way of existence, the probability of saving offspring from predators is significantly increased.

About 60 days before the laying of eggs, courtship begins. The bird of the squad of the cranes looks puzzled about finding a place for the nest. It, as a rule, is justified at the fork of large branches or in a high-lying hollow tree. Strong males proceed to ritual feeding of the dominant female and vytantsovyvayut before it. Between them there is a competitive struggle for the right to own. Having made a choice, the female turns backwards, demonstrating readiness for copulation.

Eggs in the masonry are about 3. Periodic incubation is carried out by the female and all the males of the group. This period lasts approximately 27 days. Hatching chicks at the initial stage completely depend on adults.

An interesting fact: a bird of the golden-chested trumpeter, who lives in Africa, is capable of producing sounds similar to drum beats. Since it is easily tame, the aborigines of those places began to use it with a sentry target.