Fagiano di monte
Lyrurus tetrix
Maschio distintivo, con coda lunga a forma di lira e copritrici del sottocoda bianche; mostra una striscia alare bianca in volo. Femmina marrone caldo con fitta barratura scura; confrontare con la più piccola e più rossiccia Pernice bianca (conosciuta in Gran Bretagna e Irlanda come “Red Grouse”), che mostra una coda uniformemente scura in volo. All'inizio della primavera, i maschi si radunano all'alba per esibirsi, aprendo a ventaglio le loro code profondamente biforcute e gonfiando le copritrici del sottocoda bianche mentre emettono un richiamo basso e ronzante. L'habitat varia nell'areale, ma generalmente predilige foreste più aperte e margini forestali, così come steppe montane, brughiere e torbiere. Nelle parti meridionali dell'areale, come le Alpi, predilige foreste più dense con conifere.
Tassonomia
The black grouse was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tetrao tetrix. Both Tetrao and tetrix come from Ancient Greek words referring to some form of game bird. The black grouse is now placed in the genus Lyrurus that was introduced in 1832 by the English naturalist William John Swainson.<p>The male and female are sometimes referred to by their folk names, blackcock and greyhen, respectively. These names first occur in the literature with John Ray in 1674. Heathcock and Heathhen are also common names.<p>The black grouse has six recognized subspecies. Black grouse populations differ slightly in size and coloration, with birds increasing in size further east of their range:
- Nome scientifico
- Lyrurus tetrix
- Autorità
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Ordine
- Galliformi
- Famiglia
- Phasianidae
- Genere
- Lyrurus
Areale e habitat
Black grouse can be found on open habitats across Europe (Swiss-Italian-French Alps especially) from Great Britain through Scandinavia, Estonia and across Russia. Although believed to once to live in Ireland, it now no longer resides there. In Eastern Europe they can be found in Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Romania and Ukraine. There is a population in the Alps, and isolated remnants in Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It formerly occurred in Denmark, but the Danish Ornithological Society (DOF) has considered it extinct since 2001. The species disappeared from Bulgaria in the 19th century. In Asia, a huge portion of their population can be found in Russia (particularly southern Siberia), though they also inhabit parts of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and possibly Korea.<p>Black grouse are adapted to an extensive array of habitats across Eurasia, though most frequently utilize the transitionary zones between forests and open clearings, especially steppe, heathland, grassland and pasture when near agricultural fields. Depending on the season, they will overwinter in large flocks in dense forests, and feed primarily on the leaves and buds of coniferous and broadleaf trees, such as Scots pine, Siberian larch, silver birch, and Eurasian aspen. Throughout the spring and summer, they tend to favor open spaces to seek potential mates and raise broods, switching their diet to berries, shoots and stems of cranberries, bog bilberries, myrtleberries, and other Vaccinium shrubs. They avoid the most extreme of desert and polar regions.
- Migrazione
- Resident species
Conservazione
Although this species has declined throughout most of its range in western Europe, it is not considered to be vulnerable globally due to the large population (global estimate is 15–40 million individuals) and slow rate of decline. Its decline is due to loss of habitat, disturbance, predation by foxes, crows, etc., and small populations gradually dying out.[citation needed]<p>The IUCN implemented a Black Grouse Action Plan 2007–2010. This has looked at local populations that are vulnerable to the extinction vortex. For example, in Styria, Austria.[citation needed]<p>In the United Kingdom black grouse are found in upland areas of Wales, the Pennines and most of Scotland. Best looked for on farmland and moorland with nearby forestry or scattered trees. They have traditional lek sites where the males display.[citation needed]<p>They have declined in some parts of the UK (especially England), having disappeared from many of their former haunts. They are now extirpated in Lancashire, Derbyshire, Exmoor, East Yorkshire, New Forest, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Quantock Hills, Cornwall, Dartmoor, Kent, Wiltshire and Surrey.[citation needed]<p>A programme to re-introduce black grouse into the wild started in 2003 in the Upper Derwent Valley area of the Peak District in England. 30 grouse were released in October 2003, followed by 10 male grouse in December 2004 and a further 10 males and 10 females in April 2005. The programme is being run jointly by the National Trust, Severn Trent Water and Peak District National Park.[citation needed]<p>Conservation groups helping to revive the black grouse include the RSPB and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.[citation needed]<p>In France there has been much work regarding the birds and their risk of flying into ski-lifts.<p>From 1950 to 2000, local black grouse populations have steadily diminished in Manchuria and northeastern China by about 39%, with birds being most affected (and possibly extirpated) in the Jilin Province. Though the exact causes for local declines remain largely unclear, habitat loss and excess hunting have played a part in the overall reduction. Shifts in their location, however can happen concurrently with the depletion over decades, so short-term research projects may not provide much proof of driving forces behind population alterations.<p>Based on historical info gathered from various sources (including wildlife surveys and scientific papers), aspen, birch, and poplar make up the black grouse's staple diet and habitat. The climate and precipitation during the month of June is also linked to the breeding success of black grouse.
- Tendenza della popolazione
- declining
Foto
Distribuzione
Canti degli Uccelli
Altri Uccelli
Petrello di Jouanin
Bulweria fallax
Una petrella completamente scura, delle dimensioni di un piccione. Molto tozza, con ali larghe e un becco pesante e scuro. Simile alla Petrella di Bulwer, ma la Petrella di Jouanin appare complessivamente più pesante con una coda più corta, un becco più grande e nessun bianco sulle ali. Volatore potente, planando spesso con occasionali battiti d'ala, e rimanendo vicino all'acqua.
Tortora terrestre minuta
Columbina minuta
Piccola colomba poco appariscente di savane e praterie aperte con cespugli bassi sparsi e palme nane; si trova anche localmente in campi di canna da zucchero e pascoli. Solitamente si trova in coppia o in piccoli gruppi, a volte associandosi con altre colombe terrestri. Entrambi i sessi sono piuttosto semplici nel complesso, con caratteristiche macchie viola sul dorso, sebbene il colore sia spesso difficile da vedere. La femmina può essere facilmente confusa con la molto più comune Tortora terrestre rossiccia, che ha anche un petto uniforme, ma la Tortora terrestre rossiccia è più grande e marrone più caldo nel complesso; si notino anche le differenze vocali.
Gruccione nero
Merops gularis
Un gruccione di foresta e margine forestale che a distanza appare interamente nero, ma con buona luce mostra una gola rosso brillante e un ventre, un sottocoda e macchie sul petto blu elettrico. Gli uccelli occidentali hanno una linea oculare nera bordata di blu. Inconfondibile se ben osservato. Il richiamo è un acuto “ji-lip!” che non si sente spesso.
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