Crag martin
The Eurasian crag martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It can be confused with the three other species in its genus but is larger with brighter tail spots and different plumage tone.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
In
InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Gl
GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
So
SocialFl
FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
Pa
Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
E
starts withThe Eurasian crag martin has ash-brown upperparts and paler underparts and has a broader body, wings, and tail than any other European swallow. The tail is short and square, with white patches near the tips of all but the central and outermost pairs of feathers. The underwing and undertail coverts are blackish, the eyes are brown, the small bill is mainly black, and the legs are brownish pink. The sexes are alike, but juveniles have buff-brown tips to the plumage of the head, upperparts, and wing coverts.
Eurasian crag martins breed in mountains from Iberia and northwesternmost Africa through southern Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Himalayas to southwestern and northeastern China. Many European birds are resident, but some northern populations and most Asian breeders are migratory, wintering in northern Africa, the Middle East, or India. Crag martins breed on dry, warm, and sheltered cliffs in mountainous areas with crags and gorges. They can also be found in cultivated areas and around human habitations.
Eurasian crag martins are gregarious outside the breeding season and may form sizeable flocks where food is abundant. During migration, they may also sometimes join with flocks of Dusky crag martins and roost communally on ledges of cliffs or buildings. Eurasian crag martins feed by day catching insects in their beak in flight; they will also occasionally take prey items off rocks, the ground, or a water surface. When breeding, birds often fly back and forth near a rock face hunting for insects and feeding both inside and outside the nesting territory. Crag martins typically exploit the area close to the cliff when they hunt, relying on their high maneuverability and ability to perform tight turns. At other times, they may hunt flying above streams or alpine meadows. Crag martins communicate with each other with short high 'pli', and 'piieh' and 'tshir' calls resembling those of the linnet and the House martin respectively.
Eurasian crag martins are carnivores (insectivores). They feed on various flying and aquatic insects including flies, ants, aerial spiders, beetles, stoneflies, caddisflies, and pond skaters.
Crag martin pairs nest alone or in small colonies, usually containing fewer than ten nests. The birds build their nests on average 30 m (98 ft) apart and each pair aggressively defends its breeding territory against other crag martin and most other bird species. Nesting takes place from May to August, and usually, two broods are raised. The nest, built by both adults, is an open half-cup made of mud and lined with soft material such as feathers or dry grass. It is constructed under an overhang on a rock cliff face, in a crevice or cave, or on a man-made structure. It takes one to three weeks to build and is re-used for the second brood and in subsequent years. The female lays a clutch of 2-5 white with brownish blotches eggs and incubates them for 13-17 days to hatching. The chicks remain in the nest for 24 to 27 days until they fledge. Both parents feed the chicks bringing food every two to five minutes, and the young are usually fed for 14-21 days after fledging.
Eurasian crag martins do not face any known major threats at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Eurasian crag martin is 1,210,000-2,280,000 mature individuals. In Europe, the breeding population consists of 182,000-342,000 pairs, which equates to 363,000-685,000 mature individuals. The population in China has been estimated at around 100-100,000 breeding pairs and around 50-10,000 individuals on migration. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...