The oriole (Carduelis spinus) is a bird of the genus Goldfinch. The male's head and chin are black, and the wing spots and tail base are bright yellow; The female bird's head and chin are not black, with strong gray-green markings; The lower body is dark yellow with light black stripes; Male birds can show bright yellow wing spots, waist and tail base when flying. It is distributed from southern Europe to Egypt and east to Japan, Korean Peninsula and China. Living in mountains, hills and plains, autumn and winter are more common in plains or shelterbelts at the foot of mountains. It feeds on the fruits and seeds of many plants, as well as the fruits, seeds and buds of alder, birch, elm, pine and gymnosperms, as well as crops, weeds such as thistle, sunflower and absinthe and a small amount of insects.
The yellowbird has a body length of12cm, a weight of10-14g and a life span of1/year. [1] Male adult bird (spring feather): the forehead, head and pillow are black, and the pillow feather is slightly grayish yellow; Eyes are gray first; Eyebrows are bright yellow; Eye lines are short and black; Ear feathers are dark green; Cheeks are yellow; The back of the neck is green, and the feather edge is yellow; The waist is bright yellow, the feather tip is dark, and there are brown feathers near the back; The tail is covered with brown feathers and has bright yellow edges; The yellowbird (Figure 3) has a pair of tail feathers in the center, which are dark brown and bright yellow at the edge; The base and inner segments of the outermost pair of tail feathers are bright yellow, and the end and inner segments are brown. The rest tail feathers are bright yellow at the base, dark brown at the end and yellow at the edge; Kohane and Zhongyu are brown, with yellow-green edges and wide; The big feather is dark brown and the tip of the feather is bright green; Small feathers are black, with yellow edges and white tips; Primary feathers are dark, and feathers are green and yellow; The base of flight feathers is bright yellow, the end is dark brown, and the outer edge is yellow-green; The tips of all flying feathers are grayish brown; The center of chin and throat is black, and the tip of feather is yellow; Bright yellow chest; The abdomen is grayish white and slightly yellow; Feathers under the wing and tail are grayish white with dark brown dry lines, feathers under the wing and armpit are pale yellow, and the roots of the former are black. Male adult birds (autumn feathers): The body feathers are yellow, green and black, which are not as bright as the spring feathers of yellowbird (Figure 4), but the dry lines of feathers are more obvious. Female adult birds: the forehead, top of the head, side of the head and canopy are almost brown-green, but there are dark brown feathers; There are green and yellow stripes on the waist; The lower body is light green, yellow or yellow-white, with some thick brown feathers, especially on the side abdomen; The rest are male birds. Young bird: similar to the female bird, but brown in color and less yellow, so the waist, eyebrow line and cheeks are pale yellow; The stripes on the upper body are thick, and the lower body is mostly white with black spots; Wing spot with yellow skin. The iris is almost black; The mouth is dark brown and the lower mouth is light; Dark brown legs and feet. [2]
[Edit this paragraph] Distribution scope
The distribution map of oriole is distributed in Eurasia and northern Africa, including the whole of Europe, Africa north of the Tropic of Cancer, Arabian Peninsula and Asia north of Himalayas-Hengduan Mountain-Minshan Mountain-Qinling Mountain-Huaihe River. Northeast (North and South), Inner Mongolia (East), Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan Province, Sichuan (Nanchong, Wanxian) and Guizhou (Huishui).
Living habits
Yellowbird (Figure 5) Yellowbird has a wide habitat, which can be seen in both mountains and plains. In mountainous areas, it is mostly in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests and coniferous forests; The plains are mostly in the jungle of miscellaneous forests and flooded plains, and sometimes in parks and nurseries. In the breeding period, apart from living in pairs, they often gather into dozens of groups, and there is a phenomenon of integrating large groups during the spring and autumn migration. Sex is not timid, but it is very hidden during the breeding season. Usually when wandering, I like to land on the top of a dense tree. It is often that a bird flies first and then the group follows. Fly fast and go straight ahead. The most typical calls of yellowbird are bell-shaped or tin-shaped "toolee" and "Tsuu-ee", and there are also pure "tet" or "tet—tet" sounds. When flying, the yellowbird trills "Tirrillit" or "Twillit" and "tittereee" (Figure 6); Singing is more of a mixed melody of metal sound and vibrato, and it is decorated with breathing sound. In its territory, the male always stands in a high vantage point or sings when flapping his wings slowly like a bat; From the end of winter to the relocation, it is often sung in the form of short bursts or songs. The food of yellowbird generally varies with seasons and regions; Spring-eating buds in Northeast China, wild plant seeds, gymnosperms seeds, COLEOPTERA insects; In summer, many kinds of insects feed their young, especially aphids; In autumn, they eat berries, grass seeds, barnyard grass, millet and so on. In Hebei, they eat a lot of seeds, berries and insects. When traveling in China and Henan in spring and autumn, they mainly eat seeds of various plants and a small amount of aphids. In the wintering area, plant food is the main food. The stomachs of five birds were dissected in Guizhou from June to February, 5438, of which 55.6% were fruit trees, 22.2% were grass seeds and 22.2% were rice. [2]
[Edit this paragraph] Growth and reproduction
Yellowbird (Figure 7) The breeding area of yellowbird is very wide, from Europe to eastern Siberia and Japan, and it breeds in the north of Genhe River in Daxing 'anling, China and in the area of Along Mountain. When the yellowbird first arrives at the breeding area, the male bird immediately makes a pleasant call and is very active, often flying back and forth between branches or trees. Soon, the male spread his tail feathers, flapped his wings rapidly and chased the female. Yellowbirds (Figure 8) mostly nest on flat branches of pine trees or small trees under forests. The nest is very secluded and consists of cobwebs, fresh moss, wild silkworm cocoons, fine roots and fibers. Quite delicate, deep cup-shaped. The inner pad is made of fine fibers, animal hair, feathers and tidbits. Both males and females participate in nesting, but females are dominant. Each nest lays 4-6 eggs; Output at the end of May or early June. Each nest lays about 14 eggs, which are bright blue to blue-white, with reddish-brown lines and spots. The average size of an egg is16.3 (14.3-18.2) mm×12.2 (1-13.3) mm, and the egg. Both sexes hatch eggs together, but females are the main ones. Orioles can give birth to two nests every year in Daxinganling, and there is a cluster phenomenon in early September. In September, I saw groups of drifting in Changbai Mountain. Overwintering in southern China in winter. [2]
[Edit this paragraph] Economic value
Yellowbird (Figure 9) Yellowbird is one of the famous caged birds in China. Because of its bright feathers, graceful posture, euphemistic singing and easy domestication, it is loved by people, so it is caught and raised in spring and autumn all over the country. Although this bird eats some pine nuts and some grains, the number is small; And can peck a large number of pests and weeds seeds, which is beneficial to agriculture and forestry. [2]
[Edit this paragraph] Artificial feeding
1, bird species selection
Yellowbird (photo 10) is a caged bird in the north, especially in China. Because it is easy to tame and save trouble, I sing all day except molting, and I can sing for up to 8 months every year. It is generally believed that narrow mouth, long waist and long tail are suitable for singing. Some also choose according to the color of the lower body feathers, including cyan, white and yellow. Others like red feet (commonly known as "red claws"). ) or the head, neck and chest are all dyed red. In fact, these colors are all related to food. In general, yellowbirds in nature are all black-footed, and become flesh-colored after being artificially raised for a period of time. The yellowbird feathers that have been active in spring are often red, but they disappear as soon as they molt. The reason is not clear. It is easy to distinguish the male from the female of an adult yellowbird. Male birds are strong and yellow-green, rarely have dry feathers, and have black spots on their heads or chin. However, it is difficult to distinguish male chicks from female adults who have just left the nest. This young bird, commonly known as "Ma Bird", is the most cherished in bird people. The price is 2-3 times higher than that of male adult birds. On the one hand, the young bird is easy to train, and on the other hand, it has just left the nest and has not learned the singing of the old bird, that is, it has no "wild mouth".
2. Characteristics of birdcage
When the yellow bird migrates in spring and autumn, it crosses northern China twice a year. Often caught, it is easy to raise and tame. There are many kinds of yellowbird cages, but the lacquer bamboo round cage is the most exquisite one. The bottom should be closed and covered with a thin cloth pad, because it has less staple food powder or dry powder feces, which is not easy to pollute the bottom of the cage. There should also be a higher bottom ring to prevent granular shells from flying around and birds from spoiling food. In order to teach skills, or to make a "trap", some people use shelves to raise female yellowbird (figure 1 1), most of which are straight.
3. Feed feeding method
Yellowbird mainly eats conifer seeds in the wild, so it likes to eat seeds of oil crops such as perilla, peanuts, walnuts and sunflower seeds at home. The yellowbird just caught can be lured by perilla, but it can't be fed for a long time, otherwise it will be overweight. Generally, millet, millet, barnyard grass and a small amount of perilla are mixed. When the yellowbird eats, it often picks perilla to eat, and all other seeds are picked out, resulting in waste. It is best to feed mixed powder. Corn, peanuts and perilla (3: 1: 1) can be ground into powder, and a small amount of sand is added, which is often given to leafy vegetables (Chinese cabbage, spinach, rape and purslane). In addition, eggs and millet are also fed, but some seeds of oil crops need to be fed in winter.
4. Management training
Among caged birds, it is most convenient to raise yellowbird. Management only needs to ensure that the water is sufficient and fresh, and clean the cage 1-2 times a week. The yellowbird is often basked in autumn, winter and spring, and the cage is hung in a cool place in summer. Give leafy vegetables and add perilla when molting. The yellowbird's feathers change quickly, "open" early, and the feathers are silvery gray, which looks very beautiful. Beijing is strict with the singing of yellowbird, paying attention to the "three big mouths", namely magpie and oil gourd. If there are other birds' calls, they are often considered as "miscellaneous", especially the calls of peaceful birds, goldfinches and finches are taboo. So it is very difficult to cultivate a real "three-mouthed" yellowbird (Figure 12). In addition to getting a "hemp bird" and strictly isolating it, I often get up early to get into a small cage and take a walk in the Woods where the gray magpie lives. Hide in the schoolbag on the way, take it out when you hear the gray magpie, and open the cage. It takes two weeks or more to learn. Let them learn to call you gourd mouth. Generally, you keep oil gourd at home. In the evening, the oil gourd likes to sing, so he puts the yellowbird under the lamp to listen. As for the technique of yellowbird, it is nothing more than simple actions such as "calling far", "ringing the bell" and "drawing lots" (commonly used by fortune tellers in the past), all of which are simple conditioned reflex induced by perilla. The breeding problem of yellow birds in artificial breeding should attract wide attention of bird lovers. Artificial breeding can get satisfactory "hemp birds", which does not need to be caught in the wild and is also conducive to protecting natural populations. If domestic breeding has been successful, we must first raise a few pairs in a big cage. Careful observation shows that there is intimate pairing. If you put it in a breeding cage and put it in a grass nest, it is possible to lay eggs. [4]
[Edit this paragraph] Protection level
Yellowbird (fig. 13) was listed in the List of Terrestrial Wild Animals under National Key Protection or with Important Economic and Scientific Research Value issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1 3, 2000. [2] It was listed in the IUCN International Bird Red Book, and the list in 2009 was ver 3. 1.