The trumpeter is considered an interesting South American crane-like bird. Animals are part of the trumpeters family. Birds get their name from the inimitable voice that males make. South America is considered to be a frequent habitat for trumpeters. Cranes are also found in Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana. Favorable living conditions are relatively open spaces in tropical rainforests.
general description
The trumpeter bird is similar in size to an ordinary chicken. The animal grows to 43-53 cm in length and weighs no more than 1 kg. Birds have a long neck and a small head. There is no hair around the eyes, the beak is short and sharp. The back of the trumpeter bird is hunched over, which can be seen with the naked eye, the tail is short. In general, the animal gives the impression of a fat and clumsy animal. In fact, the body of Cranes is slender, and the legs are long (thanks to them, the trumpeter runs quickly).
In nature, there are three types of trumpeters: gray-backed, green-winged and white-winged.
Lifestyle
Trumpeters live in flocks, in which the number of individuals can reach 30 pieces. They belong to a specific social organization called cooperative polyandry. This means that there are dominant females and males at the head of the pack. One female can cohabit at once with several males. The whole group carefully looks after the little chicks and brings them up.
A group of 3-12 trumpeters is sent to search for food. They can wander on the ground, stir up leaves, be content with what has fallen from above from monkeys and birds. When a period of drought or famine sets in, groups of trumpeters can vie with each other.
A feature of life in a flock is their invisibility. On suspicion of the slightest danger, the whole group silently sneaks up on the intruder and makes a loud cry, indicating their right to own this territory. In addition, brave birds can pounce on enemies and flap their wings, while screaming loudly.
For the night, trumpeters move to the branches of trees, but even in the dark, the territory continues to be guarded.
Breeding features
The courtship of the male for the female begins before the onset of the rainy season. At the same time, the parents-to-be are looking for a suitable place to build a nest. As a rule, the structure is built high above the ground in the hollow of a tree or in its fork. At the very bottom of the nest, individuals put small branches.
During the breeding season, the male dominates the female. He feeds her, and takes care of the well-being of the chosen one. Since there are several males, they begin to fight for the right to own the female. Having chosen the male representative she likes, the female is in a hurry to show him her back, inviting him to copulation. The female can lay eggs several times a year. The incubation period lasts about a month. Little chicks are in great need of parental care.
Cubs, born, have a camouflage color, which helps them to disguise themselves from hungry predators. As they grow older, the color of the birds’ feathers changes. After 6 weeks, the plumage in babies becomes exactly the same as in adults.
Bird feeding
Trumpeters do not fly very well, so often their diet contains food that has been dropped by animals living in the upper part of the forest, for example, parrots, howler monkeys, birds, monkeys. The favorite delicacy of the crane is juicy fruits (preferably without a thick skin), ants, beetles, termites, other insects, their larvae and eggs.
