Ortolan Bunting
Ortolan (Emberiza hortulana )
The Ortolan (Emberiza hortulana ) is a species of bird in the bunting family ( Emberizidae ). The Ortolan Bunting is also known as garden.
Description
The male has a gray- green head, yellow throat and yellow eye rings. The underside is cinnamon. The females can be distinguished by a head duller coloration of the males. The young birds are colored rather unimpressive. The Ortolan is different from other buntings, as the Yellowhammer, even in its form. So the tail is (as opposed to Goldammer ) cut straight, and the wings are longer and narrower. The body is rather slim. The Ortolan may be confused with the Grauortolan (Emberiza caesia ), which, however, occurs only as a summer guest in the region to Greece and Turkey in Europe. But the Grauortolan has a grayer head. With a length of 17 cm and a weight of 20 to 28 g it is about the size of a house sparrow. It feeds on seeds and insects.
Habitat
The Ortolan is an outspoken migratory bird. He wintered in subtropical Africa north of the Sahel in the area south of Morocco and Ethiopia. After five months stay he returns in April or May return to the breeding area. The Ortolan inhabited as a summer visitor, large parts of the European continent. An exception to some parts of Spain, western France, Denmark, most areas in Norway, Iceland and the UK. In northern Germany the Lüchow- Dannenberg is a focus with nearly 900 districts (as of 1999). In southern Germany, he was in the Main Triangle ( Lower Franconia ) his last areas with a population of about 300 singing males (as of 2003). In Tyrol there is the Ortolanvorkommen Silz - Haiming- Stams, currently the only known regular breeding areas in Austria and European bird protection area (Natura 2000 Type A ⊙ 47.26083333333310.920277777778 ). In Switzerland there are only individual pairs in the Valais.
He has a penchant for dry warm locations (eg terraced vineyards, grasslands, croplands and rocky steppe ). He rather prefers open areas with scattered bushes for cover. In MainFranken it used to be the extensive orchard fields ( with the fruit trees as singing room). It breeds mainly in grain fields along shelter belts and forest edges and in the last orchard districts. One Singing waiting in the vicinity (20 m) of breeding habitats is imperative as a rule.
Singing
The Ortolan mostly sings of bush or tree tops (singing Waiting in Franconia are fruits high strains, oak trees in shelter belts and forest edges with offshore fields ) as well as by telegraph wires. He often sings in flight. The singing sounds about as " zri - zri - zri - zri - djü - djü - djü " or " ridri -dri -dri - jööj ". Ortolanmännchen each have 2-4 different verses. When excited, they call " PSIP " or " psie ", often alternating with a " djüb " reputation. The song is typical of the region in general. That is, one can distinguish, for example, Polish Ortolan by Frankish Ortolan Buntings on vocals. A dialect boundary runs along the Ortolan circular path in Brandenburg Nuthe Nieplitz; south of the path is the dialect population of Flämings, north of the Lausitz represented.
Brood
The Ortolan is a ground-nesting birds ( mainly in Swiss francs in the cereal! ), The ( Main triangle usually only once in Franconia ) breeds twice a year. The nest ( bottom tray ) is composed of straws, grasses and mosses as well as hair and finer grasses for padding ( in francs: a " mat " of fine roots). The female lays 4-6 eggs, which vary greatly in color. These are incubated for 10-14 days. The nestling period is 10-15 days.
Stock
The species is considered endangered. In particular, the ever- progressive habitat destruction ( in francs by decades of deforestation of the fruit trees on farmland ( orchard acres ), land consolidation and changes in methods of cultivation and the crops, etc.) of the species relies heavily on. In Germany, the breeding population is still estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 breeding pairs. In Switzerland, the number of about 200 fell in 1996 to 7 in 2009.
Others
Song of the ortolan to have Ludwig van Beethoven inspired the Fifth Symphony.
Ortolan apply despite strict bans on fishing as a delicacy in France and Italy. In the classical formulation ( fat Ammer ) the birds are drowned in alcohol, then plucked and roasted. For eating one puts a large cloth napkin over his head, to keep all the fragrance in the mouth and on the nose and not miss nuance. It is the whole bird in his mouth and chewed it carefully.