Sometimes we ask the question of the age of our birds. How do we determine the age of our hawks, and not only ours? Sometimes the bird flies. An experienced look just on the color is clear, an adult bird or young and not experienced.
So I decided to share with you my observations. And just tell those who are interested in this question.
I and my friends ornithologists live and work these wonderful birds. Our friends are Russian Sokolniki, kindly provided photos of their birds in order to show what and how.
So: the chicks of theotheets are hatched in a white fluff and with bright blue eyes. Over time, the chicks are fought by a beige-reddish plumage. And by monthly age, they are ready to fly from the nest.
When young birds are ready for independent life, there are already a normal plumage. Flames and birds up to a year have the color of the back and the top of the wings of the Cinnese Tint. Breast plumage varies from light beige, sometimes practically white, to dark beige, with dark brown pendins. Eyes with time yellow.
At the stars, the eyes can have an interesting double shade, with the transition from blue to yellow. But by August of the first year, all of them are already bright yellow.
On the second year of life, when the bird becomes a half, breast color is replaced by the so-called vest, the shape of the stains becomes similar to small dark ticks, sometimes black, sometimes dark brown, and the background becomes beige with light gray.
These ticks are formed that the very tel. In the second year of the life of the birds, these ticks are quite large. Sometimes the old drawing does not leave at all and it turns out like "mixing": ticks with a pebble together.
With age, the pendans become even smaller, and the bird loses brown shades in the color. Up to five years, the eyes are mostly bright yellow, some individuals appear a weak orange tint.
The plumage of the back and top of the wings takes a shade from light gray to gray-blue. And the older the bird, the less brown tones in it. Eyes every year becomes more and more orange, and by 7-8 years, as it were, they would be poured with blood. Become almost red.
If the hawk lives to old age, he becomes almost black and white, with dark red-orange eyes.
Naturally, in different habitats, the color of the hawks of the wellkeepers may differ. For example, than the north of birds live - they are lighter. In the middle lane, they have a brighter color. And in America, individuals are seen dark, gray-blue tint of the back and the top of the wings.
In general, the same bird throughout his life completely changes its color, but those who know will always understand the approximate age of the hawk.
Sergey Solodukhin