is Trappen powerful crane-birds and lives in steppes, semi-deserts and culture-steppes as typical ground-birds. The main-spread-area of this bird-family lies in the African area; here, 16 of the 22 types are alive. Some of them, like Z. B. the only 43 cm long Zwergtrappe (Tetrax tetrax), broods besides in Africa in Europe and Asia as well.
Australia and the southern New Guinea are the home of the Wammentrappen (Eupodotis australis), whose males become long until 1,1 m, while the females, as also with many other Trappenarten, with maximum 0,9 m of total-length clearly small remains. These Lauftrappen, as the birds are named as well, live in grass-levels as well as open bush and scrub. During it, performs courtship display inflates a big befiederten Kehlsack, the so-called "dewlap", that is enough also with upright attitude as far as on the ground and reinforces the deep Balzrufe as resonance-bodies, the male bird.
Shape Typical characteristics of the Trappen are its long ones, unbefiederten legs, that trained only the 3 powerful front-toes with so many birds with good run-fortune, the long necks, very well developed appendixes (to the Aufschließung of the cellulose from the mainly vegetable food) and the lacking Bürzeldrüse. Instead, Trappen Puderdunen have; also the contour-feathers disintegrate one little to powder, all the the plumage, to do water-rejecting. Also a reddish feather-dye, that disintegrates to light yellow and brown-sounds with light-idea in few minutes, is characteristic.
How already mentions, the males of many Trappenarten become significantly bigger than female birds (sometimes doubly until triple so heavy) and also are differently colored. Only at the Flaggentrappe (Eupodotis indica) Indies, the female is bigger: it has 51 cm 46 cm opposite total-length with the male. During it, the males of some Trappen supply perform courtship display its white plumage-parts suddenly fast to the show, that combination-ready females often lure as optical signal far-to. Also loud Balzrufe serve many Trappenarten as communication-means with the advertisement.
Großtrappe The sight of performing courtship display Großtrappen (Otis Tarda) is especially impressively. With this still locally over wide parts of Eurasia (from southwest-Europe as far as to southeast-Siberia and to the southeast-Manchuria) spread type younger cocks reach approximately 12 kg of weight opposite the 2,7-4,7 kg of the females. Old male birds of the 6. Year of life from can also become heavy up to 15 and 16 kg.
Perform courtship display In Balzstellung, the cocks of the Großtrappen change the tail (white sub-tail-blankets), bending and twisting of the wings through beginning as well as through inflating big Kehlsäcke (parts the windpipe and airbags) in a matter of seconds into white, far-to shining feather-mountains, without to call loudly however meanwhile, as the other Trappen do it.
Brood With Großtrappen erbrüten only the females the nest existing from 2-3 eggs (7,9 x 5,5 cm) in a flat one, in the diameter until 40 cm of big Nistmulde, until the Dunenjungen slip after 21-26 days. Until the age of 10-14 days, young Trappen are fed by the mother; they then pick up alone food after it. Großtrappen become fully-fledged in the age of approximately 5 weeks; they stay together however even longer with the female.
In the autumn and winters, several of such "fatherless" families then join together to larger troops. Female animals become sexually mature after 3-4 years while the male Großtrappen need 5-6 years for it. Older males wander in separate troops. During the reproductive-period, several females then join a cock in relaxed relationship short-term. Only in small continuances, assorted-sexual troops of Großtrappen could be observed outside the brood-period from time to time. The known maximum-age of caught Großtrappen amounts to 28 as well as. 50 years.
Further Trappenarten As with old cocks of the Großtrappe, showy feather-parts develop in the head and neck-region also with some other Trappenarten, like Z. B. Kragentrappe (Chlamydotis undulata) big with the 64 cm, that is native in North-Africa, on the Canary islands and in the Asian area (as far as to the Mongolia).
Apart, the Riesentrappe (Ardeotis kori) long until 1,35 m with a weight is from very big cocks of the Großtrappe from until 14 kg the biggest type of the family. Riesentrappen brood in Africa of Ethiopia's south and from Somalia as far as after Tanzania as well as. from South-Angola and Südmoçambique as far as to the cape of the good hope.
Way of life All Trappen are quite shy birds and escape from big distance already with low disturbances. they can run very well and can bring itself to safety in order not to need to fly up sufficiently in time mostly. With strong threat (and with some types during this perform courtship display) as well as in the Zugzeit, Trappen prove its good flight-fortune.
With long outstretched necks and legs, even the mighty Groß and Riesentrappen fly easily in the powerful rudder-flight there. they belong at all to the heaviest and biggest airworthy birds consequently.
Endangering Unfortunately, the Trappenbestände decrease world-wide, since even destroys both the increasing settling and the mechanization of the agriculture rapid with well at the changed landscape of tried on types like the Großtrappe the habitat of these splendid birds.
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