Nowadays, the Saker Falcon is really very rare, even rarer than the giant panda. At one time, some people believed that the Saker Falcon had long been extinct, and some people even believed that there was no such creature as the Saker Falcon on the earth. They believed that the Saker Falcon was a fictional totem in literary works and film and television dramas, and that it was a totem like the dragon, and existed only in imagination.
It was not until more than ten years ago that a biological expedition team in my country discovered the Saker Falcon twice while conducting an investigation in the Honghe Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang Province. This filled the gap in Saker Falcon specimens and made people believe in the existence of such a creature again. Currently, my country has listed the Saker Falcon as a first-class protected animal in the country.
He will spend the rest of his life in prison.
The gold medal of immunity from death is green.
The yellow jacket is brand green.
These are all manifestations of the Saker Falcon's identity value, but they are not enough to explain its rarity.
If one really had to use one sentence to summarize the preciousness of the Saker Falcon, Xiang Yang felt that only this sentence could summarize it.
"This is a living mythical beast, a living totem."
"That's strange." Professor Chen Yu stared at the Steller's sea eagle hovering in the sky, as if he was thinking about something.
"What's wrong? Teacher, have you found anything?" Xiang Yang asked.
Professor Chen Yu shook his head. "I haven't found any, but as far as I know, the breeding season of Steller's sea eagles is in the transition season between spring and summer every year, and they usually lay two to three eggs. This season is a bit wrong."
The Steller's Sea Eagle is not as rare as the Gyrfalcon, but it is definitely not a common bird.
Steller's sea eagles are typically monogamous, and usually lay only two eggs per nest.
The eggs are white with a hint of green and the incubation period is 45 days. The chicks grow very slowly and hatch in May or June each year with grey or white down feathers.
As the bird grows, its down feathers gradually turn into brown feathers.
It takes at least two months for a Steller's sea eagle to grow wings after birth. During these two months, the Steller's sea eagle is very fragile. Basically, it only takes a gust of sea breeze or a heavy rain to take the life of a young Steller's sea eagle.
Even after growing feathers, Steller's sea eagles are still very fragile. At that time, their bones are soft and they have almost no means of attack. It takes them about ten months to leave the nest and begin learning to fly and hunt.
Moreover, the Steller's sea eagle is not like the Saker Falcon, which can fight a fox at the age of three or carry away a dog at the age of five.
It takes four to five years for a Steller's sea eagle to become officially independent.
It takes ten years for a young Steller's sea eagle to grow adult feathers, and only then can it be considered to have officially entered the adult stage.
However, the lifespan of a Steller's sea eagle in the wild is only twenty years, and usually does not exceed twenty-five years.
Biologists have measured the survival rate of young Steller's sea eagles into adults and found that it is less than 30 percent.
What does it mean
This means that if a pair of Steller's sea eagles only lay two eggs per litter, they need to reproduce at least three times in their short twenty years to complete the family lineage and ensure that their species does not become extinct. Moreover, Steller's sea eagles under the age of five cannot reproduce.
This is a very fragile race.
"That's not surprising." Fang Youqun said casually, "The breeding season is the transition between spring and summer, so they should get married before giving birth, right? Courting a mate a few months before giving birth is in line with the laws of love."
Xiang Yang raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
In fact, Xiang Yang is more inclined to believe that the factors of temperature and food affect the courtship period of the Steller's sea eagle.
Steller's sea eagles mainly live in coastal areas and river valleys, and sometimes follow rivers into inland areas far from the sea.
The several breeding areas of Steller's sea eagles previously discovered by biologists were all in cold areas above 3,600 meters above sea level.
The temperature is so cold in that place.
Although Xiang Yang's ocean-going fishing vessel has been moving all the time, it is still moving near the equator. How warm is the temperature at the equator
As for the food
Xiang Yang said bluntly that this Steller's sea eagle ate more than Xiang Yang himself.
With suitable temperature and sufficient food, it is not surprising that Steller's sea eagles would enter the breeding period early.
However, Xiang Yang was still a little worried. He told Professor Chen Yu about his guess and then said, "Teacher, I am actually a little worried now. If these two species of Steller's sea eagles enter the breeding period early in violation of natural conditions, will it cause the eggs to fail to hatch or the young birds to have congenital deficiencies?"
Professor Chen Yu thought carefully for a moment, then waved his hand and shook his head, saying, "Not really. The breeding season of animals is not fixed. Just like lions on the prairie, they usually start to reproduce at the beginning of the rainy season. However, some lion groups that occupy water sources all year round actually reproduce all year round. The most important factor affecting animal reproduction is whether there is enough food. As long as these two Steller's sea eagles have enough food, I think they can reproduce."
"Even if the natural conditions are not good, don't we still have us? Artificial incubation technology is so advanced now?" Professor Chen Yu said with a smile.
Xiang Yang laughed dryly, "It's too early to say that now. Although Steller's sea eagles are monogamous, they are highly social and gregarious creatures. It's not certain whether these two Steller's sea eagles will reproduce."
The Steller's sea eagle is the largest bird of prey in the sky over the bay and is also the largest eagle recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. However, they often gather in groups of several or even dozens to hunt, a habit that is somewhat similar to that of sparrows and swallows.
During the day, Steller's sea eagles gather together to hunt, compete for food, and rest together. At night, they return to their own nests and prohibit other species from entering their territory.
"Look." Professor Chen Yu looked up at the sky.
In mid-air, the huge Steller's sea eagle with its wings spread was still circling at a low altitude. Its flying speed was very slow and it hardly flapped its wings. It was always in a gliding state.
From time to time, it opened its sharp eagle beak and made a deep and hoarse "chirp" sound. The sound was like a metallic synthesized sound, very penetrating, and could directly vibrate people's eardrums. This was the loudest animal call Xiang Yang had ever heard except for whales, and it reminded Xiang Yang of the roar of a tiger.
Although the cry of the Steller's sea eagle is completely different from the gruff bark of a tiger, there is something in common that is difficult to explain. In short, one can tell at once that it is the sound made by a very, very ferocious beast.