UMary Allen
I-barn owl yenye yezona zikhova zixhaphakileyo kwihlabathi: zihlala kumazwekazi amahlanu.
iimpawu
Zikhangeleka njani izikhova zasebarn?
Izikhova ezibizwa ngokuba zizikhova zinenkangeleko eqhelekileyo njengezikhova: amehlo entloko yazo engqukuva ajonge phambili kwaye awekho calani lentloko njengezinye iintaka. Zinokwahlulwa kuzo zonke ezinye izikhova ngokwesiqhelo, ezimile okwentliziyo, iimpawu ezimhlophe ebusweni, into ebizwa ngokuba sisigqubuthelo sobuso.
Izikhova zasebarn zibude bungama 33 ukuya kuma 35 centimitha ubude kwaye zinobunzima obuphakathi kwe 300 kunye ne 350 grams. Amaphiko ama-85 ukuya kuma-95 eesentimitha. Iimazi zinkulu kancinci kuneenkunzi. Umqolo wabo unombala omdaka wegolide, umzantsi unomhlwa omdaka ukuya kumhlophe. Iintsiba zazo zigutyungelwe ngamachaphaza amnyama okwesigqubuthelo. Umlomo utyheli ukuya kungwevu-mhlophe. Izikhova zasebarn zinamaphiko amade, atsolo afikelela i-intshi ezininzi ngaphaya kwemisila xa zithe ngcu – nto leyo ebonisa ukuba izikhova zasebarn zizingela endle.
Ezinye izikhova zehlathi zona zinamaphiko amafutshane angqukuva. Ngenxa yezi mpawu, ezahlula kwezinye izikhova, izazinzulu ziye zahlulahlula izikhova kwintsapho yazo, iTytonidae.
Zihlala phi izikhova?
Izikhova zasebarn zifumaneka eYurophu, eAsia, kuMntla Merika, eAfrika naseOstreliya. Bahlala kuwo onke amazwekazi nakwiziqithi ezininzi eziselwandle. Apho ubukhulu becala bahlala kwiindawo ezinemozulu epholileyo. Kuphela yimimandla epholileyo ye-Arctic ne-Antarctica engazange yoyiswe.
Izikhova zasebarn zihlala kwiindawo ezinamatye. Nangona kunjalo, kuba babizwa ngokuba "ngabalandeli benkcubeko", bahlala kwiindawo zokuhlalisa abantu kwaye bahlala kwiibhanti, iinqaba kunye nezakhiwo zakudala apho. Ngamanye amaxesha bade baphile njengabaqaphi kwiindawo eziphakamileyo zamahobe.
Zeziphi iintlobo zezikhova ezikhoyo?
Kukho iintlobo ezilithoba kunye neentlobo ze-36 ze-barn owl kwihlabathi jikelele.
Ziba neminyaka emingaphi izikhova?
Izikhova zasebarn zihlala ixesha elide: zinokuphila ukuya kutsho kwiminyaka eyi-15 ukuya kwengama-20. Nangona kunjalo, zimbalwa izilwanyana ezifikelela kwiminyaka ephezulu kangako. Uninzi lwabo luneminyaka emine kuphela ubudala.
Ziphathe
Ziphila njani izikhova zasebarn?
Ebusuku izikhova zivuka ziye kuzingela. Emva koko zibhabha ziye emasimini nasemadlelweni, apho ikakhulu zizingela iimpuku kunye neesheri, ngamanye amaxesha nezinye iintaka okanye izilwanyana eziphila emhlabeni nasemanzini kunye nezinambuzane. Izikhova zasebarn zizingela phakathi korhatya nasezinzulwini zobusuku kunye neeyure ezimbini ngaphambi kokusa.
Emini izilwanyana ziyaphumla zize zihlale kwindawo yazo yokuphumla. Ukuba baziva besongelwa, bahlala bengashukumi baze bacinezele ubuso babo ukuze amehlo abo amakhulu angabonakali. Nangona izikhova zasebarn zihlala kuwo onke amazwekazi, zithanda imimandla enemozulu epholileyo. Oku kungenxa yokuba abakwazi ukutya iidiphozithi zamafutha. Kubusika obuqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo kunokwenzeka ukuba zide zibe ngama-90 ekhulwini emfuyo emhlambini. Ukuba ziyasinda, zidla ngokuba buthathaka kakhulu ukuba zingazala emva kobusika obuqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo.
Izikhova zasebarn zihlala kwi-monogamy. Emva kokuba inkunzi nemazi zifumenene, ziya kukhwelana minyaka le ubomi bazo bonke. Ngaphandle kwexesha lokuzala, izikhova zasebarn zihlala zodwa kwaye zihlala zodwa. Ngokungafaniyo nezinye izikhova, izikhova zasebarn ziyakwazi ukuvakalisa iimvakalelo ngeempawu zobuso bazo: zibonisa umsindo, uloyiko, okanye ukumangaliswa kwaye zide zenze ubuso bokwenene.
Abahlobo kunye neentshaba zezikhova zasebayeni
Ngaphandle kwezilwanyana ezizingelayo, ukutya okunqongopheleyo lolona tshaba lukhulu lwesikhova: kwiminyaka apho kukho iimpuku ezimbalwa, uninzi lwezi zikhova zibulawa yindlala. Abaninzi baphinde bagilwe ziimoto ngelixa bezingela umgangatho ophantsi ezindleleni.
Zizala njani izikhova zasebarn?
Izikhova zasebarn zikhula ngokwesondo malunga nonyaka omnye ubudala. Ixesha lokuzala kwezikhova zasebarn kusentlakohlaza. Ukususela ngoFebruwari, iinkunzi zenza ingxolo eyoyikisayo yokukrazula ukutsala umsa wazo. Ngaphambi kokukhwelana, inkunzi inika imazi impuku efileyo ize iyibonise indawo ezalela kuyo.
Ukusukela kuEpreli okanye ngoMeyi iimazi zihlala zizalela ezine ukuya kwisixhenxe, ngamanye amaxesha zide zibe lishumi elinambini, amaqanda amhlophe kumhlaba ongenanto kwindawo yokuzalela. Abakhi ndlwane. Amaxesha amaninzi amaqanda awabekelwanga ngaxeshanye, kodwa ashiyene ngeentsuku ezininzi. Noko ke, ngenxa yokuba imazi iqalisa ukuqandusela ngoko nangoko emva kokubeka iqanda lokuqala, intshontsho liqandusela iintsuku ezimbalwa kwaye alilingani ncam ngobudala. Umahluko weminyaka ungafikelela kwiiveki ezimbini.
Phakathi kwe-oviposition kunye nokuqanduselwa kukho malunga neentsuku ezingama-30 ukuya kwi-32. Kwiveki yokuqala, imazi iyafukama ize inkunzi izise ukutya. Emva koko, bobabini abazali bayatshintshana.
Ngeli xesha, ipere yezikhova kunye namantshontsho azo zifuna malunga ne-100 yeempuku ngenyanga. Ngexesha lokudla kwento eninzi, bonke abancinci bayaphumelela. Noko ke, xa ukutya kunqongophele, abantakwenu abancinane badla ngokufa, belahlekelwa ngabakhulileyo nabanamandla xa befuna ukutya.
Nangona oku kungabonakala kukhohlakele, kuqinisekisa ukuba iintaka ezimbini okanye ezintathu ezincinci zondliwe ngokwaneleyo kwaye zomelele ngokwaneleyo ukuba ziphile. Izikhova ezincinci ezizikhova zibaleka malunga neentsuku ezingama-60 kwaye kwiiveki ezilishumi kamva izikhova ezincinci zizimele.
Zizingela njani izikhova?
Izikhova zasebarn ngabazingeli abagqwesileyo. Amehlo abo anokubona iintshukumo emhlabeni ngokukodwa kwaye angabona kakuhle, ngakumbi ebumnyameni. Kananjalo beva kakuhle kakhulu kwaye bathathe eyona ntshukumo incinci yexhoba labo. Iimpuku zisaziva phantsi kweesentimitha ezisibhozo zekhephu. Sakuba isikhova sibona isilwanyana esiziqwengayo, sindanda ngokuzolileyo kwixhoba laso size sisibambe ngeenzipho zaso ezinde.