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What does the phrase "come in and see joy, and there is good news" describing?
In Chinese culture, the most apt answer is the magpie.
We all call it the magpie, in fact, it has a more apt name is "Angelo Bird", because the sound of the magpie is also like "entering the door to see the joy", so people call it "Angelo Bird".
The magpie is an auspicious symbol in the hearts of the Chinese, which can bring good luck or family happiness, so this also makes the magpie popular in the hearts of the public.
It's no wonder that in some places, people will raise one or two magpies, and use the magpie nest to decorate the wedding room when they get married, so as to have a good fortune.
At the wedding banquet, people will also put one or two magpies to decorate the festive atmosphere.
The magpie is also a resident bird that has a wide range of distributions across the globe.
They are covered in black and white feathers, are large, about 40-50 cm in size, and live in a variety of ecological environments such as grasslands, forests, and cities.
Magpies are not only a symbol of people's lives, they are also an important part of the ecological environment.
In the mainland, it is mainly distributed in the northeast, north China and both sides of the Qinling Mountains, and there are some distributions in the south, most of the magpies are black-tailed, such as the magpies in Sichuan and Guizhou are usually white-tailed.
Whether in the city or in the countryside, we can see magpies, their calls are crisp and melodious in the early morning air, and they are known as "morning songs".
Magpie's nest.
Magpies are generally black, off-white in color, and have many different tonal variations in their calls.
When it comes to the function of a magpie's nest, which is sheltered from the wind and rain at the top and very warm at the bottom, how is their nest built?
Magpies generally choose tall trees when nesting, because this can reduce the interference of natural predators.
Magpies usually live in pairs, and the male will lead the female to choose a nesting site during the breeding season when they are courting the female.
Magpie nests are built with materials such as branches and leaves, and usually, nests are built in the middle and upper part of the tree, or nests deep in the canopy, using the shelter of the canopy to defend against external enemies.
Magpies do not pay much attention to the appearance of their nests, so the appearance of their nests is often rough, and sometimes they are even decorated with some garbage, plastic bags and other waste items, which also adds a characteristic to their nests.
However, the internal structure of the nest is very complex, often divided into multiple levels, each with a different function.
The structure of the nest.
The magpie's nest is divided into four layers, and the outermost layer is made of thick branches and leaves, which mainly play the role of shelter from wind and rain.
This layer is generally sparse and has good air permeability, which can ensure air circulation inside the nest.
The second layer is more dense, which is woven with thin branches, forage and other materials, which mainly plays a role in keeping warm and can provide a warm environment for the chicks to grow.
The third layer is covered with a thin layer of soil and straw and other materials, which can play a role in insulating moisture and prevent the chicks from getting cold.
The innermost layer is paved with feathers, soft feathers and other materials, which mainly plays a comfortable role in comfort and can provide a comfortable sleeping environment for the chicks.
Such a multi-layered design can not only withstand wind and rain, but also provide various conditions for the growth of chicks, which is a highlight of magpie nesting behavior.
In the summer, when there is less rainfall, the magpie's nest is often built more simply, but if there is more rainfall in the year, the magpie's nest becomes much more complicated.
This is really a "SAINT ANGELO" nesting standard.
In Hunan Province in October, for example, the rainfall here reached 337mm in the ninth lunar month.
In the magpie's nest in October, we can find that the mother finch is really painstakingly building its nest deep in the canopy.
It's like building a five-star hotel.
Deep in the trunks of tall trees, outside the nest are thicker branches and leaves, and the first area is also a sparse design, mainly sheltered from wind and rain.
And then there is a second layer inside, which is woven with thin branches, forage and other materials, which is relatively dense and mainly plays the role of keeping warm.
There are also third and fourth layers, which are designed to protect them from the wind and rain.
It can be said that deep in this canopy, four areas are designed, and each area is protected from wind and rain.
This is a phenomenon that we do not find much in ordinary bird's nests.
The significance of nesting in female birds.
Magpie nesting is cleverly designed to be reckless on the outside, and we may think that their nests are no different from other birds' nests from the outside, but when we look closely, we will know that magpie nests are more practical, their nests are not ornate on the outside, but the internal structure is very complex.
We were amazed by the construction of this nest.
When observing the nesting behavior of female birds, we can't help but wonder, what is the significance of nesting for female birds?
Female finches spend a lot of time and effort building their nests, which is a very common behavior in birds.
There are two main types of breeding strategies of birds, one is used to nesting, and the other is used to incubating eggs on the ground or elsewhere.
Birds that are accustomed to nesting are mostly females, and females spend energy in the nesting process, but this also greatly helps the reproductive success of females.
In the process of incubating chicks, females need to take on a lot of tasks, including feeding, feeding and protection, so females must have a certain amount of physical strength and energy reserves.
In this way, the female can ensure that she has enough energy support during the incubation period to avoid the risk of hatching failure or the death of the chicks.
In addition to the fact that female birds did not build nests in ancient times, female birds are not good at building nests.
Therefore, nesting is very important for female birds.
It is related to the survival and growth of the chicks afterwards.
If the nest is not properly designed, the chicks may be harmed or even unable to hatch.
epilogue
Magpies are very intelligent birds and have shown excellent intelligence and adaptability when it comes to nesting.
Their nests are an important guarantee for their survival and reproduction, as well as a symbol of their intelligence.
The magpie's ability and strategy in the nesting process gave us a deeper understanding of this little creature.
Magpies nest not only to protect themselves from wind and rain, but also to thrive better.
For females, nesting is an important part of the breeding strategy, affecting the growth and survival of chicks.