Mallard duck and Green-winged teal
Anas platyrhynchos and Anas crecca
Two species of Anseriformes very common on La Réserve. Anatidae, these two species are lamellirostres: their beaks are equipped with lamellae on the edge of the mandibles, reminiscent of whale baleen.
This system enables them to feed on invertebrates by filtering the mud, which they probe by diving headfirst for most of the day. Do you know what has the same texture as silt? Buffalo dung. It’s therefore common to observe Teal and Mallard following the Bison herd to search their dung for seeds and invertebrates.
The Mallard is a gregarious species, sedentary or migratory. Observed everywhere, from the seashore to the mountains up to 2000 m altitude. It is also widespread in public park ponds.
The Teal, meanwhile, is Europe’s smallest duck, measuring between 34 and 38 cm in length (compared with 50 to 65 cm for the Mallard). It is migratory and gregarious, present on La Réserve in the winter season.
In both species, pairs are often monogamous, with long periods of courtship.
During the breeding season, Mallard males become very aggressive with each other, and sometimes with females. Young males with no partner can often be observed developing brutal rape behavior. Mating is forced and several males may pursue a lone female, sometimes leading to her drowning.
White Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Certainly white on the lower parts but black on the upper back, back of the neck and wings! The pinkish-red legs are very long and slender.
The stilt is a gregarious, migratory species. They spend a few days at La Réserve during their migratory passages in spring and autumn.
Their diet consists of invertebrates and birds of prey.
Its diet consists of aquatic invertebrates, which its long, slender beak enables it to grasp easily from the water and sediment.
This species becomes very territorial as the nesting season approaches. The pair then vigorously defends its nest and feeding area.
Wetland-dependent and migratory, White Stilts are threatened by fluctuating water levels in wetlands, whether due to drought, drainage of wetlands or land artificialisation. In France and Europe, it is on the list of protected species.
Chevalier cul blanc and Chevalier sylvain
Tringa ochropus and Tringa glareola
These two species are migratory and frequent wetlands.
Their diet consists of invertebrates, amphibians and as well as plants. Their long, slender beaks enable them to forage in the mud of ponds or flooded meadows.
Sylvatic and white-breasted sandpipers are the most shy of their large charadriiform family. They are observed every year on La Réserve’s ponds, whose banks are rich in marsh vegetation.
These birds are known for their choreographed courtship displays on the ground. Atypical behaviors observed in these birds are the aggressive behaviors of the females. They compete for access to a male, and become aggressive and territorial during nesting. Pairs are monogamous
During nesting, it’s not uncommon to observe sylvatic or white-breasted sandpipers perching on tree tops to survey the surroundings.
The Common Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis
The smallest of the European grebes: between 25 and 29 cm long and weighing no more than 190 grams!
The Castagneux Grebe is sedentary on La Réserve. It is regularly observed on our ponds. Pairs are monogamous and build small nests, almost always floating, in the marsh vegetation. When the parents leave the nest, they cover it with aquatic plants to camouflage it. The female lays 4 to 6 eggs between February and August. The eggs are white in color, gradually fading to a more brownish tinge.
The Common Grebe feeds mainly on insects (flies, beetles, water bugs), larvae (mayflies, dragonflies) and sometimes fish, provided they are small (less than 10 cm)
It’s an excellent diver. Before submerging, it expels air from its plumage, then uses its lobed legs to swim and reach great depths (up to 2 m). It stays underwater for 20 to 30 seconds, whereas other species of its genus (Great Crested Grebe) can spend several minutes! Untiring, the Caspian Grebe is more of a repetitive diver.
The Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
These large ciconiiformes are sedentary on La Réserve and you can observe them all year round. Inhabiting wetlands, the grey heron nests in trees or shrubs bordering bodies of water.
This large bird, with a wingspan of over 1.5 meters, preys on fish, amphibians, invertebrates and occasionally young waterfowl. It also hunts voles in wetlands and fields.
The nest is the male’s territory, where he tries to attract a female with his cries and gesticulations.
Mating parades are very intense.
The courtship displays are very beautiful, with the male bowing and stretching to attract his lady’s attention. Once the couple is formed, a greeting ceremony follows.
The female lays her eggs between March and May.
Between March and May, the female lays 2 to 4 eggs, which are incubated by the 2 parents for 1 month. They are raised for around 2 months by the 2 parents, who take it in turns to provide them with food. They leave the nest when they are 3 months old.
The Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
The Water Rail is known to be a migratory species, but has come to settle on the Reserve in recent years. This bird is found in wetlands bordered by dense reedbeds and covered with rushes and/or sphagnum moss.
Very shy and difficult to observe, the Water Rail only takes short flights, legs dangling, over short distances. During the breeding season, it can be spotted by calling for a mate. At La Réserve, although they can sometimes be heard during the day on visits, the rails emit their call (similar to a pig’s grunt) mainly at night.
To incubate the eggs, both parents are responsible for the eggs.
Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. Their nest, in the shape of a fairly deep bowl, is covered by a roof that conceals them perfectly.
Water rails are omnivorous, but have a preference for aquatic insects and invertebrates (freshwater shrimps, crayfish), which they can capture in the mud or in the water. They will sometimes consume a few roots, seeds or berries, or even plunder the nests of other species, hidden in nearby shrubs and phragmites.
The Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Present in Europe, Asia and Africa, this species is sedentary, with only the most northerly populations migrating south for the winter. On La Réserve, the Gallinule is sedentary.
Its conical, pointed beak, bright red with a yellow tip, topped by a red forehead patch, makes it easy to identify. As with the Blackbird (Turdus merula), its colors depend on the amount of carotenoids in its diet, and are an indicator of the individual’s good health.
This gruiform feeds on a wide variety of plants and animals.
This gruiform feeds mainly on plants (aquatic plants, grass, moss, leaves), but also on invertebrates (mollusks, insects, earthworms). It is omnivorous.
When conditions are right, there may be several nestings a year, with incubation shared between the two parents. If the eggs are laid in quick succession (before the first brood is independent), the mother incubates the new eggs, while the father looks after the non-independent young!
