search

Common, in places rare resident. Inhabits the upper spruce forests belt and the juniper thickets with glades at altitudes 1900-2800 m in Talasskiy Alatau, 2200-2900 m in Zailiyskiy Alatau, and 1500-1700 m in Saur. On dispersal and wintering visits the shrubby deciduous and riparian forests. Pairs are formed in end of March - April. Breeds in separate pairs, at distance at least 20-100 m from each other. Nest is built for 7-16 days by female (male escort her) in spruce or in juniper at height 0.5-14 m above the ground; nest is built from twigs and dry grass and is lined with hair. Clutch of 2-5 eggs is laid in end of May – early June (Talasskiy Alatau) or in early June to early August, mainly in mid-June – first ten days of July (Zailiyskiy Alatau). Rears one brood per season, re-nesting after loss of first clutch is common. Only female incubates clutch for 14-18 days, male feeds her. Both parents feed juveniles which fledge at age 15-16 days old. Scattered in the foothills and adjacent plains in October-November (usually after cold snaps and snowfalls) where there is up to the end of March.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 5. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1974. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.