Icilongo lithathwa njengenyoni ethokozisayo efana nenyoni yaseNingizimu Melika. Izinyoni zathola amagama azo ngezwi elingenakuqhathaniswa elenziwa abesilisa. INingizimu Melika ibhekwa njengendawo yokuhlala evamile yamacilongo. Ama-cranes atholakala naseBrazil, ePeru, eVenezuela, eColombia, e-Ecuador, eGuyana. Izimo zokuphila ezithandekayo ziyizikhala ezivulekile ngokuqhathaniswa emahlathini emvula asezindaweni ezishisayo.
Incazelo ejwayelekile
Inyoni yecilongo icishe ifane nenkukhu ejwayelekile. Isilwane sikhula sibe ngu-43-53 cm ubude futhi sinesisindo esingeqile ku-1 kg. Izinyoni zinentamo ende nekhanda elincane. Azikho izinwele eduze kwamehlo, uqhwaku lufushane futhi lubukhali. Ingemuva lenyoni yecilongo ligobile, okungabonakala ngeso lenyama, umsila mfushane. Ngokuvamile, isilwane sinikeza umbono wesilwane esinamafutha futhi esixakile. Eqinisweni, umzimba wamaCranes mncane, nemilenze mide (ngenxa yabo, icilongo ligijima ngokushesha).
Ngokwemvelo, kunezinhlobo ezintathu zamacilongo: i-grey-backed, enamaphiko aluhlaza namaphiko amhlophe.
Indlela Yokuphila
Abamacilongo bahlala emihlambini, lapho inani labantu lingafinyelela izingcezu ezingama-30. Bangabenhlangano ethile yezenhlalo ebizwa nge-cooperative polyandry. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kukhona abesifazane nabesilisa abaphezulu ekhanda lepakethe. Owesifazane oyedwa angahlala nabesilisa abaningana ngasikhathi sinye. Lonke iqembu libheka ngokucophelela amaphuphu amancane futhi liwakhulise.
Iqembu labashayi bamacilongo abayi-3-12 lithunyelwa ukuyofuna ukudla. Bangazulazula emhlabathini, bavuse amaqabunga, baneliswe yilokho okuwe phezulu kusuka ezinkawini nasezinyonini. Lapho kufika isikhathi sesomiso noma sendlala, amaqembu abashaya amacilongo angancintisana.
Isici sempilo ephaketheni ukungabonakali kwabo. Uma kukhona okusolayo ngobungozi obuncane, iqembu lonke lithule linyonyobele kulo muntu futhi likhale kakhulu, okukhombisa ilungelo labo lokuba nale ndawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinyoni ezinesibindi zingakwazi ukushaya izitha futhi zishaye amaphiko azo, ngenkathi zimemeza kakhulu.
Ebusuku, abashaya amacilongo bathuthela emagatsheni ezihlahla, kepha nasebusuku bayaqhubeka nokuqapha indawo.
Izici zokuzala
Ukuqomisana kowesilisa kowesifazane kuqala ngaphambi kokuqala kwenkathi yemvula. Ngasikhathi sinye, abazali-be-be bafuna indawo efanelekile yokwakha isidleke. Njengomthetho, lesi sakhiwo sakhiwe phezulu ngaphezu komhlaba emgodini wesihlahla noma kwimfoloko yaso. Ngaphansi kwesidleke, abantu babeka amagatsha amancane.
Ngesikhathi sokuzala, owesilisa ubusa owesifazane. Uyayondla, futhi inakekele inhlalakahle yalowo okhethiwe. Njengoba kukhona abesilisa abaningana, baqala ukulwela ilungelo lokuba nabesifazane. Njengoba ikhethe ummeleli wesilisa ayithandayo, insikazi iyajaha ukuyikhombisa umhlane wayo, immemele ekulandeleni. Insikazi ingabeka amaqanda kaningana ngonyaka. Isikhathi sokufukamela sithatha cishe inyanga. Amachwane amancane adinga kakhulu ukunakekelwa kwabazali.
Amantshontsho azelwe anombala wokuzifihla, okuwasiza ukuthi azifihle ezilwaneni eziyingozi ezilambile. Njengoba zikhula, umbala wezimpaphe zezinyoni uyashintsha. Ngemuva kwamasonto ayisithupha, izimpaphe ezinganeni ziyafana ncamashi nakubantu abadala.
Ukudla kwezinyoni
Abashayi bamacilongo abahambi kahle, ngakho-ke, ukudla kwabo kuvame ukuqukethe ukudla okulahlwe yizilwane ezihlala engxenyeni engenhla yehlathi, ngokwesibonelo, amapholi, izinkawu, ama-howler, izinyoni, izinkawu. Ubumnandi obuthandwa yi-crane yizithelo ezinamanzi (okungcono ngaphandle kwesikhumba esijiyile), izintuthwane, amabhungane, umuhlwa, ezinye izinambuzane, izibungu namaqanda azo.
