ANIMAUX DOMESTIQUES ET AUTRES

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Ce Ce grand oiseau blanc aux yeux jaunes est très reconnaissable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Le mâle est d'un blanc pur alors que la femelle et les jeunes sont légèrement tachetés ou barrés de brun.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Leur plumage blanchit avec l'âge, les mâles pouvant alors devenir d'un blanc immaculé.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             L'été le plumage est plus foncé que l'hiver, le plumage est plus blanc l'hiver pour se camoufler dans la neige. Les mâles sont en général plus petits que les femelles.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Leur envergure est de 170 à 177 cm pour les femelles adultes et de 160 à 170 cm pour les mâles adultes. Leur poids varie de 1 à 2,5 kg.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Le harfang est un très grand oiseau, pouvant atteindre jusqu'à 70 cm de longueur. Ses yeux sont très grands proportionnellement à sa taille : en effet, ils ont environ la même taille que ceux d'un homme.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Ils sont d'une couleur jaune et disposés vers l'avant. Ils sont de plus fixes, ce qui oblige le harfang à devoir souvent tourner sa large tête aplatie pour pouvoir regarder autour de lui (il peut la tourner d'un angle de 270 °).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Le milieu naturel du harfang est le Grand Nord : la toundra arctique. On le retrouve dans 7 provinces et territoires au  Canada, soit le Territoire du Yukon, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, la Colombie-Britannique, le Nunavut, le Manitoba, le Québec et Terre Neuve-et-Labrador... Au Québec, c'est dans la partie la plus septentrionale qu'on le retrouve souvent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Pendant les années de disette, le harfang ne se reproduit pas et peut s'installer plus au sud (jusqu'au nord des États-Unis). Ce phénomène, dont les origines restent encore mal comprises, se reproduit tous les 4 ou 5 ans environ. Il semble être lié aux variations de l'abondance des populations de petits mammifères, notamment du lemming, sa principale source d'alimentation.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Cependant il se nourrit également de lièvres, de poissons et d'oiseaux : sa vue perçante de nuit comme de jour fait de lui un excellent chasseur, mais contrairement à la plupart des autres chouettes et hiboux, le harfang chasse plutôt de jour.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Le harfang se reproduit vers février-mars. La femelle pond entre 3 et 14 œufs, à raison d'un œuf environ tous les deux jours, mais la moyenne est plutôt entre 5 et 9 œufs par couvée.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

La couvaison commence immédiatement, si bien que dans le nid peuvent se trouver des oisillons d'un âge et d'une taille très différents. L'incubation dure environ 33 à 37 jours et les œufs éclosent environ 48 heures plus tard.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Durant toute cette période, le rôle du mâle est de protéger le nid et d'apporter la nourriture à la femelle qui nourrit les oisillons. Les jeunes commencent à voler après 50 jours et 10 jours plus tard, ils sont capables de capturer seuls leurs proies.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Il faut à chaque petit 5 repas par jour pour passer de 45 grammes à 1,4 kg. Neuf petits consomment en un mois jusqu'à 1 300 petits rongeurs, des lemmings : autant que chaque parent en un an.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Dans la chaîne alimentaire de la toundra, le harfang occupe avec le renard la place la plus élevée : celle du prédateur. Cependant, dans ce système vivant très simplifié, ces carnivores spécialisés sont aussi très vulnérables...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Très efficaces lorsque les lemmings sont abondants, ils sont voués à la famine ou à l'exil quand se raréfie ce gibier qui constitue l'essentiel de leur menu.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Si le père harfang disparaît pendant la période de croissance des jeunes, jamais la mère ne pourra les alimenter seule.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Ce qui frappe chez les rapaces nocturnes, c'est d'abord leur vol silencieux, dû aux soies très douces dont sont garnies lesbarbules de leurs plumes.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Cette adaptation leur permet de surprendre leurs proies. Le harfang possède une excellente vision diurne et nocturne qui lui permet de déceler des mouvements à 1 km de distance. En outre, son ouïe est extrêmement développée.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         La longévité d'un harfang est d'environ neuf ans en milieu naturel et peut aller jusqu'à 32 ans en captivité.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Il peut maintenir la température de son corps entre 38 et 40 °C, même  lorsque la température de l’air atteint -50 °C.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

C'est un oiseau de toute beauté