Mbalame yofiira ndi mbalame yodabwitsa, yokongola komanso yodabwitsa. Woimira nyama zanyama ali ndi nthenga zachilendo. Mbalame yayikuluyi ndi ya mbalame zamtunduwu, ndipo imapezeka ku South America, Colombia, French Guiana, Caribbean ndi Antilles. Malo okhalamo nyama ndi omwe amati ndi madambo akuda komanso m'mphepete mwa mitsinje m'nkhalango zotentha.
Makhalidwe ambiri
Mbalame yofiira (yofiira kwambiri) imadziwika kuti ndi mbalame yolimba komanso yamphamvu. Nyamayo imagonjetsa mosavuta maulendo ataliatali ndipo nthawi zambiri imakhala pamapazi ake nthawi zonse. Achinyamata amakhala ndi nthenga zofiirira zomwe zimawoneka zofiira ndi ukalamba. Mthunzi wa nthenga uli ndi kamvekedwe kofanana, ndipo m'malo ena kumapeto kwa mapiko kumakhala mitundu yakuda kapena yakuda yamtambo.
Mbalame zofiira zimakula mpaka masentimita 70 m'litali, kukula kwake sikumapitirira magalamu 500. Mbalame zoyenda zili ndi miyendo yopyapyala komanso yaifupi, milomo yake imagwada pansi, yomwe imathandiza kuti muziyang'ana chakudya m'madzi ovuta. Amuna ndi akazi samadziwika mosiyanasiyana.
Malo okhala ndi chakudya
Mbalame zoyenda zimakhala m'magulu, omwe kukula kwake kumatha kupitilira anthu 30. Mamembala onse a "banja" akuchita nawo kufunafuna chakudya, komanso maphunziro ndi chitetezo cha achinyamata. Nthawi yokhwima yokha ndimomwe mabulu ofiira amagawika awiriawiri ndikukonzekeretsa chisa chawo, chomwe chimakhalanso pafupi ndi abale.
Nthawi zina kuthengo, mumatha kupeza ziweto, zomwe kuchuluka kwake kumapitilira anthu 2000. Komanso zimachitika kuti ibise wofiira amaphatikizana ndi adokowe, zitsamba, abakha ndi ma spoonbill. Pakusamuka kwakutali, mbalame zoyenda zimakhazikika pamphako wofanana ndi V, womwe umachepetsa kulimbana ndi mphepo kuchokera kumbuyo kwa nyama zowuluka.
Amakonda kwambiri ma ibise ofiira ndi tizilombo, nyongolotsi, nkhanu, nkhono ndi nsomba. Mbalame zimasakasaka nyama mothandizidwa ndi mlomo wautali komanso wopindika, womwe amazitola m'matope ofewa.
Kubereka
Kumayambiriro kwa masika, ibise zofiira zimayamba kuswana. Kuti apambane wamkazi, wamwamuna amavina mwamwambo. Choyamba, imatsuka nthenga bwinobwino, kenako imadumphira pansi ndi kumeza mchira wake. Awiriwo akatsimikiza, anthuwo amayamba kukonza chisa kuchokera ku nthambi ndi timitengo. Pakatha masiku asanu, yaikazi imatha kuikira mazira atatu. Nthawi yosakaniza imatha masiku 23. Makolo amateteza chisa mosamala ndikusamalira ana mpaka atakhala odziyimira pawokha.
