Which birds stock up on food. Looking for cones. Educational and educational work plan

The usual body temperature in birds is + 41 ° C. To keep warm in the blood, small creatures need to eat hard. But if there is a lot of food in summer and autumn, then winter, especially in our latitudes, is a time of severe trials. It is easiest for city birds. Pigeons, sparrows, crows and jackdaws will always find their food near human habitation. In the same place, under the eaves of houses, in attics and at heating plants, they are saved from the cold. But what do birds do in the winter in the forest or near water bodies?

Migratory, nomadic and sedentary species

The higher the latitude of the area, the more birds leave these parts for the winter. In the tundra, except for the polar partridge, almost no one remains. Long before the cold weather, until the ponds and rivers are covered with ice, shoals of geese, swans and other waterfowl stretch south. So, in the Moscow region, out of 300 species that live there in summer, only 50 remain for the winter. But the lower the latitude, the more common. For example, the thrush in Russia is a migratory species, and in Ukraine it does not leave its native places. Nomadic birds are a special type. They feel what kind of winter it will be, and, based on this, fly away or stay. These species include waxwings, nuts, some types of tits, tap dances, jays, bullfinches and others. By the way the birds prepare for winter, you can guess what the weather will be like. For example, whether frosts are coming or a thaw will come.

forest birds

In winter, the inhabitants of the thickets suffer especially. Moths and bugs hid or died, grains were covered with a dense layer of snow, fish could not be caught from under the ice, frogs and small rodents hibernated. So forest birds are getting close to human habitation. There are especially many of them in winter near dachas and in villages: dry berries are still swaying on the branches in the gardens, you can also profit in the garden. Predators also fly behind birds: eagles, owls, hawks.

Sedentary species know what awaits them, and therefore make stocks. How do birds prepare for winter? For example, a woodpecker covers a hollow with twigs and moss. Such thermal insulation allows him to sit out the most frosty nights. Some birds, which live alone or in pairs at other times of the year, gather in large flocks in winter, sometimes consisting of several species. This makes it easier to find food and, importantly, to keep warm, huddled together. In autumn, even before the onset of cold weather, many birds feed heavily, accumulating fat reserves. However, with them little saves. But the autumn molt, after which the bird's body is covered with thick fluff, protects it from frost better.

Bird "stash"

Anticipating a hungry time, some species stock up on food for the future. Maybe you have noticed how birds prepare for winter: jays bury acorns and nuts in moss and grass, nuthatch linden seeds and other food at high altitudes are driven under the bark of trees. BUT predator birds, having killed rodents in the fall, do not eat them all. They hide some of the corpses in the hollows of trees, just in time for the hungry time.

Feathered optimists

But there are species that do not care about the cold. While the birds are preparing for winter, preparing to fly south or stocking up, they ... build their nests. January (the coldest month) is their time. In severe cold they bring out chicks. Because cones ripen, the main food for crossbills. With their curved beak, like that of a parrot, they extract pine and pine nuts. It also feels good in capercaillie, it feeds on pine needles. Black grouse and hazel grouse also have a lot of food. They eat alder catkins.

Project theme:

"Feed the birds in winter."

Targets and goals:

Expand children's knowledge about birds.

To acquaint children with the literature on birds available in the library.

To cultivate a careful, humane attitude towards the nature of their region.

To develop creativity, independence, amateur performance of students.

Project product: bird feeders, presentation - holiday "Feed the birds in winter!"

Project stages:

1. Cognitive work.

Previously, the class is divided into groups, studying birds; signs,

associated with them; learn poems, proverbs, sayings.

2. Design work.

Each group draws birds of their own species, makes feeders.

Exhibition of drawings and feeders.

3. Presentation of the project. Holiday “Feed the birds in winter!”

4. Practical work.

Each group hangs prepared feeders in the school garden.

PROJECT PRESENTATION

Holiday “Feed the birds in winter!”

Hall decoration:

paintings winter forest;

presentation "Wintering Birds"

exhibition of feeders “We care about birds”;

drawings of children depicting wintering birds “Our Pets”;

exhibition of books dedicated to birds;

Musical arrangement: audio recording of A. Vivaldi's concert "Winter"

The course of the holiday

An audio recording of A. Vivaldi's concert "Winter" sounds.

The leader takes the stage.

Bewitched by the invisible

The forest slumbers under the fairy tale of sleep,

Like a white scarf

The pine has tied.

Today we are going with you to the winter forest. Quiet in the woods on a winter morning. The trunks and branches of bare trees turn black. Puffy pillows of snow lie on the green paws of firs and pines. No rustle, no sound. And it seems: there is no one in the whole forest.

Audio recording of birds singing

What winter birds do you know?

What birds live in the forest in winter?

Which ones live next to a person, in cities, villages and villages?

And what kind of birds do you know that come to us with the onset of winter?

Think about why birds fly to humans in winter?

That's right, birds fly to cities and towns in winter to feed. And this is understandable. But one should not think that they do not remain in the forest at all.

Today we will talk about the birds that spend the winter with us. They are called winter birds. Guys, why do we need birds in nature?

Children's answers. Birds are of great importance in nature and in agriculture, preserving cultivated and wild-growing plants from insect pests

plants help in their pollination. For example: hummingbirds and nectaries pollinate tropical plants. Jays carry oak acorns over long distances and often lose them, thereby scattering its seeds; pecking the juicy fruits of mountain ash, bird cherry, elderberry, lingonberry, blueberry, they fly from place to place and throw out intact seeds along with droppings. It is known that the family of starlings destroys up to 24 thousand insects and their larvae per month. The cuckoo, which eats large caterpillars, May beetles, eats up to 270 thousand of them during the summer; a rook, following a plow, is capable of destroying up to 400 wireworms. A pair of tits that have settled in the garden along with their offspring can clear 40 large apple trees from insect pests. Birds of prey are also useful for humans, destroying small rodents-pests of field crops and distributors of plague, typhoid, jaundice and other diseases.

Host: Winter is here! With her arrival, a revival immediately began in the bird canteens. A few more days, when there was no snow, the birds had to wait at the feeder, but now they are always there. You can stand at such a cheerful feeder for a long time and watch the birds with pleasure, if you stand quietly, do not make noise and do not move.

Before the celebration, the groups were given a creative task: to study birds; signs associated with them; learn poems, proverbs, sayings.

Children's performances

House Sparrow (Slide 1)

Weaver family. Detachment passeriformes

The well-known house sparrow is an agile diurnal bird (33g) with a conical beak and short wings. In spring, the top of the head, cheeks and neck on the sides of the male are gray, under the eye there is a black stripe, a motley back, chin, throat and upper chest are black, the abdomen and sides are gray. The plumage of the female is brownish-gray, there is a dark “cap” on the head, a stripe passes through the eye, the back and wings are mottled.

This sparrow's song is a simple chirp. On the ground, he quickly jumps, flies low, along a wavy trajectory.

The house sparrow nests in Europe and Asia. Settles next to human habitation, in buildings, less often in hollows. Three times a year, the female lays 3–6 yellowish or bluish eggs with marks, incubates them for 11 days. The chicks are fed for 12 days.

The food of the house sparrow in summer is insects, berries, flower buds, plant seeds. In winter, flocks of sparrows often visit the feeders.

Field Sparrow (Slide 2)

Weaver family

Detachment passeriformes

The field sparrow is smaller than the brownie (weighs only 23 grams), but more elegant than it. The female and the male have a brown head above, black “brackets” on white cheeks, a small “beard”, a brownish back with black streaks, a light bottom, buffy sides. There are two light stripes on the wings. The beak is black, paws are brown.

sings tree sparrow so - "chev-chev-chev". This smart mobile bird spends a lot of time on the ground and trees. Leads a daytime sedentary lifestyle. The sparrow is not afraid of people.

It is found throughout Russia - from the western to the eastern borders. Prefers sparse forests, forest-steppe and steppe, outskirts of cities, villages with farms and barns. Settles in small colonies or single pairs. Nests are arranged in hollows, under roofs, often in birdhouses, in coastal cliffs, rock crevices. In addition to stems and twigs, it uses feathers and wool for construction. In a year, this sparrow makes two clutches of 4–8 whitish eggs with marks. The female incubates them for 12 days, and then both parents feed the chicks for 16 days.

In summer, field sparrows feed on insects, in autumn - seeds, in winter mainly food waste.

Raven (Slide 3)

crow family

Detachment passeriformes

Raven is a large black bird with a metallic sheen (up to 1.5 kg), much larger than a crow. It has a powerful black beak with a hook at the tip and bristles in the nostrils, lanceolate feathers on the goiter; strong black legs with curved claws. When flying, a wedge-shaped tail is visible. The females are similar to the males. Young birds have brownish wings at the ends, well adapted for soaring, the plumage is matte black without tint.

The raven spends a lot of time on the ground, walks and jumps well. Young birds call out "kaa ... kaa", with age the voice becomes lower, and they emit a guttural "kru..kru".

Raven lives in all natural areas, the way of life leads a sedentary day. Its number in the cultural landscape is growing. Pairs are permanent, occupy nesting areas up to 4 square meters. km. Crows build a nest from thick branches, bast fibers, wool, dry grass, sometimes on towers, power lines, churches. The female lays 3–7 bluish-green eggs and incubates them for 3 weeks.

This bird eats everything: carrion and food waste, rodents, sick cats and pigeons, insects, fruits, grain…

Gray crow (Slide 4)

crow family

Detachment passeriformes

Who has not seen this smart and cautious bird! Black-headed, with a pointed black beak, black strong legs and a rounded tail. From below it is gray, the neck and back are the same color.

Surprisingly, the gray crow belongs to songbirds, although it is difficult to call its discordant shrill croaking, clicking and crackling singing. She flies well, walks quickly on the ground, deftly climbs the branches. Spends a lot of time in the crowns of trees and on buildings. Leads a sedentary lifestyle, undertakes migrations in the autumn-winter period.

There is a gray crow in Russia everywhere - from the western borders to the Yenisei. Breeds in pairs in forests, reed beds, settlements often in large cities. The female and male build a nest high on a tree from dry branches, stems, leaves, rags, using pieces of wire. In April, the female lays 3–6 bluish-green eggs with marks, incubation lasts 3 weeks.

The gray crow feeds on carrion, rodents, frogs, fish, insects, as well as grain, seeds, and food waste. Omnivorous, she does not shun carrion, visits dumps and garbage dumps, feeders.

Dove gray (Slide 5)

pigeon family

Detachment pigeon-like

Everyone knows the dove. This is a bird with a small head, short legs, long pointed wings, a straight-cut tail, a thin beak widened at the end with a cere and a tip slightly curved down. Her back is light gray, the bottom is slightly darker, on the lower back there is a transverse white stripe. In flight, a white loin and a wide dark stripe at the end of the tail, two dark stripes on the wings are noticeable.

The dove walks a lot on the ground, occasionally perches on trees, flies quickly and maneuverably. Males coo, circling in front of females with spread tails, kissing with their beaks, taking off, describing circles, gliding on raised wings.

The dove is widely distributed.

Pigeons feed on seeds of legumes and cereals, fly to garbage dumps and landfills, to feeders. In cities, they are almost tame, taking food from a person's hands.

Great spotted woodpecker (Slide 6)

woodpecker family

Detachment woodpeckers

The indefatigable forest drummer is, of course, a woodpecker. big motley woodpecker - a bird larger than a starling, with a straight chisel-shaped beak, fingers arranged in pairs. The male has a red stripe across the back of the head, a white forehead, a black head with a sheen with white sides, a black back and rump with a sheen, a white belly with a red undertail, and a black stripe on the chest. There is no red color in the plumage of the female. Young birds are adorned with a red cap. The woodpecker rests on trunks, leaning on a hard pointed tail, suspended from cones and terminal branches.

On the ground, the woodpecker moves by jumping. Seeing a person, he moves to the opposite side of the trunk. Sitting on a tree or flying, it emits a loud "kick-kick-kink". When a woodpecker taps a tree trunk with its beak, a drum roll is carried through the forest. It flies along a wavy trajectory.

In summer, the woodpecker feeds on harmful insects, ants, nuts, acorns, berries, in winter - the seeds of spruce, pine and larch, crushing cones in the "forge". Having made a hole in the tree, he drinks the juice. In cities, it feeds on landfills and garbage dumps.

Spruce crossbill (Slide 7)

finches family

Detachment passeriformes

A distinctive feature of this bird is a powerful beak with crossed tips. The crossbill is smaller than the starling, it has a large head, tenacious paws that allow hanging upside down from the cones, a short, deeply carved tail. Adult males are bright red. Females are greenish-gray, first-year males are orange-yellow.

This is a diurnal, noisy and agile bird, spending almost all the time on trees, it quickly flies along a wavy trajectory. Crossbills flying in a flock call to each other like this: “kep-kep-kep”.

The crossbill is widespread from the western to the eastern borders of the taiga. In autumn and winter, birds roam in search of food. Their numbers vary from year to year. Depending on the yield of coniferous seeds, nesting can occur in summer and winter, but is more common in March. Crossbills build nests close to each other.

The main food of the crossbill is the seeds of conifers, which it extracts from the cones with the help of a cruciform beak. In addition to coniferous seeds, birds eat weeds and sunflower seeds, sometimes insects.

Common nuthatch (Slide 8)

Nuthatch family

Detachment passeriformes

The common nuthatch is a bird the size of a sparrow, which has a dense, stocky body, a black-brown straight, long and pointed beak, and a large head. Strong legs and prehensile claws enable it to climb up and down vertical surfaces. The back of the nuthatch is bluish, the bottom is white, the sides are brown, it has white stripes on its forehead, a black stripe runs from the beak through the eye, the tail is black and white on the sides.

The nuthatch is a diurnal bird, it flies quickly and directly. A loud repeating whistle “tuy-tuy-tuy”, a sonorous “toch-tyoch-tyoch”, and a frequent “tsit” are heard in the voice.

The nuthatch lives everywhere from the western to the eastern borders, nests in deciduous and mixed old forests with hollows, in floodplains and steppe ravines, among willow thickets, in parks and gardens, towns and cities. Sedentary bird, in winter with flocks of tits roams for short distances. In cities, nuthatches visit feeders. In summer it feeds on ants, bugs, butterflies, leaf beetles, spiders, in autumn, winter and spring - berries, coniferous seeds, acorns and nuts. Storing food for the future, hollows out the bark. He lets a person close, takes seeds from his hands.

Waxwing (Slide 9)

Waxwing family

Detachment passeriformes

Waxwing - very beautiful bird the size of a starling, with thick, fluffy plumage, a large tuft on the head, a short wide beak. Its short tail is adorned with a bright yellow stripe, and the ends of its long wings are bright red. The male has a brownish-gray back and chest with a wine tint, a gray loin and uppertail, a brownish-gray undertail, a chestnut undertail, a black spot on the throat, a gray tail with a yellow stripe along the edge. In the female, the wine tint is less pronounced, the throat spot is soft. Young birds are brownish gray.

The waxwing song is a murmuring trill "swi-ri-ri-ri-ri", reminiscent of the sound of a flute (hence the name). In winter, in search of berries, these diurnal birds visit major cities. They fly rapidly in undulating trajectories, mostly in flocks. A northern inhabitant, the waxwing is found from the western to the eastern borders in the taiga forests, in winter they migrate south.

In summer, the waxwing catches small insects, in winter it pecks at the berries of mountain ash, viburnum, and hawthorn.

Great tit (Slide 10)

Tit family

Detachment passeriformes

It is difficult to imagine a person who does not know the titmouse! Here it is: a little less than a sparrow, with a straight pointed beak, rather short tenacious legs. The top of the head of the titmouse is shiny black, the back of the head and cheeks are white, the back is greenish, the bottom is yellow with a black longitudinal stripe, wide in males and narrow in females. On the gray-blue wing there is a light transverse stripe, the extreme tail feathers are white.

This mobile, agile bird, active during the day, spends a lot of time in the crowns of trees, in bushes, on the ground. He is not afraid of a person, especially children. The voice of the tit is "pin-pin". In case of danger, she emits an alarming “trrr”, in flocks she communicates with a low “tee-tee-tee”. Repeating "chi-chi-pi", "chi-pi", "chi-ti" is heard in the song. Each male performs several melodies, but most often 2-3 favorite ones.

Broods of tits in search of food roam the edges, gardens and villages, visiting feeders, garbage dumps, barnyards. In addition to food waste and insects, birds eat grass and tree seeds, berries, and peck at the remains of animals.

Crested tit, grenadier (Slide 11)

Tit family

Detachment passeriformes

People sometimes reward birds with very apt names. The crested tit, for example, was called the grenadier for its high, sharp crest on its head. This bird is smaller than a sparrow, with fluffy plumage, a short sharp beak, strong legs that allow hanging upside down and clamping food to crush it. The back is grayish-brown, the throat, nape and stripe passing through the eye are black, the head and abdomen are brownish-white.

Active during daylight hours, this agile bird flies well and spends a lot of time in the crowns of coniferous trees. The voice of the crested tit is a quiet “chi-chi-chi”, the song is a hoarse “ti-ti-ti-trrch”.

The grenadier lives in European Russia and the Southern Trans-Urals, in coniferous and mixed forests. In non-breeding time, she prefers coniferous undergrowth. The Crested Tit is a sedentary and nomadic bird, the number of which has been declining in recent years. These birds keep in pairs, rarely in flocks, sometimes with other tits.

The diet of the crested tit is dominated by beetles, caterpillars and spiders, they also peck at plant seeds.

Common bullfinch (Slide 12)

finches family

Detachment passeriformes

Winter nature is decorated with our favorites - handsome bullfinches. The common bullfinch is larger than a sparrow, with a thick short strongly swollen black beak, soft long dense plumage, and an elongated black straight-cut tail. Strong and prehensile legs hold the bird upside down on a tree branch as it reaches for berries and seeds. In males, the bottom is bright red, in females it is brownish-gray, in both the crown, forehead, cheeks, wings and tail are brilliant black, the back is gray, the bottom of the abdomen, rump and undertail are white.

The bullfinch spends a lot of time in the crowns of trees, foraging, often descends to the ground. He is not afraid of man. Birds whistle melodiously: "zhu-zhu-zhu".

The bullfinch lives - a sedentary and partially nomadic bird - in the taiga forests from the western to eastern borders of Russia. In winter, it is found in large cities and small towns. For the summer, birds move to dense forests, become silent and cautious.

In autumn, bullfinches roam to feeding places far from nesting sites. They feed on the seeds of trees and weeds, berries of mountain ash, bird cherry, Siberian apple trees, apple buds.

Eared owl (Slide 13)

Owl family

Order owls

An eared owl (smaller than a crow) is a bird with a brown top and a rusty bottom, longitudinal and small transverse stripes, long “ears”, a pronounced facial disc, feathered toes, a hooked beak, a rounded tail and loose plumage. Her eyes are orange-yellow, her beak and claws are black.

This bird spends daylight hours at the tree trunk in a column, with pressed plumage, hunts at night. It flies silently and quickly. In winter, the owl is a sedentary or nomadic bird. She makes whimpering sounds and whistles, a plaintive "woo-hoo", hoots "hoo-hoo-hoo." Tokuya, the owl flaps its wings, zigzagging from tree to tree. The long-eared owl feeds on forest and field mice, voles, watching

\\ them at night from a perch or rushing raid. Magpie (Slide 14)

crow family

Detachment passeriformes

The magpie is, of course, the "white-sided magpie" known to everyone since childhood. It is smaller than a crow (0.2 kg), black and white in color, sometimes with a metallic sheen, with short wide wings and a long stepped tail.

The voice of the magpie is a dripping and repeated "check-check-check". Singing is a patter of various sounds, including borrowed ones. She walks well, flies in waves. Excited, shakes his tail from side to side.

In Russia, the magpie is widespread and settled everywhere, wandering in winter. The number in cities is growing. Prefers sparse forests, ravines, floodplains. It nests in single pairs, constructing spherical nests with a vaulted roof from thick branches. In April, the female lays 3–9 bluish-green eggs with marks, incubates them for up to 20 days. Both birds feed the chicks for about 4 weeks.

In the diet of magpies, in addition to food waste from landfills, insects, seeds of garden crops, weeds. These birds steal other people's eggs from nests, catch badly flying chicks.

Game “Wintering and Migratory Birds”

Description of the game: The host gives each child the name of a bird: someone migratory, someone wintering. For example: heron, bullfinch, cuckoo, crow, swallow, woodpecker, crane, nightingale, owl, parrot, crossbill, etc.

At the command of the host, wintering birds should gather in one flock, and migratory birds in another. Then each flock looks to see if there are strangers, and if there is, then they are expelled with a cry.

Children read poetry

DON'T SHIELD, SPARROW!

In the yard white-white,
The ground was covered with snow.

It is difficult for birds to winter,
It is difficult to get food.

Fly, sparrow
Fly up, don't be shy!

Do you see the girl? She is
Brought you grain.

Went up to the porch
Sprinkle on the board.

Fly, sparrow
Help yourself, don't be shy!

waxwings

Again in autumn,
They came to visit us
And sat down as a friendly family
There were waxwings on the branches.

They fly from afar
Through the winds, rain and hail.
Rowan red lights,
They are probably being teased.

We are a bunch of mountain ash outside the window
Hang for guests
And suddenly he will look into our house
Cheerful whistler.

NUTHATCH

blue back,
Red barrel.
Along the trunk of an aspen,
After the leap, the leap
nuthatch fidgety
Jumps up and down;
A holey one climbed into the trunk,
Hanging beak down.
He turns his head
I looked at the woodpeckers
From under the black brow
sparkled,
He whistled: “Hey you, woodpeckers!
I'm jumping down with my beak ...
You are unlikely to
Woodpeckers on the shoulder!”

Snowstorms are circling,
Frost crackles at night
At the top of a lush spruce
A bright crossbill peels off a cone.

He is not afraid of frost
He is not afraid of winter!
Pines, firs, give to the bird
golden seeds.

Leading: The forest is fabulously beautiful on a clear winter day, especially when a sunbeam suddenly flashes and illuminates the tops of trees covered with snow. And among the snow-white flakes on the branches, we see unusual “flowers”. These are… the birds of the winter forest. The game “Know the bird!” is announced. According to the verbal description, you need to find out what kind of bird it is.

The birds are introduced.

Sparrow: I am a mobile bird with a rounded head, short neck, ovoid body, short and rounded wings. My beak is hard and pointed towards the end. In the cold season, we sit, closely pressed against each other, ruffled.

Titmouse: I am a very beautiful bird. I have a black cap on my head, white cheeks, and a black stripe on my throat - a tie, wings and tail are gray, my back is yellow-green, and my belly is yellow.

Woodpecker: I have a beautiful motley plumage: the upper body is black, there are white spots on the head and neck, the undertail and crown are red, the beak is strong and sharp.

Bullfinch: My top of the head, wings, tail are black, the back is bluish-gray, and the belly is red. The beak is short, thick, conical, black.

Klest: I am a small red bird with tenacious paws and a characteristic cruciform beak.

Magpie: My head, wings, tail are black, but on the sides there are snow-white feathers. The tail is long and straight, like an arrow, and the beak is strong and sharp.

Crow: I have a large oblong body and big strong legs. I take big steps. I have a very large and strong beak. The head, throat and wings are black, while the rest of the body is grey.

Children read poetry

Early bird jumping
On the snow-covered branches -
yellow-breasted tits
They came to visit us.

“Tin-shadow, tilly-shadow,
The winter day is getting shorter
You won't have time to eat
The sun will set behind the fence.
Not a mosquito
Not a fly.
Everywhere only snow and snow.
It's good that we have feeders
Made by a kind person."

Y. Sinitsyn

Run out quickly
Look at the snowmen!

Arrived! Arrived!
The flock was met by blizzards,
A Frost Red Nose
He brought them rowanberries.

well treated,
Well sweetened
Late winter evening
Bright scarlet bunches.

A. Prokofiev

Host: And now we will hold a quiz among the guys “What do you know about wintering birds?”. Each correct answer is worth one token.

Which birds stock up for the winter? (Very few: owls collect dead mice in their hollows, jay (ronzha) - acorns, nuts)

Which of our birds can move up and down the vertical trunk and upside down? (Nuthatch)

Which birds move up a vertical trunk only upside down? (Woodpecker, pika)

What is worse for birds than hunger or cold in winter? (hunger)

What birds migrate for the winter to human habitation? (Great tit, magpie, crow, jackdaw)

For which bird is burdock seeds a favorite food in winter? (For the goldfinch)

What benefit does a tit bring to a person in winter, when all insects sleep? (In winter, tits look for insects, eggs, larvae in cracks and holes and eat them)

What types of sparrows nest here? (Brownie and field)

The name of which wintering bird is consonant with the name of the dance? (Tap dance)

Why does the carcass of a dead crossbilly, even in warmth, not decompose for a long time? (Cleats feed on the seeds of coniferous trees. Their entire body is saturated with resin. The resin keeps the body from smoldering)

Which bird changes the color of its plumage dramatically? (Partridge: gray in summer and white in winter)

What are the wintering birds that have a crest on their heads? (Whistle, tap dance)

What birds breed chicks in severe frost? (crossbills, kingfishers)

How many different tits live in our area? (Six: large, chickadee, moskovka, corydalis, blue tit, long-tailed)

What birds live with us only in winter? (Tap dance, waxwing, snowy owl)

How can one explain that swallows, swifts, flycatchers fly south for the winter, while tits, woodpeckers and nuthatches remain? (Flycatchers, swifts and swallows catch insects in the air, and in autumn insects climb into shelters, that is, they become inaccessible to these birds. Tits, woodpeckers and nuthatches adapt to catching insects, their larvae, pupae and eggs from winter shelters)

Which order of birds contains the largest number of species? (passerines)

The winner among the participants of the quiz is determined.

Children read poetry.

HOW TO OVERWINTER A BIRD?

How do birds winter?
It is known that birds
There are no bathrobes,
No flannel shirts.

Many don't even have a nest:
They are in a thunderstorm and hail,
And in the rain and in the cold
They sleep on the branches.

But who gives them shelter
When does it snow?

There are different types of birds
Some are afraid of blizzards
And fly away for the winter
To the kind, warm south.

Others - those people are different:
In the frost they circle over the forest,
For them, separation from their homeland
More terrible than a fierce cold.

To their ruffled feathers
Snowflakes don't come
They are under the powder
They frolic for a warm-up.

Crows sit on poles
Roaring on the branches of jackdaws,
Sparrows freely jump,
As if twisting ropes.

But if it snows for a long time
And the blizzard lasts a long time
Then, friends, you have to
Our birds are tight.

covered with snowdrifts
Hillocks, yards, paths,
Birds can't find
Not a grain, not a crumb.
And now everyone is flying weaker
Crow, jackdaw, sparrow...

Get help, kids!
Here in this most difficult hour
Rescue birds are waiting for you.
Feed them! Warm up!
Hang a house on a bitch!
Scatter the crumbs on the snow
And then semolina ...
And the poor things will come to life!

Gliding merrily across the sky
Feathered friends fly
And sing, chirping:
“Thank you very much!”

K. Muhammadi

Game "Bird Concert" (Attention)

Each group of guys from 3 people is given the name of a bird, then say how they sing:

Sparrows - chirp - chirp

Tits - ting - ting

Crow - kar - kar

Woodpecker - trrr - trrr

Bullfinch - du - du - du

Klest - tsok - tsok - tsok

Waxwing - tyr - tyr - tyr

The guys sing a song to the tune “A grasshopper was sitting in the grass”. Each bird on a line.

Host: We had a nice concert. I think that after such a concert, our birds were very hungry.

We announced a competition of feeders and now we will sum up its results. What is the best feeder for birds?

The winners are being awarded.

The student reads the poem:

Frosts are severe this year...
Anxious for the apple tree in our garden,
Anxious for the Bug:
In her kennel
The same frost
Like in the yard.
But most of all I'm worried about the birds,
For our sparrows, jackdaws, tits:
After all, it is very cold in the air for them.
Can we help the defenseless?

Let's help! They need to be fed
And then
They will easily survive the cold.

E. Blaginina

Presenter: Guys, do you know what kind of food wintering birds like?

Students show food and talk about it:

Sunflower seeds are eaten by almost all birds and, first of all, tits and nuthatches.

Melon and pumpkin seeds are eaten by almost all birds, except for chickadees and nuthatches.

Oats, if there is nothing better, eat oatmeal, sparrows, tits.

Millet and millet are the favorite food of oatmeal and sparrows.

Burdock seeds are the main food for goldfinches.

The seeds of quinoa, wormwood, hemp, horse sorrel, nettle are readily eaten by all granivorous birds.

Berries of mountain ash and viburnum are the favorite food of bullfinches and waxwings.

Bread crumbs are eaten by tits and sparrows.

Raw (unsalted) fat is an excellent food for tits, nuthatches and woodpeckers.

Raw meat is good food for tits and nuthatches, as well as crows, jackdaws and magpies. Salo and meat are hung on strings.

Presenter: Guys, do you remember what kind of food wintering birds eat? Let's check! The game "Define the food" is announced. Blindfolded, it is necessary to determine the food and remember who eats it. The game involves 4-6 people.

Host: Well done guys! You have learned to determine the food and know which of the wintering birds likes what food. Now get to know and remember the rules for feeding birds.

When feeding birds, do not litter in the forest, park, garden: do not leave newspapers, paper and plastic bags, cans and boxes.

Bird feeders should be very modest, better not painted.

There should be little food in the feeders and only what the birds need: seeds of wild herbs, bread crumbs, sunflowers, pieces of unsalted lard.

Feed your birds regularly. Birds should not be fed from time to time: it is in winter that they really need your support, it is in frosts and snowstorms that most of the birds die.

Follow these rules! Introduce the rules for feeding birds to your younger comrades, brothers and sisters.

Feed the birds in winter
So that from all over
They flocked to you, like home,
Stakes on the porch.

Their food is not rich,
One handful is needed.
One handful - and not terrible
They will have winter.

Tame the birds in the cold
To your window
So that without songs it was not necessary
We welcome spring!

Let's take a look at the books on display. You can watch and read them. They will help to learn more about the life of birds. But this is after the holiday.

And now we will hang the feeders on the school grounds.

References:

Belyakov I.V. Wryneck. Krasnodar book publishing house, 1983.

Zemlyanova O.V., Kozlova N.B., Patrusheva L.I., Nosova M.N., Garyung S.G., Pogudina N.A. Flipping through the ecological calendar: scenarios mass events dedicated to the dates of the ecological calendar. Barnaul: AKDETS, 2003.

Nuzhdina T.D. The world of animals and plants. Encyclopedia for kids. Miracle is everywhere. - Yaroslavl: "Academy of Development", 1997.

Shorygina T.A. Birds. What are they? M., 2005.

"Feed the birds in winter!"

Group form:

pictures of the winter forest;

exhibition of feeders “We care about birds”;

drawings of children depicting wintering birds “Our Pets”;

Conversation flow:

The phonogram of M. Sviridov “Snowstorm” sounds.

Educator: Bewitched by the invisible,
The forest slumbers under the fairy tale of sleep,
Like a white scarf
The pine has tied up.

Today we will talk about the birds that spend the winter with us. They are called winter birds. Here comes the winter! With her arrival, a revival immediately began in the bird canteens. A few more days, when there was no snow, the birds had to wait at the feeder, but now they are always there. You can stand at such a cheerful feeder for a long time and watch the birds with pleasure, if you stand quietly, do not make noise and do not move.

The game “Distribute the birds into migratory and wintering ". Wintering birds should be placed on the feeder, and migratory birds should be “sent in flight”.

Children read poetry

DON'T SHIELD, SPARROW!

In the yard white-white,
The ground was covered with snow.

It is difficult for birds to winter,
It is difficult to get food.

Fly, sparrow
Fly up, don't be shy!

Do you see the girl? She is
Brought you grain.

Went up to the porch
Sprinkle on the board.

Fly, sparrow
Help yourself, don't be shy!

I. Belyakov.

waxwings

Again in autumn,
They came to visit us
And sat down as a friendly family
There were waxwings on the branches.

They fly from afar
Through the winds, rain and hail.
Rowan red lights,
They are probably being teased.

We are a bunch of mountain ash outside the window
Hang for guests
And suddenly he will look into our house
Cheerful whistler.

NUTHATCH

CLESTA

Snowstorms are circling,
Frost crackles at night
At the top of a lush spruce
A bright crossbill peels off a cone.

He is not afraid of frost
He is not afraid of winter!
Pines, firs, give to the bird
golden seeds.

Educator: The forest is fabulously beautiful on a clear winter day, especially when a sunbeam suddenly flashes and illuminates the tops of trees covered with snow. And among the snow-white flakes on the branches, we see unusual “flowers”. These are… the birds of the winter forest.

The game “Know the bird!” is announced. According to the verbal description, you need to find out what kind of bird it is.

The birds are introduced.

Sparrow:I am an active bird with a rounded head, short neck, short and rounded wings. My beak is hard and pointed towards the end. In the cold season, we sit, closely pressed against each other, ruffled.

Tit:I am a very beautiful bird. I have a black cap on my head, white cheeks, and a black stripe on my throat - a tie, wings and tail are gray, my back is yellow-green, and my belly is yellow.

Woodpecker:I have a beautiful colorful plumage: the upper body is black, there are white spots on the head and neck, the undertail and crown are red, the beak is strong and sharp.

Bullfinch:I have the top of the head, wings, tail are black, the back is bluish-gray, and the belly is red. The beak is short, thick, conical, black.

Crossbill:I am a small red bird with tenacious paws and a characteristic cruciform beak.

Magpie:My head, wings, tail are black, but on the sides there are snow-white feathers. The tail is long and straight, like an arrow, and the beak is strong and sharp.

Crow:I have a large oblong body and large strong legs. I take big steps. I have a very large and strong beak. The head, throat and wings are black, while the rest of the body is grey.

Children read poetry

TITS

Early bird jumping
On the snow-covered branches -
yellow-breasted tits
They came to visit us.

Y. Sinitsyn

SNEGIRI

Run out quickly
Look at the snowmen!

Arrived! Arrived!
The flock was met by blizzards,
A Frost Red Nose
He brought them rowanberries.

well treated,
Well sweetened
Late winter evening
Bright scarlet bunches.

A. Prokofiev

Educator: And now we will spend among children a quiz “What do you know about wintering birds?”

1. Which birds stock up for the winter? (Very few: owls collect dead mice in their hollows, jay (ronzha) - acorns, nuts)

2. Which of our birds can move up and down the vertical trunk and upside down? (Nuthatch)

3. Which birds move up a vertical trunk only upside down? (Woodpecker, pika)

4. What is worse for birds than hunger or cold in winter? (hunger)

5. What birds migrate for the winter to human habitation? (Great tit, magpie, crow, jackdaw)

6. For which bird is burdock seeds a favorite food in winter? (For the goldfinch)

7. What benefit does a tit bring to a person in winter, when all insects sleep? (In winter, tits look for insects, eggs, larvae in cracks and holes and eat them)

8. Which bird changes the color of its plumage dramatically? (Partridge: gray in summer and white in winter)

9. What are the wintering birds that have a crest on their heads? (Whistle, tap dance)

10. What birds breed chicks in severe frost? (crossbills, kingfishers)

11. How can one explain that swallows, swifts, flycatchers fly south for the winter, while tits, woodpeckers and nuthatches remain? (Flycatchers, swifts and swallows catch insects in the air, and in autumn insects climb into shelters, that is, they become inaccessible to these birds. Tits, woodpeckers and nuthatches adapt to catching insects, their larvae, pupae and eggs from winter shelters)

Children read poetry.

HOW TO OVERWINTER A BIRD?

1 reader:

How do birds winter?
It is known that birds
There are no bathrobes,
No flannel shirts.

Many don't even have a nest:
They are in a thunderstorm and hail,
And in the rain and in the cold
They sleep on the branches.

But who gives them shelter
When does it snow?

There are different types of birds
Some are afraid of blizzards
And fly away for the winter
To the kind, warm south.

Others - those people are different:
In the frost they circle over the forest,
For them, separation from their homeland
More terrible than a fierce cold.

To their ruffled feathers
Snowflakes don't come
They are under the powder
They frolic for a warm-up.

2 reader:

Crows sit on poles
Roaring on the branches of jackdaws,
Sparrows freely jump,
As if twisting ropes.

But if it snows for a long time
And the blizzard lasts a long time
Then, friends, you have to
Our birds are tight.

covered with snowdrifts
Hillocks, yards, paths,
Birds can't find
Not a grain, not a crumb.
And now everyone is flying weaker
Crow, jackdaw, sparrow...

Gliding merrily across the sky
Feathered friends fly
And sing, chirping:
“Thank you very much!”

Teacher: We announced feeder competition and now let's sum it up. What is the best feeder for birds?

The winners are being awarded.

FROST

Child:

Chorus:

Let's help! They need to be fed
And then
They will be easy

Survive the cold.

E. Blaginina

Educator: Guys, do you know what kind of food wintering birds like?

Children show food and talk about them:

Sunflower seeds are eaten by almost all birds and, first of all, tits and nuthatches.

Melon and pumpkin seeds are eaten by almost all birds, except for chickadees and nuthatches.

Oats, if there is nothing better, eat oatmeal, sparrows, tits.

Millet and millet are the favorite food of oatmeal and sparrows.

Burdock seeds are the main food for goldfinches.

Berries of mountain ash and viburnum are the favorite food of bullfinches and waxwings.

Bread crumbs are eaten by tits and sparrows.

Raw (unsalted) fat is an excellent food for tits, nuthatches and woodpeckers.

Raw meat is good food for tits and nuthatches, as well as crows, jackdaws and magpies. Salo and meat are hung on strings.

Teacher: Well done guys! You know which of the wintering birds likes what kind of food. Now remember the rules for feeding birds.

1. When feeding birds, do not litter in the forest, park, garden: do not leave newspapers, paper and plastic bags, tin cans and boxes there.

2. Bird feeders should be very modest, better not painted.

3. There should be little food in the feeders and only what the birds need: seeds of wild herbs, bread crumbs, sunflowers, pieces of unsalted lard.

4. Feed your birds regularly. Birds should not be fed from time to time: it is in winter that they really need your support, it is in frosts and snowstorms that most of the birds die.

Follow these rules! Introduce the rules for feeding birds to your younger comrades, brothers and sisters.

Feed the birds in winter
So that from all over
They flocked to you, like home,
Stakes on the porch.

Their food is not rich,
One handful is needed.
One handful - and not terrible
They will have winter.

Tame the birds in the cold
To your window
So that without songs it was not necessary
We welcome spring!

And now, let's go outside together and hang the feeders on the territory of the kindergarten.

In winter, our feathered friends have a very tight time. Those birds that stay with us for the winter often experience a severe lack of food and die. So it is in our power to help our feathered friends. We will make feeders for them with our own hands. Creating a feeder with your child and further bird watching will help instill in your child a love for handicraft, creativity, and, of course, for nature and animals.

The simplest bird feeders can be made from materials that are always at hand.

The feeder is a garland.

To make it, you need to string the food on a strong thread or metal wire. Usually, unsalted lard (a delicacy of chickadees), unpeeled peanuts, bread crusts, dried fruits are used as feed.

Ear food - a bag.

Put the food in a net, for example from under vegetables, and tie it off at the top. An elastic bandage works best as a mesh. The choice of feed depends on the grid cell.

Feeder from under the milk package, juice,

from a plastic bottle.

It is necessary to cut two "windows" opposite each other in a bag or bottle. Under the "windows" you can install a pole, and fasten a rope from above, for which you can hang the feeder on a tree.

What to put in the feeder?

You can put bread crumbs, pieces of bread, sunflower seeds, dried rowan berries, in principle any berries, ash seeds, you can put panicles of various herbs with seeds, various grains: millet, oats, oatmeal, rye. Tits, for example, love meat and lard. Nuts will also be used: hazelnuts or peanuts. You can put dried fruit, or even a raw half of an apple.

Sincerely, educator

Bird nutrition

Feeding birds in winter

The need for food increases at low temperatures, as more energy is spent on heat production. Therefore, in winter, birds should eat especially intensively. However, food is not readily available at this time of the year. In addition, the possibility of obtaining food is limited by a short daylight hours. Birds have learned to endure a sharp deterioration in nutritional conditions by migrating or regularly migrating to areas where such deterioration does not occur. On the other hand, many polar birds - tap dances, snow buntings, waxwings - migrate to the middle latitudes for the winter, not because there is more food here, but because the day is longer. Insectivorous birds feed almost continuously during the winter day to survive the long frosty night. Sedentary birds often change the composition of the feed in winter. For example, the feeding regime of hazel grouse changes in different seasons depending on the availability of one or another plant food. In spring, it feeds mainly on catkins of birches, willows and aspens, in summer - insects, seeds, berries, green shoots of grasses, in autumn - mountain ash, buds, tree shoots. The great spotted woodpecker feeds on xylophagous insects, aphids, ants in summer, coniferous cones in winter, and drinks tree sap in spring. Many wintering birds switch from animal foods to vegetable foods in autumn, such as the nuthatch and all tits. They, in addition, extract insects hiding under the bark, pick out larvae from winter nests. Many birds are nailed to human habitation for the winter - magpies, jays, woodpeckers, and in recent years - rooks and starlings that remain for the winter.

The harsh winter period helps to survive the stocks accumulated in the fall. The role of food reserves in the life of birds is often exaggerated. Many species, which are credited with the ability to stay over the winter thanks to reserves, do not make them every year, but only in years with a very good fodder crop. And yet this reserve can play a role in maintaining the life of birds in winter. But the birds themselves do not remember their pantries. During winter migrations, stocks, as a rule, are not found by the same tits or nuthatches that made them. The exceptions are owls and owls, which put "extra" mice in the hollows in reserve and then regularly visit pantries. Some ornithologists believe that jays search for their stocks of acorns and small potatoes, guided by the sense of smell, which they have developed much better than other birds. This question remains open for now.

Birds can easily tolerate low temperatures if they are sufficiently provided with food. The thrushes remain to winter with a plentiful harvest of mountain ash. Crossbills appear in winter only where there are fruit-bearing spruces, pines or larches. The presence of ripe seeds in the cones allows them to nest until the time when the seeds spill out onto the snow.

A large role in experiencing the unfavorable time of the year is played by a flock of life. Small clusters, constantly changing their composition, are formed by birds immediately after the end of nesting. In the pre-autumn forest, there are often motley companies consisting of tits, warblers, warblers, wandering along common routes. Gradually, these clusters are weeded out migratory birds, and by winter the flock acquires a permanent composition. Usually it includes kinglets, several species of tits, nuthatch, pikas, and sometimes a small spotted woodpecker. Waxwings, crossbills, tap dances, and siskins roam in flocks. Most migratory birds also travel in flocks. Everyone knows thousands of flocks of starlings, noisily roaming through gardens and floodplains, flocks of rooks in compressed fields. Birds of prey, nightjars, kukshas, owls, and some sandpipers travel alone. The advantages of a pack lifestyle are obvious - it is easier to find food and detect danger. Many small birds, united, are able to drive away a predator - a crow, a squirrel and even an owl. By shouting they draw attention to them more strong birds. The same motives encourage flocks of non-nesting birds for some reason. At the height of summer, one can sometimes see flocks of lapwings forced to roam, flocks of waders, such as bartails, and in the south of the European part of the USSR - flocks of herring gulls and mute swans.

The instinct of food storage is quite strongly developed in many birds. These include some species of owls, tits, woodpeckers, corvids.

One of these birds, the little owl, or pygmy owl, has a strong hoarding instinct. It lives in Northern and Central Europe, and in our country it is found in humid coniferous forests. Soviet researcher G. N. Likhachev discovered a hollow in the Tula region, where there was a whole warehouse of corpses of mouse-like rodents collected by these birds. They lay tightly and weighed more than 2 kg. These reserves were collected by owls until December. With the onset of winter cold and snowfall, it becomes more difficult to catch rodents. At this time, the owl climbs into the hollow and relies only on its reserves. One of these warehouses contained 86 rodents, mostly voles. Stocks are also made by other types of owls, such as the long-eared owl. And in the nest of a short-eared owl, 8 mice were found, in water rats, 4 voles, 4 other rodents, a coot chick, etc.

Crows and magpies make small reserves of food, which hide them under fallen leaves, in dry grass, in snow. But this is probably in countries located north of ours. It is not surprising that crows and magpies show such a tendency during a harsh and cold winter. A similar type of storage is also inherent in jays. Sometimes they make stocks of acorns and hazelnuts, burying them in the ground. One author observed jays in the Orenburg region (USSR), where these birds overwinter and store in hollows and tree roots. Nutrient reserves in such warehouses, according to P. A. Sviridenko, reach 4.5 kg.

There is a lot of information about the storage of food by Siberian nuts, which in some years also fly into Western Europe. These birds with colorful plumage belong to the corvid family and are a subspecies of those that are found with us. The arborist Pehtold, who for many years observed Siberian stone pine plantations in Western Europe, characterizes this activity of the Siberian walnut as follows.

"This very mobile bird shows unusual activity during the ripening of seeds. Tearing off a cedar cone from a tree or picking it up from the ground, it flies not far into the forest, sits down on a convenient place, picks up nuts in its beak and flies to the place where the storehouse is located. She chooses only large, high-quality, perfectly ripe nuts, as can be seen in the study of stocks, although this is difficult to do, since the bird knows how to hide them so well that it is almost impossible for a person to find.

The Siberian walnut makes significant stocks and hides them in various places. Found heaps of 5 - 6 cones hidden in the roots of trees. N. A. Kholodkovsky and A. A. Silantiev note in their monograph that nutcrackers, picking up a mouthful of nuts, carry them into the forest, where they hide under moss and in other secret places. Such activity of birds plays an important role in the restoration of the forest. Collecting mature cones, they carry them far from the place of collection; if the cone is heavy, the bird often loses it and flies after another; selecting the cones, she leaves the bad ones, which then germinate. At one time, the nutcracker can carry up to 80 seeds. Stocks are used by her in autumn and winter. But the bird does not always find its warehouses, sometimes the squirrel uses them, and unused cones go to restore forest plantations.

According to observations, the nutcracker, or nutcracker, likes to hide seeds in places exposed by fire with a weak grassy cover. Every year, birds stock up 2-3 thousand seeds per hectare, half of which remains unused and serves as a natural afforestation of these places.

Makes stocks and crested titmouse. According to observations, she collects them all year round and especially in autumn. This bird feeds on seeds of plants, larvae and caterpillars, which it usually hides in the bark of trees between lichens and branches, but so that the pantry is available in winter, when snow covers the branches. Since such stocks are scattered throughout the forest, the food of tits in a given area is used by the entire population more or less evenly.

Shrikes have an interesting way of storing food. All shrikes are migratory birds; some of them only winter in Bulgaria, while others nest with us, flying away in autumn. All of them feed on caterpillars, locusts, beetles, sometimes small birds, mice, lizards, etc., which are impaled on sharp thorns of shrubs as reserves not far from their nest. If the shrike does not find something to chop the catch on, he puts it in the fork of the branches. The preparation of stocks in this way is carried out gradually and is also gradually used in the absence of fresh food. An interesting picture sometimes appears before the eyes of the observer: caterpillars are hung on the branches of thorns and hawthorn, which grows along the edges of meadows and gardens. They are dried and preserved in the sun like meat. When a female shrike is incubating an egg, the male brings her food without flying far. A hungry mother feeds without moving away from the nest.

The instinct to store food is also observed in the small restless forest bird of the nuthatch, which rarely lingers in one place. He constantly climbs the branches of trees. It is known that nuthatches store winged seeds of maple, beech, as well as acorns, etc., hiding them in cracks in the bark of large trees. We watched how these nimble birds filled the hollow with lime seed boxes to the very top. Another author observed how two pairs of birds carried away sunflower and pumpkin seeds from a feeder placed on a tree. This they did throughout the winter. Birds not only fed on seeds, but also hid them in cracks in the bark, old pears, apple trees, white locust and oak. They were tireless in this work. Carrying away from 2 to 4 seeds at a time, the nuthatches flew to a neighboring tree, where they hid their prey, and immediately returned for new seeds. This went on from morning to evening. Crawling up the tree, the birds easily found their prey. Sometimes so many seeds are hidden in the cracks of old trees that in spring these trees sprout them. Many other birds, especially tits, also use nuthatch stocks. The instinct to store food in nuthatch is manifested not only in autumn and winter, but also in summer.

On some days in June, nuthatches are as active as in winter: in one day, a pair of birds can carry 200-300 sunflower seeds from the feeder.

It is known that birds store food at a certain time in order to ensure a safe wintering or feeding their chicks. Most birds do not stock up on food at all, as they lead a migratory lifestyle and do not need winter supplies. As for the summer stocks of shrikes, they make them during the nesting period, when bad weather can interfere with hunting for caterpillars, lizards, frogs and small songbirds.

AT North America there lives a species of green woodpecker, which, like all other woodpeckers, in the summer feeds mainly on the larvae of various insects and the insects themselves. In winter, these woodpeckers switch to plant foods, using even acorns. But at this time, the fallen acorns of oak and beech are covered with snow. American green woodpeckers began to store acorns for the winter. They do it very diligently, and their reserves do not become prey for other animals. Birds find a suitable oak or pine tree and gouge a hole in the bark to stuff only one acorn into it. It is placed there so tightly that only a bird that has a beak like a woodpecker can get it. If a person sees such a tree, it will seem to him that it is all clogged with thick nails. Woodpeckers seem to predict the time. As soon as they start hammering their "nails" hard, the locals know that the cold and the first snow are coming. Until the snow falls, woodpeckers do not approach warehouses on trees that look like mosaics. But now the snow has fallen, it has become impossible to look for acorns on the ground and under the trees, and the birds begin to look for them in the bark, where snow cannot hide reserves. At the same time, the woodpecker eats only the core, and the hard shells remain hammered into the tree. In America, these birds sometimes cause disruptions to telephone and telegraph communications, as telegraph poles are often used for their winter warehouses. Cases were noted when up to 700 acorns appeared in one telegraph pole. With a strong wind, such a pillar could not stand it and fell. Another American species of woodpecker, called copper because of the orange-copper color of plumage and living in the forest regions of the Missouri River in Texas and Mexico, makes warehouses studied by Sausure. There is no vegetation around the extinct Pisaro volcano. The slopes are covered with frozen lava. Here and there, single specimens of agave are visible, adapted to the dry and hot climate of that place. Only copper woodpeckers circle around the dry and lonely agave trunks, using them as their warehouses. Birds punch holes in trunks, filling them with acorns. And they do it in the same way. The first hole is made close to the ground, then higher and higher at the same distance to the very top. The work is not easy, it is accompanied by dragging acorns, which are not easy to find. There are no acorns near the volcano, so woodpeckers bring them several kilometers away. The warehouses of these woodpeckers have invaluable advantages: in a waterless area, moisture never damages acorns, in addition, they are reliably protected from mice and hares. Woodpeckers use stocks in the summer, which lasts six months. At this time, all plants dry out, there are no insects. Without warehouses, the birds would be lost.

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