Wintering birds of Tatarstan-wintering birds of Tatarstan. Birds of the Republic of Tatarstan What birds of prey live in Tatarstan

Solovyov Anton: "How do birds winter?" In winter our birds - neighbors try to stay closer to human habitation: it is warmer and more satisfying here. Well-fed and frost is not so terrible. A good lunch warms up from the inside, warmth goes through the whole body. If you do not lose weight during the winter and keep the fat under the skin, then even the fierce cold that passes through the feather is not dangerous: it cannot freeze the fat under the masonry. But the trouble is, it is not easy to find food in winter. It is difficult for those birds that ate insects in the summer, they switch to cones, nuts and grains. And you still need to look for this food. It's easier to get through a difficult time together. And in winter different birds gather in flocks. After all, how is it in the flock? I found one food, immediately notified everyone: everyone will be full. The danger in time to notice is easier always someone on guard, while others feed or doze. If you need to fight off a large predator, then here it is more convenient for everyone together. So a little bird cannot be alone in winter. Even those birds that usually live alone and then for the winter to some flock nailed.

Daniil Semenov: "Nuthatch and Woodpecker" In the park, garden, at the feeders in a flock of different tits, you can see nuthatch. This small short-tailed bird immediately attracts attention with its ability to quickly run upside down along a tree trunk. Among birds nuthatches are the best climbers. A special device with very long toes and claws helps them in this. All warm seasons these birds run through the trees, looking for insects - pests. In winter, they have to sit down on a plant-based diet. A piece of unsalted bacon in a feeder or a nuthatch bug that has turned up in the bark is a treat. The color of the bird is bluish - gray, the neck, chest and abdomen are white, a black stripe goes from the beak. The woodpecker is a noticeable bird. His back, wings, tail are black, as if he is wearing a black coat. The throat, chest, abdomen are white, and on the head there is a bright red cap. It sits on a tree trunk, clutching the bark with its claws, and also rests on its tail. The tail of the woodpecker is unusual: with pointed at the ends, very hard feathers. Resting its tail against the unevenness of the bark, the woodpecker firmly adheres to the sheer trunk. Such strength, he needs to beat the tree hard. After all, the woodpecker feeds on worms, beetles and other insects that spoil the tree, gnawing the passages deep into the trunk.

Bikbova Ilsina: "Tits" Tits are one of the most useful birds for humans, because they destroy many pests. In the spring, when they have a child, they can eat as many insects per day as they themselves weigh. These birds are nomadic, but do not fly long distances, only for short ones - from the northern edges they can move to the southern ones. “There are several types of titmouse, and they are all useful. The more of these birds, the better. They need to be attracted with feeders. In spring and summer, tits feed only on insects, and in winter and autumn they eat berries and grains. To prevent the wind from blowing away their food, you can make a ball of lard (unsalted) and "glue" raw sunflower seeds, oats, millet, flax to it. This food can be hung from a tree or by a window. Titmouse also relishes unsalted bacon.

Egorova Liana "Sparrows" In the middle zone of the European part of Russia there are two types of sparrows: house (city) and field (village). They are found together in mixed flocks, especially in late autumn and winter. In spring and summer, individuals of each species stick to their favorite habitats, where they nest and reproduce. It is not at all difficult to distinguish a house sparrow from a field sparrow: a house sparrow (male) has a dark gray cap on the crown, and a field sparrow has a brown cap; the house sparrow has one light strip on its wings, and the field sparrow has two. In addition, the field sparrow has black staples on its cheeks against a light background, and there is a white collar around its neck. By constitution, the house sparrow is rougher than a field sparrow and larger than it. The house sparrow is also called the urban sparrow, because it is especially numerous in urban settlements and is common even in the largest cities. The field sparrow got the name of the village sparrow for its devotion to the countryside.

Garifullina Guliya "Bullfinches" The bullfinch is larger than a sparrow. He has bright plumage: red on the chest and gray-bluish on the back. Females are similar in appearance to males, but differ in more modest gray plumage. Bullfinches of both sexes have a black cap on the crown and a thick short black beak. The homeland of bullfinches is the coniferous forests of the northern taiga. Here they make nests and hatch chicks. In September, bullfinches form flocks, and in October they migrate for wintering to the forests of the middle zone of our country. At this time, they appear in villages and cities, sharply standing out against the background of the snow. Hence, probably, the name of these birds bullfinches. In winter, bullfinches keep to mixed and deciduous forests, where they feed on seeds of alder, ash, maple, linden, hornbeam and other trees, as well as shrubs (lilacs, etc.). In gardens and parks, they eat tree buds, and on the outskirts of fields they look for seeds of quinoa, horse sorrel and other weeds in ravines and wastelands. Bullfinches are especially attracted by mountain ash, which they willingly eat. During feeding, they leave traces of their work in the form of open ash and maple flies, remnants of linden seeds, pulp of crushed rowan berries, etc. By these remnants, it is easy to find out that bullfinches "ruled" here.

Nikonorova Azalea "Pigeons" The largest of our pigeons is the wood pigeon. It is also easy to distinguish by well-visible white spots on the neck and wings. Noble gray, with a light smoky bloom of plumage. Pigeons arrive at the end of March, and from mid-April their mating sounds are already constantly heard - a dull, vibrating buzz in an early rhythm. At the same time, one can see the current flights of pigeons: a sudden, with a noisy flapping of wings, takeoff and subsequent smooth glide. The nest, a loose flat floor of twigs, is built on the side branches of trees and is extremely careless. A clutch of two pure white eggs is incubated for days. Three weeks later, the chicks leave the nest, and birds from the forests move to the fields, gathering in large autumn flocks. They leave in October. The pigeon is the most common pigeon in the reserve. Klintukh is much smaller than a wood pig and without any white markings. The wood pigeon arrives earlier; the klintukh's voice has been heard since the beginning of April. It nests in tree holes, sometimes at considerable height. It occurs regularly in the reserve, preferring ripe pine forests.

Riddles about birds Greenish back, Yellowish tummy, Black hat And a strip of scarf. (Tit) Here is a bird so a bird, Not a thrush, not a titmouse, Not a swan, not a duck And not a nightjar. But this little bird, Though small, Breeds chicks Only in a fierce winter. (Klest) Red-breasted, black-winged, Loves to peck grains, With the first snow on the mountain ash He will appear again. (Bullfinch) Small bird Has legs And cannot walk. He wants to take a small step - It turns out a jump. (Sparrow)

The class of birds includes animals whose body is covered with feathers. They reproduce by laying eggs. The entire evolution of birds from the ancient reptiles that lived at the very beginning of the Mesozoic, more than 100 million years ago, up to our time, followed the path of better mastering the air environment, improving the flight to the fullest use of food available in nature. The forelimbs of birds are transformed into wings with very well-developed flight feathers, which significantly increase the working surface of the wing and ensure soaring in the air, which is also facilitated by tail feathers, which determine the birds' high maneuverability in flight. The tubular bones of our birds are devoid of bone marrow, the bones of the skull have grown together into a single, lightest structure. If the skeleton of mammals has a weight of about 20% of the total body weight, then in birds it is from 8 to 15%. The shape of the bones and the distribution of bone tissue in these or other bones of the skeleton from the point of view of modern technology gives the greatest strength with the least amount of material.
Air sacs located between the internal organs of the bird perform very important functions. When exhaling, when the used air is pushed out, clean air with a high oxygen content enters the lungs from the air sacs. This provides a "second wind", which is typical only for birds. In addition, air bags serve as pneumatic cushions for internal organs when landing and jumping, contributing to egg-laying during the act of defecation, some birds, when the abdominal air sacs are quickly filled, are able to throw excrement at a distance of several meters; birds do not have a bladder. The stomach in most birds is divided into two sections - glandular, which is an excellent chemical laboratory with a number of pepsinogenic fields, and muscular - (with a well-defined cuticle and stones, sand or hard seeds usually present in it. The gizzard is capable of developing efforts of several times exceeding body weight. Such vigorous work of the digestive organs is associated with the high temperature of the body of birds, reaching 45 В °, their great mobility and significant expenditure of energy, which require quick replenishment. Birds have excellent vision. Their eyes are relatively larger than those of mammals, and have a special scallop inside that provides heating of the big eye and intraocular pressure. A small kestrel falcon sees a vole at a distance of several hundred meters, Hearing is relatively well developed in birds, especially in owls, but very poorly - sense of smell and touch.
The variety in the device of the beaks and great mobility allowed the birds to get a wide variety of food, Thus, the chisel-shaped beak of the woodpecker is adapted for pulling out insects living in bark and wood; crossbill beak - for picking seeds from pine, spruce and larch cones; long beak of a woodcock - for getting earthworms and other inhabitants of the soil layer from the soil; eagle's beak - for holding and tearing food. All this testifies to the high specialization of birds in obtaining food.
Indeed, there is a large group of insectivores among birds; finches, chicken, pigeons and others have mastered various plant foods; a number of species lead a predatory lifestyle, feeding mainly on warm-blooded animals; others have adapted to catch fish, etc. Among birds there is a wide variety of life forms. Some species live only in forests; others - in fields and steppes; still others inhabit the shores of rivers and lakes and are closely related to the aquatic environment; the fourth have adapted to life around a person, etc.
The importance of birds in the life of biogeocenoses and in the national economy is great. Ducks, dives, geese, black grouse, hazel grouses, pigeons, coots, many sandpipers give tasty meat rich in vitamins. The role of birds in the destruction of harmful insects is great. Suffice it to say that a pair of starlings destroys about 6 kg of insects during the period of raising chicks, among which such pests as May beetles, caterpillars of cabbage butterflies, moths, scoops and others occupy a significant place. Many birds of prey eat harmful rodents in large numbers, providing significant assistance to our agriculture and forestry.
However, speaking about the positive role of birds in the human economy, a number of negative features should be noted. Some bird species are involved in maintaining and spreading dangerous vector-borne diseases and, during flights, are apparently able to carry them over long distances. Finally, sparrows, gathering in large autumn flocks, sometimes harm field crops.
All this testifies to the fact that the study of birds and clarification of their role in the life of biogeocenoses and in the human economy is a big and very important matter. The bird fauna of Tatarstan is rich and diverse, studies show that 274 species can be found on the territory of Tatarstan. Most of the birds belong to migratory birds that appear in our country in spring and fly away in autumn;
some come to us only for the winter. The table below characterizes the structure of the bird fauna of our republic and other regions of the middle zone of the European part of the Union. It should also be noted that not every year and often single specimens appear in Tatarstan such rare birds as the ptarmigan, bustard, skua, shelling, eider, cormorant, pelican, ibex flamingos, etc. Let us dwell on the characteristics of the most interesting in the economic or the biological relation of bird species.

Chicken squad

This order includes 6 species. Four of them - black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse and gray partridge - live with us throughout the year, quail flies to tropical Africa for the winter, and the white partridge only occasionally appears in Tatarstan during its winter migrations. So, according to Prof. VA Cherdyntseva, in the winter of 1944, near the town of Chistopol, several white partridges were killed. All chickens, having good meat, are objects of hunting.

It is found everywhere in Tatarstan, adhering to trees and shrubs, but often feeds in the fields. This is one of the most beautiful birds. The male, black with a bluish tint, has bright red eyebrows and a lyre tail. The female wears a more modest outfit, where black-brown specks are scattered on a reddish background. This color perfectly mimics the litter, makes the bird hardly noticeable and saves from numerous enemies during incubation and brood period. From February, as soon as the sun begins to warm up, flocks of grouse break up. Kosachi separated from females sit for a long time on the tops of trees, as if absorbing the first heat of the sun. With the appearance of thawed patches on hillocks and glades, almost simultaneously with the arrival of rooks, black grouse begin their current song. Their muttering, reminiscent of the murmur of a spring brook, is heard on quiet clear mornings for 2–3 km. Having chosen a meadow, a felling, or a forest edge for the current, the kosachi, if they are not disturbed by a person, walk in the same place for tens of years.
The east will turn pale a little, as the most reckless cocks begin to flock to the current. Having spread their wings, raising their lyre-shaped tail with a bright white undertail and dropping a few heads with coral eyebrows swollen at this time, chuffing and muttering, the males enter into fights with each other. Somewhat later, grouses arrive, and their clucking arouses males even more.
Mating sometimes occurs on a current, but more often the grouse with the chosen one fly off into the forest or shrub thickets. Large currents are now rare, usually 2–5 mowers, very rarely 10 or more.
The grouse, like all our chickens, arranges a nest on the ground, covering it with moss, grass and its own down. Clutch of 6-9 eggs usually ends by mid-May. On the 21st day of incubation, grouses hatch, partially already feathered, and after 10 days they fly well. Juveniles have a mimicry color.
The grouse jealously guards the brood and at the risk of taking the enemy away, pretending to be wounded, hobbling and hovering, and when it takes a person, dog, fox or wolf 100–200 meters away, climbs the edge, makes a wide circle and returns to the hidden brood. Young ones grow quickly, and in August black feathers already begin to appear in males.
Kosachi do not take any part in incubating and raising young animals. After the end of the current, usually at the beginning of June, they climb into the blind supports, where they spend the entire molting period. Quite often in the fall, the kosachi, as if preparing for the spring current, try to mow. In September, black grouse gather in flocks and at this time often fly to feed in the fields.
Four periods can be distinguished in the diet of black grouse. The first - the period of upbringing of the young, when the main food is caterpillar insects, beetles, orthoptera. The second period of nutrition - summer - is characterized by the predominance of berries. In autumn, grass seeds, winter crops and grain are of great importance. In winter, they feed on birch and alder catkins, wild rose, euonymus and juniper fruits. The presence of birch and alder forests is a necessary condition for the winter habitation of black grouse. In severe frosts, one can observe how a black grouse from a tree rushes into the loose snow, breaks a trench and in such snowy shelters, where it is warm and calm, they spend cold and long winter nights. In the black grouse, hazel grouse and capercaillie, horny bristles grow on the fingers by winter, significantly increasing the surface of the paws. This makes it easier for birds to move through the snow and especially along the icy slippery branches of trees, where they get their main winter food.
In winter, they hunt grouse with stuffed animals, which are displayed on single trees so that they can be seen from afar. A hut is made nearby, where a hunter hides and shoots birds flying up to stuffed animals. In the fall, they beat black grouse with a gun dog or just from the approach.

Seagull squad

12 species belong to this order in the fauna of Tatarstan, of which 8 nest, and 4 species are found only on migration and during summer migrations of immature birds.
Representatives of the order of seagulls are rather clearly divided into four groups:
1) gulls proper with their characteristic silvery-white color and rounded tail - black cludge, gulls: herring, gray-gray, common and small;
2) river terns, differing from the previous group by a strongly carved tail, sharper wings and a black cap on the head - river and small tern; 3) marsh terns - the smallest representatives of the order, usually weighing less than 70 g, whose body color is dominated by black - black, white-winged and barnacle terns; 4) Skuas that rarely fly to us - middle and short-tailed skuas, easily distinguished by dark plumage and elongated middle tail feathers extending beyond the tail in the form of a spire. In July 1948, GP Priezzhev observed a pair of skuas near Yelabuga for five days; later we saw skuas several times in the Kama estuary in 1956, 1960, 1969.
All gulls belong to brood birds and lay three rather large brownish-green eggs with scattered dark spots. They are monogamous, and both parents take part in incubating eggs and raising chicks.
In connection with the formation of the reservoir, the number of large gulls - herring and gray-headed gulls, which are now regularly encountered throughout the growing season, has noticeably increased. These are mainly young immature birds at the age of one to two years, but there are also nesting specimens.
Common seagull, lake
In early April, when the edges of the lakes appear and small steppe rivers open up, steamer gulls fly to us, or, as they are called by the Volgars, in "MartynyV". These seagulls often accompany steamers and perfectly catch pieces of bread thrown to them on the fly. Undoubtedly, the Volga without seagulls would have lost some of its beauty.
The first seagulls can be found on the distant Boar, where the warm waters of KazGRES flow down and where the ice first of all melts. By the end of May or the beginning of June, gulls gather in large societies and start nesting.
With the formation of a reservoir and the flooding of most of the lakes and bogs, where river gulls used to nest, their numbers declined. Apparently, this is also due to the fact that now the nesting places of gulls are located on the reservoirs of the continental terrace, they are more often visited and are often ruined by man. During the autumn census work, we quite often counted in flocks only 5–6% of young, easily distinguished from adults by their colorful attire and the absence of a black helmet on their head, although based on theoretical calculations of young in the autumn herd should be more than 50%.

In spring, the diet of gulls is of great importance for fish, frogs and mouse-like rodents that died in winter, which gulls catch from flooded manes and during their spring migrations. Often in the spring, gulls feed on B "behind the plow" and destroy a large number of B "wireworms" and other insects. In summer, seagulls feed mainly on aquatic and terrestrial insects, as well as fish. During the haymaking period, they eat a huge number of Orthoptera. In late summer and autumn, the importance of fish in the diet of gulls increases. There is no doubt that in our conditions the common gull is a useful bird and needs protection. Seagulls fly away in October. Many of them winter in the Caspian and Black Seas, but some fly to the Mediterranean. The little gull, which is smaller in size and has a black head plumage, is much less common in Tartary.

River Tern

River tern is a typical inhabitant of large rivers, where it nests in noisy colonies on sandy islands, spits and shoals. It arrives to us late, in mid-May, and begins to nest in June, when the sands appear. In years when the spring hollow waters did not recede for a long time, terns nested on high manes, arranging their nests on the sediments, apparently reminiscent of sandbanks. At present, small colonies of 10-15 nests are common.
Terns feed on a variety of aquatic small animals, including small fish. During haymaking, they switch to feeding on ground insects. In early September, they already migrate south for wintering in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is very similar to the small river tern, weighing only about 50 g - two times lighter than the river tern. Appears with us at the end of May - early June, and in August it already flies away.

Order of birds anseriformes

The vast order of Anseriformes includes birds ranging in size from a teal to a swan, with a stocky body, short legs, the three front toes of which are connected by swimming membranes, with a relatively long neck and a wide, relatively soft (except for mergansers) beak. Its edges are covered with denticles or thin plates, for which the anseriformes are also called lamellar-billed. All Anseriformes are closely related to water and belong to the group of waterfowl.
Most of them belong to polygamous species, do not form a permanent family, and males mate with different females. In these species, males are much brighter than females; for example, mallard, shirokosnoska, pintail, etc. In species pairing and belonging to monogamous species, the coloration is the same in both males and females - for example, swans and geese. All Anseriformes - brood birds. Most of the species feed on plant food, have a powerful gizzard, in which pebbles, sand or tough pond seeds are always found, contributing to the grinding of food, very aptly named by prof. P. A. Manteuffel In "millstones". Molting in all species is stormy, and for some time birds cannot fly.
All Anseriformes have very tasty meat and are important hunting objects. In Tatarstan, the Anseriformes fauna is represented very richly: 30 species are recorded here, which is more than half of all species found in the vast territory of the CIS. 12 species constantly nest with us, two species - whooper swan and white-eyed duck - do not nest every year, 9 are found on migration, and 7 belong to rare species.
Our anseriformes are divided into 5 groups: swans, geese, true ducks, diving and mergansers.

Whooper swan

About 30–35 years ago whooper nested in separate pairs in the Kama floodplain. Then, as man developed the floodplain, he stopped staying with us for nesting, and in 1965 V.A.Znamensky again discovered a pair of nesting swans in the Rybnaya Sloboda area. The mute swan flies to us very rarely during spring flights.

Goose gray

The Volga is still shackled with an ice cover, there are still patches of brown snow in the fields, and in the forest you can hardly feel the breath of spring and snow everywhere, as the first schools of noisy geese are already appearing in our country. According to long-term data, the arrival of geese usually begins around April 14, when the first temporary reservoirs appear in the fields - "puddles". Many folk signs are associated with the arrival of geese: "If the geese fly high - the spring ones will be high, they fly low - and the spring is low", "The geese are screaming a lot - for the harvest", etc.
The main mass of geese just flies through our republic: numerous bean goose with a black beak with a yellow or orange belt, a white-fronted goose, a white-fronted pussy and various species of geese, distinguished by a completely black small beak and black legs. Only a very insignificant part of the gray geese flying through Tataria remains to nest on the reservoir and in the floodplains of our large rivers on hard-to-reach lakes and swamps. Geese start nesting in May. The female, together with the male, makes a cozy nest somewhere on the shore, which is lined with feathers and down, and lays 5–8 eggs. Mainly a goose incubates for 28 days; the male sits on the nest only when the female is feeding. Geese feed on various aquatic vegetation, they like to pinch winter crops, and in the fall they regularly fly to the fields to feed on grains of cereals and peas. In connection with the massive autumn plowing, geese now land on the fields less and less often, the autumn migration takes place in a shorter time.
We have few geese: hunting with decoy geese and profiles, successfully carried out by S.A. Postnikov, has not yet found wide application. Geese fly away for wintering mainly to the South Caspian.

Squad of birds of prey

As the name suggests, this order unites birds with a predatory lifestyle. All of them have a powerful beak, bent at the end, the base of which is covered with bare skin - "wax"; strong paws, equipped with sharp and curved claws, and rather dense plumage.
Due to the fact that birds of prey eat animal food, they have a poorly developed gizzard and have developed the ability to regurgitate undigested food residues through their mouth - bones and hair of mammals, bird feathers, fish scales and chitinous parts of insects, which are called pellets. Collecting and analyzing pellets makes it possible to find out the food objects of birds of prey and establish their role and significance in our economy. Most predator species have a goiter, which allows them to simultaneously eat a significant amount of food, and then, slowly digesting it, do without food for some time. Birds of prey live in monogamy, forming pairs that often persist for a number of years. Large species of predators lay 1–2 eggs and incubate them for about 50 days; medium and small ones lay up to 9 eggs and incubate for less than a month. Incubation begins immediately after the first egg is laid, so the chicks do not hatch at the same time. This is of great biological importance, as it makes it easier for parents to feed their chicks, which in small species lasts about 25 days, and in large ones - up to three months. In some species of birds of prey, females are much larger than males.
Birds of prey have amazing visual acuity. Prof. G.P.Dementyev writes that the peregrine falcon sees a seated turtle dove at a distance of 1000 meters. The importance of birds of prey in the human economy is essential. Many of them, destroying a lot of harmful rodents and insects, are of great benefit to agriculture and forestry - these are almost all harriers, small falcons and buzzards. Large predators - the golden eagle, the white-tailed eagle, the great spotted eagle and the burial eagle, as well as the goshawk and the marsh harrier - although they eat a certain number of hunting and industrial animals - hares, chickens and waterfowl, but their harm is negligible , because first of all they catch sick and weakened animals.
The fauna of birds of prey in Tatarstan is very rich. We have recorded 28 species, of which 21 species nest on the territory of Tatarstan, one species - the Uplifted Buzzard, or Rough-legged Buzzard, occurs annually and in rather large numbers on migration, and 6 species belong to rare-fly - tyvik, red kite, white-headed vulture, black vulture, steppe eagle and dwarf eagle. Most of the diurnal birds of prey are migratory, and only four species are sedentary: both species of hawks, peregrine falcon and golden eagle. According to A.V. Popov, a pair of white-tailed eagles has been wintering for four years in the Saralov section of the Volga-Kama nature reserve. This is apparently due to the widespread development of ice fishing, when fishermen throw liguli and other fish infected with liguli on the ice and thus provide the eagles with food.
For a number of years, the employees of the Volga-Kama branch of the All-Russian Research Institute of Organizations carried out counts of birds of prey during summer field work. In a systematic respect, the birds of prey of Tartary are united into two families; falcon and hawk. The first includes six species that have a tooth on the upper beak and a corresponding notch in the lower beak; all other predators belong to the second family - they are characterized by the absence of a tooth on the beak.

Sokol-Sapsan

This is one of the largest falcons found in our country, and the only one that sometimes stays for the winter. Falcon B "takes" birds exclusively on the fly: having risen above the pursued prey, the peregrine falcon with tremendous speed, reaching 75 meters per second, hits the bird with the claws of its hind toes folded and tightly pressed to the body. The impact is made on the tangent m is very strong. Prof. GP Dementyev writes that if a blow falls on the neck of a duck, then B "its head often flies off." Sometimes the peregrine falcon does not have time to grab a shot down bird, and it falls to the ground, where the predator also descends after it. The usual prey of the peregrine falcon are ducks, but in cities it feeds on pigeons and jackdaws, often causing devastation in flocks of pigeons and greatly annoying pigeon breeders.
In the center of Kazan, on the bell tower of the Epiphany Church, a couple of peregrine falcons lived for several years and successfully bred chicks; but already about 10 years ago the birds left this area, apparently. due to the fact that in some years it was occupied by a pair of ravens More or less constantly peregrine falcons nest in the Raif forest, where A. A. Pershakov made a number of interesting observations of the lifestyle of this relatively rare falcon in our country. Another large falcon, the Saker Falcon, has been living and successfully breeding chicks in the Saralovsky area of \u200b\u200bthe Volzhsko-Kamsky Nature Reserve for several years.
Goshawk nests in high-trunk forests. Both nests we found were located on high spruce trees 10-12 m from the ground on thick lateral branches. The female usually lays 3–4 greenish-white eggs, which incubate for about 35 days. At the end of July, the young finally abandon the nest and begin an independent life.
The color of the goshawk is very characteristic of hawks: from above it is smoky gray, from below on a white background there are transverse black stripes. Short wide wings and a long tail provide the hawk with good maneuverability in the forest. The male usually weighs about 800 g, and the female up to 1700 g. Juveniles are well distinguished from adults by a reddish tint in plumage and clear longitudinal intermittent stripes on the underside of the body.
Sparrowhawk in its lifestyle and color is extremely close to the goshawk. The food of this small jackdaw-sized predator is dominated by smaller birds, mainly passerines; It regularly eats murine rodents and large insects. As shown by a number of special studies, in natural conditions the hawk, selecting sick and weakened animals, "cleans" the livestock and contributes to the preservation of its high numbers. Only in poultry farms it is capable of causing some damage, and there we can shoot them.

Marsh harrier

Low over thickets of emerging vegetation, over lakes and marshes, a marsh harrier, which seems almost black from a distance, flies. It feeds on eggs and chicks, and attacks adult birds. Ducks and coots especially suffer from it. We observed one nest of Marsh Harrier, located on a raft, among impassable thickets of reeds, with four chicks. Within eight days, the parents brought them 9 coots, 2 serukhs, 3 water voles and many small rodents and birds. SV Utyakovsky says that he observed the attack of the Marsh Harrier on the muskrat.
The number of marsh harriers is now small, and the loss caused by them is negligible in comparison with the positive role in the health of the livestock.

This is the most common bird of prey in our republic. The cut-out tail of a kite serves as an excellent feature of the species, by which it is easy to distinguish it from all other predators, which is helped a lot by the characteristic cry, vaguely reminiscent of the neigh of a stallion.
Kites appear here in mid or early April and almost immediately concentrate around their nesting sites. They often nest in colonies of 3–6 nests on an area of \u200b\u200b200–500 hectares - on some forest island, in a forest clearing near a large lake, or choose a forest edge along the Volga and Kama slopes. It should be noted that they live in groups in a relatively small area only in years rich in food. More often than not, we found single nests, which were arranged in trees and lined with a wide variety of materials; with a washcloth, rags, pieces of paper, cotton wool, etc. In one nest, located not far from the camp of our expedition, we found our own notes, lost in one of the trips around the island.
The nest usually contains 2–3 eggs. Incubation and feeding of chicks takes about two and a half months. By August, the young are difficult to distinguish from adults and already lead an independent life. At this time, kites are especially common near settlements and marinas.
Kites feed on a wide variety of foods: large insects, molluscs, mouse-like rodents, fish, frogs and lizards, small birds and carrion. Occasionally they attack chickens, flying into villages and even larger settlements. In the second half of summer and autumn, around the burial grounds and in other areas rich in fodder, two to three dozen birds accumulate.

Owl squad

This detachment unites birds that are nocturnal, having large, forward-facing eyes, from which small feathers radiate in all directions, forming the facial disc characteristic of the detachment. The head is large and, as it were, merged with the body, but, despite this, it is very mobile - owls can turn their head 180 °. Although owls are typical nocturnal birds, they can see quite well during the day. During the feeding period of young short-eared owls sometimes hunt even during the day. The plumage of the owl is loose, soft and contributes to the silent flight of these predators. Their hearing is well developed. The ear openings are very large and, in some species, are surrounded by longer feathers that form, as it were, the outer ear. Most owls have a mimic variegated coloration, where small specks are scattered over a reddish-gray background. Females are usually larger than males.
Like diurnal predators, owls have a hook-like curved beak and well-developed claws, and the outer finger can rotate back - this makes it easier to grasp prey. The food consists of various warm-blooded animals, among which rodents - voles and mice prevail. Owls throw away indigestible food debris in pellets, which differ from pellets of daytime predators in their rounded shape.
Owl nests are very primitive, and some species lay their eggs on the ground or in a hollow; long-eared owls often occupy crows' nests. The female incubates. Immediately after the first egg is laid, the female sits on the nest, and therefore the chicks hatch at a time, which greatly facilitates their feeding.
In the fauna of Tatarstan, owls are represented by 12 species. An eagle owl, a tawny owl, a hawk owl and some owls are sedentary, while a snowy owl and a tawny owl appear in our winter only in some years. All owls are undoubtedly useful birds, and if from time to time they catch game animals and birds, then this is more than compensated by the large number of mice and voles they have destroyed.

The largest representative of the detachment, weighing up to 3 kg. On the territory of Tataria it is found everywhere, but its favorite habitat is the wilderness. At present, the owl is relatively rare, but nevertheless, in spring, in all large forests of the republic, you can hear its dull cry B "ear-ear" at night, sometimes turning into a very unpleasant sound, reminiscent of a man's cry or a crying of a child. This, apparently, was the reason for the creation of beliefs among the people, according to which the owl foreshadows trouble. Often in our time, the cry of an owl is identified with laughter in the "goblin".
Eagle owl food is very diverse and depends on the amount of this or that food in nature. According to the materials of T. M. Kulaeva, the main food of the eagle owl is mouse-like rodents. Thus, in the stomach of an owl, caught in February 1946 by Ya. P. Koksin, the remains of 40 voles and mice were found. Undoubtedly, rodents form the basis of his food, but when there are few of them, the eagle owl is able to take hares, catch black grouse, grouse, rooks, jackdaws, crows and jays and dares to attack even foxes. So, in one of the forest ravines near Matyushin, an owl was killed at the time of his attack on a fox.
The owl does not suit the nest, but lays 2–3 white, almost spherical eggs, characteristic of all owls, right on the ground.
The eagle owl undoubtedly needs protection, and hunters should remember that if he destroys a certain number of hares, black grouses and other useful animals, he first of all takes the sick and weakened and this brings great benefits, cleaning the livestock and to some extent preventing an outbreak of disease.

Eared owl

One of the most common owls we have. It inhabits forests of various ages and composition and is often found even in the immediate vicinity of the city, and, possibly, nests at the Arsk cemetery of Kazan, where we have repeatedly heard her two-syllable cry “hu-huV”. The size of the long-eared owl is significantly inferior to the owl: all owls we caught weighed less than 500 g. It differs well from other owls by two protruding bunches of feathers on the head, resembling ears. In addition, long-eared owls have long wings that, when folded, extend over the end of their tail.
In years rich in mouse-like rodents, long-eared owls live with us sedentary, not flying away for the winter; in years poor in rodents, they migrate south, reaching Africa. They start nesting in April. The number of eggs in a clutch depends on the provision of birds with food and ranges from 3 to 8. Usually, a long-eared owl occupies the nests of crows, magpies and jays: all 4 nests of a long-eared owl we found previously belonged to crows. IV Zharkov and VP Teplov described three owl nests, of which two were arranged by crows and one by a magpie.
Incubation begins immediately after the first egg is laid. The female incubates, but the male is usually not far from the nest. With large clutches, the difference in chick size is very large; so, for example, in one examined nest, the largest chick weighed 242 g, and the smallest - only 87 g. It is quite natural that all chicks rarely survive - in the years of large "harvests" of rodents. Usually, however, 1–2 "of the latter die, since the food brought by their parents is captured by larger chicks, which are even capable of slaughtering their little brothers and sisters themselves and eating them. Such“ screening out ”of chicks is a common occurrence for all our predators.

Long-winged squad

As the name of the detachment itself shows, birds with long wings, somewhat resembling swallows, but even more adapted to flight, belong to it. We have one species from this order - the black swift, or ordinary.
The saber-like curved wings, as it were, a flattened head with a split, like a nightjar's, beak, short and weak legs with a feathered metatarsal and trailing toes directed forward and serving only for holding on walls, cornices and tree trunks are good signs of a swift. The swift does not know how to walk at all and, having hit the ground, climbs the wing with great difficulty. Its element is air, where it has no rivals both in speed and in flight maneuverability. It feeds exclusively on insects, which it catches on the fly. Swifts also mate in the air.
We have swifts appear with almost calendar accuracy - around May 14, and their impetuous flight with a shrill cry IN "swifts" marks the onset of the last phase of spring. Swifts are found in large numbers in Kazan and other settlements, where they nest under cornices, in cracks in walls and in attics. In some places, they are numerous in tall hollow forests. For two years in a row, near the laboratory station in the Raifa section of the reserve, a pair of swifts nested in a birdhouse hung from a birch at a height of only about 6 meters.
Two strongly elongated, almost cylindrical, white eggs are incubated by the female, which at this time is carefully fed by the male. Before bad weather, swifts fly low, which is associated with the migration of insects, which are very sensitive to changes in weather conditions; thus, observing swifts can often predict weather changes. Swifts migrate for wintering in early September to Equatorial Africa.

A detachment of passerines

The richest order of passerines in terms of the number of species is represented in Tatarstan by 103 species, which is 37.2% of the species composition of birds in Tatarstan. Undoubtedly, the order of passerines has no competitors in terms of the number of individuals. Most of our small birds belong to this order and are found in enormous numbers. So, according to counts, up to 400 pairs of birds nest on 25 hectares of mixed deciduous forest. The appearance of birds belonging to the passerine order is very diverse. Along with the raven, reaching a weight of up to 1500 g, the kinglet also belongs to the passerine order, the weight of which does not exceed 8 g.
Passeriformes have "natural" legs, four fingers of which are located in the same plane: three of them look forward, one - back. The wing has 10–12 flight feathers, the tail consists of 12, less often 10–16 tail feathers. All passerines are chick birds. The planting period for small species lasts 12-14 days. About the same period, chicks are fed by their parents in the nest. In large passerines, the periods of incubation and stay of chicks in the nest are longer.
Most of the species of this order fly away to warm lands for the winter, and in the spring they return to their homeland, where they nest. Some species are found here all year round, making only minor migrations. Most small passerines feed on insects - if not all year round, then while feeding their chicks. Many people eat weed seeds. Passerines are mainly useful birds that help humans to fight pests in agriculture and forestry.

Lark bird family

The characteristic external features of the representatives of this family include the rounded back surface of the metatarsus, covered with scutes, and a long, sharp claw of the hind toe.

Field lark

Modestly colored, with grayish-brown streaks and a low wide tuft, the field bird is well known to everyone who is in the fields in spring and summer. He arrives to us very early - as soon as thaw patches appear here and there, and his ringing song is heard already at the end of March. The mass flight takes place in the first half of April, and then the singing of a lark coming from above can be heard even when passing through the noisy streets of a big city. Couples start breeding when the fields freed from snow become green. Clutch contains 4–6 eggs.
An uncomplicated nest is made on the ground. Chicks develop quickly and leave the nest 9-10 days after hatching. Larks usually have two broods during the summer. They feed their chicks with insects. The rest of the time, larks mainly feed on various grass and cereal seeds picked up on the ground. By the fall, they gather in flocks and, before leaving for the winter, wander through the fields and meadows.

Forest lark, or whirligig

It differs from the field lark in smaller size, light yellowish eyebrow and shorter tail. The song of the forest lark can be conveyed with the words V "yuli-yuli-yuliV". Yula has a clear gravitation towards the forest, and its habitats are forest clearings, clearings, pine woodlands, especially heather heathlands on sandy hillocks.

Horned lark

It got its name for the original B black B "horns" of feathers on the sides of the head and cannot be confused with any other bird. Flocks of these rather brightly and variegatedly colored birds slightly smaller than a starling can be found during their spring and autumn migration, but they do not nest here.
Vagrant species include the crested lark. We managed to observe these birds several times in the vicinity of Kazan.

2nd class MBOU "Secondary school of Nizhnyaya Rus"

Presentation about some wintering birds in our region

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Wintering birds of Tatarstan

Solovyov Anton: "How do birds winter?" In winter, our neighbor birds try to stay closer to human habitation: it is warmer and more satisfying here. Well-fed and frost is not so terrible. A good lunch warms up from the inside, warmth goes through the whole body. If you do not lose weight during the winter and keep the fat under the skin, then even the fierce cold that passes through the feather is not dangerous: it cannot freeze the fat under the masonry. But the trouble is, it is not easy to find food in winter. It is difficult for those birds that ate insects in the summer, they switch to cones, nuts and grains. And you still need to look for this food. Difficult times are easier to cope with. And in winter different birds gather in flocks. After all, how is it in the flock? I found one food, immediately notified everyone: everyone will be full. The danger in time is easier to notice - there is always someone on guard while others feed or doze. If you need to fight off a large predator, then here it is more convenient for everyone together. So a little bird cannot be alone in winter. Even those birds that usually live alone and then for the winter to be nailed to some flock.

Daniil Semenov: "Nuthatch and Woodpecker" In the park, garden, at the feeders in a flock of different tits, you can see nuthatch. This small short-tailed bird immediately attracts attention with its ability to quickly run upside down along a tree trunk. Among birds nuthatches are the best climbers. A special device with very long toes and claws helps them in this. All warm seasons these birds run through the trees, looking for pests. In winter, they have to sit down on a plant-based diet. A piece of unsalted bacon in a feeder or a nuthatch bug that has turned up in the bark is a treat. The color of the bird is bluish-gray, the neck, chest and abdomen are white, a black stripe goes from the beak. The woodpecker is a noticeable bird. His back, wings, tail are black, as if he is wearing a black coat. The throat, chest, abdomen are white, and on the head there is a bright red cap. It sits on a tree trunk, clutching the bark with its claws, and also rests on its tail. The tail of the woodpecker is unusual: with pointed at the ends, very hard feathers. Resting its tail against the unevenness of the bark, the woodpecker firmly adheres to the sheer trunk. Such strength, he needs to beat the tree hard. After all, the woodpecker feeds on worms, beetles and other insects that spoil the tree, gnawing the passages deep into the trunk.

Egorova Liana "Sparrows" In the middle zone of the European part of Russia there are two types of sparrows: house (city) and field (village). They are found together in mixed flocks, especially in late autumn and winter. In the spring and summer, individuals of each species adhere to their favorite habitats, where they nest and reproduce. It is not difficult to distinguish a house sparrow from a field sparrow: the house sparrow (male) has a dark gray cap on the crown, and the field sparrow has a brown cap; the house sparrow has one light stripe on its wings, and the field sparrow has two. In addition, the field sparrow has black staples on its cheeks against a light background, and there is a white collar around its neck. By constitution, the house sparrow is rougher than a field sparrow and larger than it. The house sparrow is also called the urban sparrow, because it is especially numerous in urban settlements and is common even in the largest cities. The field sparrow got the name of the village sparrow for its devotion to the countryside.

Garifullina Guliya "Bullfinches" The bullfinch is larger than a sparrow. He has bright plumage: red on the chest and gray-bluish on the back. Females are similar in appearance to males, but differ in more modest gray plumage. Bullfinches of both sexes have a black cap on the crown and a thick short black beak. The homeland of bullfinches is the coniferous forests of the northern taiga. Here they make nests and hatch chicks. In September, bullfinches form flocks, and in October they migrate for wintering to the forests of the middle zone of our country. At this time, they appear in villages and cities, sharply standing out against the background of the snow. Hence, probably, the name of these birds - bullfinches. In winter, bullfinches stay in mixed and deciduous forests, where they feed on seeds of alder, ash, maple, linden, hornbeam and other trees, as well as shrubs (lilacs, etc.). In gardens and parks, they eat tree buds, and on the outskirts of fields they look for seeds of quinoa, horse sorrel and other weeds in ravines and wastelands. Bullfinches are especially attracted by mountain ash, which they willingly eat. During feeding, they leave traces of their work in the form of open ash and maple flies, remnants of linden seeds, pulp of crushed rowan berries, etc. From these remnants, it is easy to find out that bullfinches "ruled" here.

Nikonorova Azalea "Pigeons" The largest of our pigeons is the wood pigeon. It is also easy to distinguish by well-visible white spots on the neck and wings. Noble gray, with a light smoky bloom of plumage. Pigeons arrive at the end of March, and from mid-April their mating sounds are already constantly heard - a dull, vibrating buzz in an early rhythm. At the same time, one can see the current flights of pigeons: a sudden, with a noisy flapping of wings, takeoff and subsequent smooth glide. The nest, a loose flat floor of twigs, is built on the side branches of trees and is extremely careless. Clutch of two pure white eggs is incubated for 17-18 days. Three weeks later, the chicks leave the nest, and birds from the forests move to the fields, gathering in large autumn flocks. They leave in October. The pigeon is the most common pigeon in the reserve. The clintuch is much smaller than a vikhir and without any white markings. Arrives earlier, the vikhiryatoka voice of the klintukh has been heard since the beginning of April. It nests in tree holes, sometimes at considerable height. It occurs regularly in the reserve, preferring ripe pine forests.

Riddles about birds Greenish back, Yellowish tummy, Black hat And a strip of scarf. (Tit) Here is a bird so a bird, Not a thrush, not a titmouse, Not a swan, not a duck And not a nightjar. But this little bird, Though small, Breeds chicks Only in a fierce winter. (Klest) Red-breasted, black-winged, Loves to peck grains, With the first snow on the mountain ash He will appear again. (Bullfinch) Little bird has legs And cannot walk. He wants to take a small step - It turns out a jump. (Sparrow)

Wonderful pictures with migratory and wintering birds. Which birds stay in their homeland for the winter, and which ones fly away?

Walking in a park or forest, we listen to birds singing and often just don’t think about which bird is so gloriously displaying trills. There are birds that live in our area all year round, but there are also those that fly away to "warm lands" in autumn.

The fact is that in winter it is very difficult for birds to find food for themselves, because insects, berries and grains become scarce, and when it snows, it is almost impossible to find them. And different species of birds solve this problem in different ways: migratory birds fly hundreds and even thousands of kilometers to warmer countries, and sedentary ones adapt to our harsh winters.

A tit in the snow that apparently wants to feast on sunflower seeds

Sedentary, wintering birds: list, photo with names

To help the birds that stayed overwintering to find food, they hang feeders. And it is quite possible that they will be of interest to such visitors:

Sparrow... Noisy sparrows that fly in flocks may well become the first visitors to the feeder.

Tit.Tits are in many ways not inferior to sparrows, they quickly rush to feed in the feeders. But compared to sparrows, tits are endowed with a more meek disposition. Interestingly, in summer, the titmouse eats almost as much food as it weighs itself. Mixed flocks of both sparrows and titmice can often be observed in the feeders.

Gaichka... A close relative of the tit. However, the breasts of the chickweed are not yellow, but light brown. Also, the titmouse differs from other titmice in that it makes a hollow in a tree in order to build a nest in it.

Gaichka - a special type of tit

Crow. The raven is often confused with rooks. It is known that crows are very rare in western Russia. Therefore, if you live in the European part of Russia and see a black bird emitting a piercing caw, then most likely in front of you is a rook.

Dove.The distribution and lifestyle of pigeons was largely influenced by people who simply brought them with them to different parts of the Earth. Now pigeons are found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. Pigeons easily change rocks, which are their natural habitat, for man-made structures.

The nodding gait of pigeons is due to the fact that it is easier for them to see the object of interest.

Woodpecker.In the warm season, woodpeckers feed mainly on insects, which they get from under the bark of trees, and in the winter cold, they can also eat plant foods: seeds and nuts.

Magpie. The magpie is considered a bird with high intelligence, it is able to express a lot of emotions, including sadness and knows how to recognize its reflection in the mirror. It is interesting that not only its brethren, but also other birds, as well as wild animals, in particular bears and wolves, react to the alarming cry of a magpie.

Magpie - wintering bird

Owl... Owls are different, large and small, in total there are more than 200 species. These birds are endowed with keen eyesight and excellent hearing, which allows them to be nocturnal. Interestingly, the tassels on the owl's head are not ears, the real ears of owls are hidden in feathers, and one of them is directed upward, and the other downward, in order to better hear what is happening above the head and on the ground.

Owl - nocturnal bird

This bird is also considered an owl and is a close relative of other owls.

A rare owl that lives mainly in the highlands in the northern latitudes. The name of the bird, according to various versions, means "inedible" or "insatiable".

Jackdaw.Outwardly, jackdaws look like rooks and crows, moreover, there are mixed flocks in which you can see all three species of birds. However, the jackdaw is smaller than a crow. And if you are lucky enough to observe the jackdaw up close, then you can easily recognize it by the gray color of part of the feathers.

Nuthatch. This small bird very dexterously climbs the tree trunks. In summer, nuthatches hide seeds and nuts in the bark, and in winter they feed on these supplies.

Crossbill. Like the nuthatch, this bird climbs trees well and can hang upside down on branches. Crossbill's favorite food is seeds from spruce and pine cones. This bird is remarkable in that it can hatch chicks even in winter, but only if there is enough food.

Bullfinch. Only males have bright red plumage on the chest, females look much more modest. Bullfinches are more often seen in winter, as due to lack of food, they are drawn to people. In summer, bullfinches prefer wooded areas and behave inconspicuously, so it is not easy to see them.

Waxwing... A bird with beautiful plumage and a singing voice. In summer it feeds mainly on insects and likes to settle in coniferous forests. In winter, the waxwing moves to the more southern regions of the country, it is often found in cities. In the cold season, mountain ash and other fruits become the main food for poultry.

Jay. A large bird, which, however, can fly to feast on the feeder, hung by people. In summer, it is rarely seen in the city, but closer to winter, the bird begins to reach for human habitation.

Kinglet. One of the smallest birds, the weight of an adult male is only 5-7 grams. Kings are relatives of sparrows.

Kinglet - an inhabitant of the forests

... A large bird that is a favorite trophy for many hunters. Pheasants can fly, but more often they walk.

Grouse... It is also an object of hunting, despite the fact that this bird is quite small. The weight of an adult hazel grouse rarely reaches 500 g. It is interesting that the largest population of these birds lives in Russia.

Grouse - a bird that has a relationship with the black grouse

Another bird that is related to the hunting industry. Black grouse are found at the edge of the forest and in the forest-steppe.

Falcon... It is considered one of the smartest birds on the planet and one of the best hunters. The falcon is able to work in tandem with a person, but it is very difficult to tame it.

... Like a falcon, it is a bird of prey. The vision of a hawk is 8 times sharper than a human. And rushing after prey, the hawk can reach speeds of up to 240 km / h.

Migratory, nomadic birds: list, photo with names

Rooks differ from crows with a gray-yellow beak. In the Kuban and Ukraine, you can see how in the fall rooks gather in huge flocks, so large that the sky seems black from the birds soaring in it - these are rooks that fly south. However, rooks refer to migratory birds only conditionally, some of them remain to winter in central Russia, some winter in Ukraine, and only some birds fly to the warm shores of Turkey for the winter.

they love to fly to the newly dug ground, sometimes they fly right behind the plowing tractor in order to have time to get as many worms and larvae as possible from the dug ground.

This inconspicuous birdie with a singing voice loves warmth, and therefore flies south in the fall. And for the winter, our native nightingales have chosen hot Africa. These birds fly to winter in the eastern part of the continent - Kenya and Ethiopia. However, locals cannot enjoy their singing, because nightingales sing only during the mating season, which they have in their homeland.

Swallow.Swallows love rocky terrain, they often settle on the steep walls of quarries that people have dug. However, our winters are too harsh for swallows, and therefore in autumn they fly away to the southern, far from us, part of Africa or to Tropical Asia.

Chizh... Like the rook, it is a migratory bird that arrives early and hibernates nearby: in the Caucasus, Kazakhstan and southern Europe. Outwardly, siskins are inconspicuous, their gray-green feathers are absolutely not striking against the background of branches. The bird's temper matches the appearance: quiet and meek.

Goldfinch. In Europe it is a wintering bird, however, in Russia goldfinches can only be seen in summer. By winter, goldfinches gather in flocks and go to lands with warmer climates. Goldfinches are close relatives of siskins.

Goldfinch is one of the most colorful birds

A slender bird that runs quickly on the ground and shakes its tail with every step. Wagtails spend the winter in eastern Africa, southern Asia, and sometimes in southern Europe.

Quail. The only bird from the order of chickens that is migratory. The weight of an adult quail is not so great and is 80-150 g. In summer, quails can be found in the fields planted with wheat and rye. Quails hibernate far outside our homeland: in the southern part of Africa and in southern Asia, on the Indian subcontinent.

Thrush... The songbird with its sweet trills creates a worthy competitor to the nightingale. And its appearance, like that of a nightingale, is inconspicuous. In winter, thrushes become Europeans: Italy, France and Spain are their second homeland.

Lark... Larks return from warm countries very early, sometimes already in March you can hear their sonorous song, which becomes a harbinger of spring warmth. Larks overwinter in Southern Europe.

Gull... With the onset of cold weather, gulls living on the coasts of the northern seas migrate to the Black and Caspian Seas. But over the years, seagulls are more and more drawn to people, and more and more often stay in cities for the winter.

... Swifts winter in Africa, and they fly to its equatorial part or even go to the southern part of the mainland.

Starlings really need nesting houses, since most often they breed their offspring in them. And our starlings go to winter in Southern Europe and East Africa.

This freaky black cloud is a flock of starlings returning home

Finch... Finches from the western part of the country winter mainly in Central Europe and the Mediterranean, while finches that live near the Urals in summer go to winter in southern Kazakhstan and southern regions of Asia.

Chaffinch - a noisy inhabitant of the forest

Heron... It is quite difficult to determine where the herons winter, some of them travel great distances to South Africa, some winter in the Crimea or the Kuban, and in the Stavropol Territory, herons sometimes even stay overwintering.

Crane... These birds are monogamous, and once having chosen a partner, they remain faithful to him all their lives. Cranes live in swampy areas. And their wintering places are as diverse as those of herons: Southern Europe, Africa and even China - in all these parts of the world you can find cranes that have flown from Russia to winter.

Stork... There are black and white storks in Russia. White storks build huge nests, which are up to one and a half meters wide, and make very long flights to the south. Sometimes they overcome half of the planet and fly to South Africa - a country that is located in the very south of Africa.

Swan... The swan is a bird of devotion and romance. Swans are waterfowl, therefore, for wintering they choose places near the water, often the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea.

Duck... Wild ducks in winter, as a rule, do not fly far away and remain in the vastness of the post-Soviet states. It is noteworthy that their domestic relatives in the fall also begin to worry and sometimes try to fly away, sometimes they even fly over fences and fly short distances.

... Cuckoos settle in forests, forest-steppe, and steppe. The overwhelming majority of cuckoos migrate to winter in tropical and South Africa, less often cuckoos winter in South Asia: in India and China.

... A small bird with a singing voice and bright plumage, which flies off to winter in the tropics.

... They wake up at dawn and are among the first to start the morning song. This little songbird used to be called a robin. The robins fly to winter to Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and they are among the first to return home.

How migratory birds differ from wintering ones: presentation for preschoolers

Slide 2

Slide 3: presentation of migratory birds

Why do migratory birds fly to warm lands, where they winter, why do they return back?

Winter is an ordeal for birds. And only those who, in harsh conditions, can get their food, remain to winter.

What could be the ways for birds to survive in cold weather?

Some birds store food for the winter in summer. They hide plant seeds, nuts, acorns, caterpillars and larvae in the grass and cracks in the bark of trees. These birds include the nuthatch.
Some birds are not afraid of people and live near residential buildings. In winter, they find food in troughs and garbage heaps.
Some birds are predators and feed on rodents. There are birds of prey that can feed on hares, hunt fish, small birds and bats.

If a bird can find food for itself in winter, it means that it does not need to go on a tiring and difficult flight to warmer regions in the fall.

It would seem that everything is simple, and the only reason for the seasonal migration of birds is the lack of food. But in reality, there are more questions than answers. For example, imagine that a mallard, which is a migratory bird, is provided with an artificially heated pond and ample food. Will she stay for the winter? Of course not. She will be called on a long journey, a strong feeling that is difficult to explain, called a natural instinct.

It turns out that birds fly away to warm regions, as if out of habit, because their ancestors did this for hundreds and thousands of years.

Another question to be answered: why do birds return from warm countries every spring? Ornithologists have concluded that the beginning of the return flight is associated with the activation of sex hormones and the beginning of the breeding season. But why should birds fly thousands of kilometers and hatch chicks exactly where they themselves were born? Poets and romantic natures say that birds, like people, are simply drawn to their homeland.

How do migratory birds know where to fly? A question to which to this day, there is no intelligible answer. It has been experimentally proven that birds can navigate in completely unfamiliar terrain and in conditions of limited visibility, when neither the sun nor the stars are visible. They have an organ that allows you to navigate the earth's magnetic field.

But the mystery is how young individuals, who have never flown to warmer regions before, find their own wintering place, and how do they find out the route to fly? It turns out that in birds, at the genetic level, information is recorded about the point on the map where you need to fly and, moreover, a route to it is drawn.

Do migratory birds nest in the south?

Birds wintering in warm regions do not lay eggs or hatch chicks, which means that they do not need a nest. The nest is needed only for chicks, which migratory birds will incubate in their homeland.

What birds are the first and last to arrive in the spring?

The first to arrive in the spring rooks... These birds return to their homeland in early spring, when the first thawed patches appear in the snow. With their strong beak, rooks dig out larvae on such thawed patches, which form the basis of their diet.

The last to arrive are birds that feed on flying insects. These are swallows, swifts, orioles. The diet of these birds consists of:

Komarov
Moshek
Blind man
Zhukov
Cicad
Butterflies

Since the appearance of a large number of adult flying insects from the larvae requires warm weather and about two weeks of time, the birds that feed on them fly home after the massive appearance of these insects.

Which birds are the first and the last to fly away in autumn?

With the onset of autumn cold weather, insects complete their active life cycle and hibernate. Therefore, birds that feed on insects are the first to fly to the warm regions. Then birds fly away, feeding on plants. The last to fly away are waterfowl. For them, even in autumn, there is enough food in the water. And they fly away before the water in the reservoirs begins to freeze.

VIDEO: Birds fly south

What migratory flock of birds promises snow?

According to folklore, if a flock of wild geese - you should expect the first snow to fall. This omen may not coincide with real weather events. So in the north of Russia geese fly away to warm regions in mid-September, and snow can fall much earlier. Let's say the first snow in Norilsk this year fell on 25 August. In the south, geese fly to warm regions at the end of October, and sometimes even at the beginning of November. The first snow in these areas may occur at this time. But it all depends on the weather conditions in the fall. Indian summer here can drag on for the whole of October.

VIDEO: Geese gather in flocks for flights to the south

Which bird from the order of chickens is migratory?

A migratory bird from the order of chickens is quail... The quail's habitat extends beyond Russia in the west and south. In the east, these birds live up to the western coast of Lake Baikal. They are distributed in Europe, West Asia and Africa.

They fly south for the winter. And they winter in Hindustan, North Africa and South-West Asia.

VIDEO: How do migratory birds fly?

Tatarstan is famous for its unusually beautiful nature. Many species of animals and birds live on the territory of the republic. Today we propose to find out what birds live in Tatarstan, get acquainted with three species, this is the black goose, the duck and the black kite. Let's find out how they look, their way of life. Let's start with the migratory red-headed dive.

Arrival time

The beautiful bird is waterfowl and arrives in Tatarstan in late April and early May. This bird loves to spend winter in warm regions, and travels a long way from Africa, the tropics of Asia, Japan, Southern or Western Europe to Tatarstan to build a nest, raise new offspring. It nests by water bodies, it is the object of fishermen and sports hunters.

Appearance

An adult dive has an average body size of 58 centimeters. In weight, it can reach from 0.7 to 1.1 kilograms. He has a neat short tail, a distinctive feature is the curved upward back during swimming. The neck of the dive is short, the body is dense. The paws of the bird are located far behind, therefore, when it stands, it leans forward strongly.

The beak of this duck is equal to the length of the head, it is slightly widened at the base. The plumage of the wings and body has a typical color, a gray-white pattern is clearly visible.

An adult female is fairly easy to distinguish from a male. They have different patterns and head colors. In the male, it is colored brown-red, and in the female, yellow-brown.

Habitat

These migratory birds of Tatarstan choose the most fertile areas of lakes and artificial reservoirs. The most suitable places for them are deep reservoirs with abundant vegetation. The walls of tall reeds are a favorite nesting place. The red-headed dive will never settle where there is no abundant food, an acceptable depth of water.

Brackish bodies of water are avoided diving. They can be found in swamps, sections of rivers with a calm current, and artificially created reservoirs.

Diving behavior

These birds of Tatarstan live in flocks, they can settle with other representatives.They are too clumsy when moving on land, so they spend most of their time in the water. Diving and diving is excellent. In case of danger, they, unlike other birds, do not take off, but dive under the water, and there they wait out an unfavorable time.

During moulting, red-headed divers cannot fly, therefore they prefer to spend this period with congeners at a distance from places where they can become easy prey for predators or humans.

Reproduction

Pairs of dives are formed during the flight. The breeding season lasts from April to the end of June. The male is near the nest, but does not participate in the care and upbringing of the offspring.

The nest of the described ducks is not original, it is an ordinary shallow hole in the ground, covered with grass. One female can lay from five to twelve eggs. The dive hatches its offspring on average 26 days. After birth, ducklings are under the care of their mother for two months, after which they begin an independent life.

Diving - Tatarstan. It is quite interesting to watch them during feeding. Ducks dive under water, and can stay there for up to 16 seconds, and float in another place. They are also very active in shallow water, where they like to splash and fool around.

Black goose: description

It is rare in Tatarstan, but you can still find this beautiful bird. She belongs to the duck, looks like a goose. This species is the smallest of all geese. The average weight is two kilograms, the body length reaches sixty centimeters. The birds are on the verge of extinction, are listed in the Red Book and are protected by law, so you cannot hunt them. The cause of extinction is dirty water bodies.

These birds in Tatarstan are migratory, for the main habitat they choose tundra and sea coasts.

The color of the goose is very interesting. Most of her body is covered with gray, brown feathers. The abdomen and sides are lighter, and the back is dark. The tail and tail feathers on the wings are white, the neck, beak, head and legs are black. There is a white, uneven stripe on the neck that resembles a collar.

The black goose prefers to hibernate in East Asia, in the North-West of Europe and on the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These birds get to wintering grounds only along the coasts.

Breeding geese

These are birds that create permanent pairs. During the breeding season, which begins in June and lasts for three months, they look after each other beautifully. This is a special ritual, which consists in a strange dance, with a constant change of poses.

Black geese nest in groups, which allows them to defend themselves from various predators such as gulls, arctic foxes and polar bears. A nest is built in the depressions of the earth along the reservoirs with good vegetation. The bottom is covered with fluff, soft grass.

The female can lay from three to five eggs, incubating them for twenty-four days (on average). The male is always there, he looks after his wife, helps in raising ducklings. Babies are able to leave the nest in a few hours. Parents lead their brood to water bodies, teach them how to get food. For six weeks, the couple protects their ducklings, and then the grown offspring can leave the shelter on their own, but remain with their parents until other babies appear.

Nutrition

The diet of geese is very diverse. They eat a variety of vegetation, including algae. Sometimes they can taste "live" food, these are small insects and crustaceans.

The described ducks do not know how to dive, but they are still able to get algae from under the water, leaning inward. At this time, the tail, like a float, remains on the surface.

In winter, when there are not very many plants, the goose eats moss, and the basis of the diet is the Zoster seaweed.

The birds of Tatarstan are impressive with their diversity. There are both migratory and permanent residents. A huge number of herbivores, omnivores and predators live on the territory of the republic. We have considered two species from the duck family, now we will get acquainted with one of the most beautiful carnivorous creatures.

Black kite

This is a predator of the order of hawks, it is very beautiful, and stands out for its color from other species. Leads a migratory lifestyle, for living chooses dense forests located near water bodies. The kite prefers to spend the winter in flocks in Australia, Africa and India. There they unite with local representatives of this species.

Black kite - the bird is not black at all, it is more dark brown. The size of the chicken house is average, it grows up to 58 centimeters, and weighs from 0.8 to 1.1 kilograms. The wings reach 50 centimeters, the span can be up to 1.5 meters. The main decoration of this bird of Tatarstan is its tail. It is flat, reminiscent of a downward fan.

Males are slightly smaller than females in size, they have the same plumage, so it is very difficult to distinguish. The body is decorated with dark brown feathers, the crown of the head is light gray. The back is darker than the chest and belly, the wings are dark, like the tail. The base of the beak and the bare part of the legs of the kite are yellow.

Diet and lifestyle

Black kites are scavengers and predators. They love the remains of animals, propped up in the sun, dead fish. Of course, they can also hunt, but if there is carrion, they will prefer it. Most of all they like to steal other birds from the nestlings. Adult birds are also included in the menu if they are inferior in size to themselves. Also, these birds that live in Tatarstan and many other places are able to fish. They cling to fish that have approached the surface with their claws.

The flight of the kites is very smooth, measured, they slightly bend their wings. These birds benefit agriculture by exterminating ground squirrels, moles, and mice. People do not always treat kites kindly, as they constantly carry ducklings, goslings and chickens.

Breeding offspring

For nesting, black kites arrive in April from the southern countries, when in some places the snow has not melted yet. They can be found not only in the forest, but also near urban settlements, sometimes they can fly into a calm city.

Nests wind independently, or those that are abandoned by other birds and of suitable size are populated. Usually the diameter of the nest does not exceed a meter, and they are considered modest, given the size of the birds themselves. The dwelling is settled on a tree or rock, located at a height of up to fifteen meters from the ground. The nests are insulated with feathers, paper, fluff and grass.

The female lays eggs in early May, usually two or three future chicks. There may be four eggs in a clutch; in very rare cases, five appear. The size is slightly larger than a matchbox, the color is white, with a barely noticeable blue tint. The shell is decorated with brown spots.

It takes up to one and a half months to hatch eggs, and the parents share all the worries. After hatching, the chicks do not leave the nest until forty-five days, after which they can fly on their own. Sexual maturity in this species occurs at the age of two. In nature, birds can live up to 25 years.

The number of kites

In recent years, the population has declined dramatically. Scientists attribute this to the use of chemicals in agriculture and industry. There are especially few birds left in Russia.

The once numerous species has become on the verge of complete extinction, and it is very difficult to fix the current situation.

Conclusion

Birds have been described in this article. These are not all species that are under threat of complete extinction. It so happened that man caused enormous losses in nature. Some species are completely extinct, but water bodies continue to be polluted by industry, and no one is fighting against it. The birds of Tatarstan, like birds living in other places, need our help. If people do not start working towards saving nature, we will soon be able to lose many useful and beautiful creatures.

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