Feeding of migratory birds. Migratory birds in autumn. Description and dimensions

Birds are warm-blooded creatures. Their average body temperature is 41°C. This means that they can remain active during the cold season, but need more food. Therefore, many birds leave their snow-covered native places and go for wintering to warm countries.

The main reasons why birds fly south in winter are lack of food and cold. Flights are more characteristic of species of high and temperate latitudes: in the tundra, almost all species of birds are migratory, in the taiga - three-quarters of the species. The number of migratory species in certain habitats also depends on how sharply the food conditions in them differ in summer and winter. So, among the inhabitants of forests and settlements, about half of the species are migratory, and among the inhabitants of fields, swamps, reservoirs - almost all species. migratory there are more birds among insectivores and carnivores, less among granivorous ones. This is understandable: if grain can still be found in winter, then there are no insects at all.

MIGRATORY BIRDS

But there are birds that do not care about the cold. All year round they find suitable conditions for existence in their homeland and do not fly. These birds are called settled.

In the winter forest you can hear how the woodpecker is busily knocking, titmouse, pikas, nuthatches, jays are chirping. The wood grouse does not leave the winter forest either, because he always has food - delicious pine needles. But black grouse and hazel grouse eat alder catkins, buds and juniper berries.

The amazing bird crossbill in winter even manages to make nests and hatch chicks. The crossbill feeds on spruce seeds, which it extracts from cones with the help of its beak.

Some birds, during a favorable winter, remain in their homeland, and in severe winters they wander from place to place. This is nomadic birds. These include some birds nesting high in the mountains; during the cold season they descend into the valleys.

Finally, there are birds that, in favorable winter conditions, are sedentary, but in unfavorable years, for example, when the seeds of coniferous plants fail, they fly far beyond the borders of their nesting homeland. These are waxwings, Muscovy tits, nuts, tap dances, bullfinches, jays and many others. Saji nesting in the steppes and semi-deserts of Central and Central Asia behave in the same way.

WINTERING AND Wandering Birds

Some widespread bird species are migratory in some places and sedentary in others. Among wild pigeons there are migratory, nomadic and sedentary birds. The gray crow from the northern regions of the Soviet Union flies to the southern regions for wintering, and in the south this bird is sedentary. The blackbird is a migratory bird in our country, and in the cities of Western Europe it is a sedentary bird. Rooks in more northern latitudes are migratory birds, and in more southern ones, for example, in Ukraine, in the Black Earth region, they are sedentary. The house sparrow lives in the European part of Russia all year round, and from Central Asia it flies to spend the winter in India.

Is a regular seasonal flight of birds, often north and south along the flyway, between breeding and wintering. Many types of birds are migratory birds. Migration is costly due to predation and mortality, including human hunting, and depends mainly on the availability of food. This occurs mainly in the northern hemisphere, where certain routes encounter natural obstacles such as the Mediterranean or the Caribbean.

Historically, it has been migratory birds were noted as much as 3000 years ago, by ancient Greek authors, including Homer and Aristotle, and in the book of Job, for species such as turtle doves and swallows. More recently, Johanson Leche began to record the dates of the migrations of spring migrants in Finland in 1749, and scientific research has used methods including bird ringing. Threats migratory birds grown with habitat destruction, especially stopovers and wintering grounds, as well as structures such as power lines and wind farms.

The Arctic Tern holds the long-distance migration record among migratory birds traveling between the Arctic expanses and Antarctica annually. Some Procellariiformes species such as albatrosses circle the earth by flying over the Southern Ocean, while others such as the lesser petrel migrate 14,000 km (8,700 miles) between their northern breeding base and the Southern Ocean. Shorter flights are common, including high-altitude flights to mountains such as the Andes and the Himalayas.

The timing of bird migration appears to be driven primarily by changes in daylight hours. Migratory birds navigation uses celestial signals from the sun and stars, the earth's magnetic field, and probably also mental maps.
Historical sightings of migratory birds:
Posts about migratory birds were made in the same way, 3000 years before our era, by the ancient Greek writers Hesiod, Homer, Herodotus and Aristotle. The Bible also notes migrations, as in the book of Job, which asks, "Is this your understanding that the hawk is soaring with its wings spread to the south?" The author of Jeremiah wrote: "Even the stork in the sky knows its seasons, and the dove and the crane keep their time of arrival."

Aristotle noted that cranes traveled from the steppes of Scythia to the swamps in the upper Nile. Pliny the Elder, in his Historia Naturalis, repeats Aristotle's remarks.

Migratory birds list:

(Motacilla alba) - migrant detachment, not large, easily adapts to life in urban conditions, feeds on small insects.

(Turdus iliacus) - migrant order passerines, small birds with a very large population.

(Riparia riparia) - migrant, swallow family. It has a wide range of habitat that covers almost all of Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, as well as North America. It winters in East and South Africa, South America and the Indian subcontinent.

— migrant order passerines. It breeds in temperate zones of Europe and western Asia and winters mainly in Southeast Africa. It should be noted the striking imitation of the voices of a wide variety of other birds.

— migrant charadriiform class, snipe family, woodcock genus. They have camouflage, a natural camouflage that matches their forest habitat, with reddish brown upperparts and lighter underparts.

— migrant order Passeriformes, which was formerly classified as a member of the thrush family, but is now considered to be the more common opinion of the flycatcher.

— migrant- detachment. This species predominantly breeds in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Most populations winter in tropical Africa and South Asia from Iran to the Indian subcontinent, but some live in northwestern Africa. It is a bird of open countryside, forests and orchards.

- migrant, family Charadriiformes, genus Plover. Living on the banks of rivers and lakes. It is a small bird that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. Adults are 17-19.5 cm long with a wingspan of 35-41 s.

— migrant, swallow families, passerine orders, especially common in Europe, North Africa and temperate latitudes of Asia. The city swallow, and winter migrants in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia.

(Hirundo rustica)- migrant, is the most common type of swallow in the world. These swallows are blue-feathered with long, deeply forked tails and curved, pointed wings. They are found in Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

(Turdus viscivorus) - migrant, common to many countries in Europe, Asia and North Africa. It is a year-round resident in many areas, but northern and eastern individuals migrate south in winter, often in small flocks.

Robin
Green warbler
Finch

Warbler-badger
reed oatmeal
Buzzard
Klintukh
Landrail
Wren

forest hawker
forest horse
Meadow coinage
Coot

Lesser flycatcher
Pied flycatcher

common redstart
common shrike
Oriole
nightjar
common cuckoo
common nightingale
common lentil

black-headed gull

song thrush
Willow warbler
Ratchet warbler
Quail
field harrier
Kestrel

field lark
Chiffchaff

Common tern
Fieldfare

garden warbler
garden warbler
gray flycatcher
gray warbler
gray heron
Warbler
Warbler-chernogolovka
Cheglok
Black swift
Chernysh
blackbird
Lapwing

They remain in their native lands, and migratory ones change their range depending on the time of year. With the advent of cold weather, the food base is reduced, so birds fly to regions with warm winters and affordable food. Among the insectivorous species, there are more migratory birds than among the granivorous ones. In the spring they return to their habitable places to breed chicks. Bird migration can occur both over short and long distances.

Rook

The only migratory bird from the Raven family. The female and male build a nest in the tops of trees. Rooks, they feed on plant seeds, earthworms, May beetles. A small percentage of the diet is made up of small ones. Flight to warmer climes occurs in October. Rooks are early birds that return to their native places in March. Scientists noticed that in some regions they began to lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Redstart

A tiny red-tailed bird lives in mixed forests, as well as gardens and parks. These birds feed on flies, beetles, small caterpillars and mosquitoes. Redstart flies in early autumn, and returns to its original place in May.

song thrush

These representatives of the avifauna have chosen forests with dense undergrowth. Males attract females with their trills. Their diet consists of insects and wild berries. In autumn, the song thrush flies to the west of Europe and the north of Africa. Arrival times depend on weather conditions. The birds return to their inhabited places no later than the first decade of April.

Dubonos

The bird is distinguished by a dense physique and a massive beak. Grosbeaks build their nests in the crowns of trees. found in deciduous forests, gardens and groves. The main food is the bones and seeds of fruit and berry plants. Departure is at the beginning of September.

field lark

The bird, which is slightly larger than a sparrow, lives in the fields and on the hills. Larks make their nests right on the ground, in the middle of rural areas. They feed on insects and seeds. The species winters in southern Europe, where it migrates in mid-September. Field larks massively return to their habitats in March, when the snow has not yet melted. They feed on last year's seeds, which they find in places warmed by the sun.

Finch

The little bird is known for its rolling trills. Finches are found in forest-steppes, forests, parks and gardens. They make nests in low trees. Adults feed on seeds, earthworms and caterpillars. For the winter, finches fly in huge flocks to Southern Europe and the Caucasus. Some individuals prefer to simply move to more southern regions. Arrival occurs at the beginning of April, and a month later, the birds start laying eggs.

Oriole

A songbird of bright color that lives in Central Europe. She settles in mixed forests, groves and forest parks. The oriole tries to be inconspicuous, therefore it builds nests in the crowns of trees. The nest of stems, bast and plant fibers resembles a basket. The oriole is careful, she tries not to fly off the branches. Adults feed on snails, beetles, and caterpillars. The bird is considered valuable for forestry. In the summer, the oriole pecks at the fruits of bird cherry, mulberry and various berries. In August, birds fly to Africa and India for the winter. The oriole returns to its inhabited places only in May, when the air warms up well.

Forest horse

The natural habitat of these birds are fields, sparse forests, edges and overgrown clearings. The horse builds nests on the ground, in shallow pits. On the surface, birds move by running. Insects serve as a source of food, often the bird picks up seeds from the ground. In warm regions, skates move in small flocks or singly. Birds leave their habitats no later than the beginning of October. They migrate to Africa and India. The pipit returns from winter quarters in early April and immediately finds a nesting mate.

common cuckoo

The gray bird is slightly smaller than the dove. Perhaps there is no person who would not hear the trill of the cuckoo. Feathers are found throughout the country, from to. Cuckoos are polygamous birds. The female lays her eggs in the nests of small passerine species. The grown-up cuckoo throws other chicks out of the nest, but the "parents" continue to feed him. Adults are mobile and voracious. All day long they eat caterpillars, slugs, dragonflies and grasshoppers. Cuckoos fly to their winter quarters singly. Older generations fly earlier. They disappear from inhabited places by the end of August. Birds winter in Africa, Arabia and.

Swallow city

The bird has black plumage on its back and white plumage on its belly. The tail has a triangular ending. The city swallow, or funnel swallow, is not adapted to walking. Their lives are in flight. Birds catch insects on the fly and even drink water. The swallow lives in settlements throughout Europe. She makes nests of clay and earth on stone buildings. Birds arrive in mid-spring and occupy last year's nests. Departure to Africa falls in mid-September.

Robin

The closest relatives of the bird are nightingales. The robin is known for its sonorous and melodic voice. These birds live in alder, spruce and forest parks. They are a source of nutrition, in warm weather they eat berries. The robin nests on the ground. Birds fly to the south of Europe one by one. The birds return in April and immediately start nesting.

Chiffchaff

The species lives on the edges, in forest parks, thickets of grass. The range is distributed throughout the country. This species of warblers builds nests not only on the ground, but also in the thick of the undergrowth. They feed on cicadas, aphids, small butterflies and caterpillar pupae. Chiffchaffs winter in.

common starling

The starling is distributed from to semi-deserts. Migrations are observed in birds from the eastern parts of the range. The bulk of starlings nest in settlements, using specially built houses. In the wild, birds nest in hollow trees. Diet consists of invertebrates. Starlings winter in the tropics of Africa and Asia.

Warbler-chernogolovka

The bird is common in the European part of Russia. Its range is . Warbler nests mainly on young fir-trees, junipers and raspberries. Birds feed on insects and their larvae; a small proportion of the diet is berries and seeds. Departure to Africa falls on September, some individuals fly away only in October. Warbler-chernogolovka returns in mid-May.

common nightingale

The species is distributed in Europe and Siberia. The habitat is light forests, floodplains and city parks. The nightingale builds nests at the roots of bushes and in a pile of autumn leaves. During the breeding season, the diet of birds consists of insects and invertebrates. At the height of summer, the nightingale feeds on berries, nuts and seeds. Wintering takes place in East Africa. Birds return to their original places in early June.

white wagtail

The color of the bird is gray-white, the long tail sways periodically. The wagtail is distributed throughout Eurasia. It lives along the banks of rivers, on the edges, in agricultural lands. Nests are often found in residential areas, squares and parks. The bird moves well on the ground. The main food is mosquitoes, dragonflies, flies and butterflies. In the southern regions of Russia, the wagtail leads a sedentary lifestyle. Departure to the Mediterranean falls at the beginning of September. Sometimes birds return to nesting sites to remember them. Birds arrive in March, when the rivers break up from the ice.

Lapwing

A small bird from the Rzhankov family, common in Europe. The back of the lapwing is painted black, shimmering with a metallic sheen. On the head there is a crest of long feathers. Birds prefer open spaces, therefore they settle in meadows, pastures and in river valleys. They build their nests in holes in the ground. It is difficult for a lapwing to protect offspring from; both partners take part in protecting the nest. In case of masonry ruin, the couple proceeds to the second attempt. Birds come together in flocks to search for food. The diet includes larvae, earthworms and snails. At the end of summer, lapwings gather in flocks and go to India, China and Japan for the winter. Birds return to nesting places in early spring, when snow is everywhere. They migrate both in pairs and in groups.

According to statistics, in Russia there are more than 60 species of birds that fly to warmer climes for the winter. Seasonal migrations are the prerogative of all migratory birds without exception. Migration takes place both over long and fairly close distances. To understand which species of birds are migratory, it is necessary to understand that their migrations depend on what they, in fact, are. Most of all in the nature of insectivorous birds. They are balanced by carnivorous and granivorous birds.

With the onset of cold weather, all insects that many birds enjoy eating disappear. In this regard, birds have to fly away to where there is never snow, where the abundance of tasty insects does not end all year round. Such migratory birds include robins, finches, and, of course, “spring messengers” - swallows.

Swallows feed on fairly large insects, including dragonflies and May beetles. They catch them on the fly. They winter on the Mediterranean coast. It is curious that some of them generally fly to hot Africa. Therefore, it is simply impossible to meet swallows in Russia in winter.

In winter, rivers and lakes freeze, which poses a great threat, for example, to carnivorous herons that feed on frogs and fish. They also have to leave their homelands. The “vegetarians” who eat herbs and seeds also suffer, because in winter all this is covered with a white sheet of snow. One of the most famous "herbivorous" migratory birds are heat-loving cranes.

If you carefully observe the cranes, you can see that already in September they are preparing to fly away. At this relatively early time for relocation, they are already gathering in flocks. Cranes leave their native lands until spring, saying goodbye to people with their beautiful guttural cry. For complete objectivity, it should be noted that not all types of cranes fly away. This is done only by those who are forced to nest and breed in the northern regions of Russia.

Who stays for the winter?

Only those birds that managed to “find a common language” with humans remain wintering. They are called settled. The most famous of them are pigeons, sparrows, tits. The fact is that they have adapted to eat waste found in landfills and garbage cans. In addition, a person feeds them using special feeders.

Bird "compass"

Scientists have proven that migratory birds are perfectly oriented in the geography of their migrations. They can feel not only latitude, but also longitude, guided by the sun and stars. This is one of the versions of this bird phenomenon.

According to another version, migratory birds return to their permanent nesting sites, focusing on the Earth's magnetic field. An article was published in the journal Nature on this topic. In addition, this has been documented by ornithologists who ring migratory birds and then observe them in the same places for several years in a row.

However, despite this, there is still no consensus among ornithologists and researchers about the work of the so-called bird "compass".