Red Books of the park (RT and RF) - Animals - Birds - Nizhnyaya Kama National Park. Birds of the Republic of Tatarstan Do migratory birds nest in the south

The class of birds includes animals whose body is covered with feathers. They reproduce by laying eggs. The entire evolution of birds from ancient reptiles that lived at the very beginning of the Mesozoic, more than 100 million years ago, to our time, followed the path of better mastering the air environment, improving the flight of the most complete use of food available in nature. The forelimbs of birds are turned into wings with very well developed flight feathers, which significantly increase the working surface of the wing and provide soaring in the air, which is also facilitated by tail tail feathers, which determine the high maneuverability of birds in flight. The tubular bones of our birds are devoid of bone marrow, the bones of the skull are fused 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 certain bones of the skeleton from the point of view of modern technology gives the greatest strength at the lowest cost of material.
Very important functions are performed by air sacs located between the internal organs of the bird. When exhaling, when the used air is pushed out, clean, oxygen-rich air enters the lungs from the air sacs. This ensures the “second wind”, which is typical only for birds. In addition, air sacs serve as pneumatic cushions for internal organs during landing and jumping; it promotes oviposition and the passage of defecation; some birds, when the abdominal air sacs are quickly filled, are able to throw excrement over a distance of several meters. Birds do not have a bladder. The stomach in most birds is divided into two sections - glandular, representing an excellent chemical laboratory with a number of pepsinogenic fields, and muscular - (with a well-defined cuticle and pebbles, sand or hard seeds usually present in it. The muscular stomach is able to develop efforts, several times the weight of the body. Such an energetic work of the digestive organs is associated with a high body temperature of birds, reaching 45 ° C, their high mobility and significant energy expenditure, which require rapid replenishment. Birds have excellent vision. Their eyes are relatively larger than those of mammals, and have a special comb inside that provides heating for the large 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 - smell and touch.
A variety in the arrangement of beaks and great mobility allowed the birds to get a wide variety of food. Thus, the chisel-shaped beak of a woodpecker is adapted for pulling out insects living in bark and wood; crossbill beak - for picking seeds from cones of pine, spruce and larch; long woodcock beak - for extracting earthworms and other inhabitants of the soil layer from the soil; the eagle's beak is for holding and tearing food. All this testifies to the high specialization of birds in obtaining food.
Indeed, among the birds there is a large group of insectivores; finches, chickens, 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 catching fish, etc. There is a wide variety of life forms among birds. Some species live only in forests; others - in the fields and steppes; others inhabit the coasts of rivers and lakes and are closely connected with the aquatic environment; the fourth 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 waders provide tasty, vitamin-rich meat. The role of birds in the destruction of harmful insects is great. Suffice it to say that a pair of starlings during the period of raising chicks destroys about 6 kg of insects, among which pests such 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 also be noted. Some species of birds are involved in the maintenance and spread of dangerous vector-borne diseases and during flights, apparently, are able to carry them over a long distance. Finally, sparrows, gathering in large autumn flocks, in some places harm field crops.
All this indicates that the study of birds and the 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 varied, 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 areas 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 our Tatarstan such rare-flying birds as the ptarmigan, bustard, skua, shelduck, eider, cormorant, pelican, loaf flamingo, etc. Let us dwell on the characteristics of the most interesting in the economic or biological relation of bird species.

Squad chicken

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 white partridge only occasionally appears in Tataria during its winter migrations. So, according to Prof. V. A. Cherdyntsev, in the winter of 1944, several white partridges were killed near the city of Chistopol. All chicken, having good meat, are objects of hunting.

It occurs everywhere in Tatarstan, adhering to trees and shrubs, but often feeds in the fields. This is one of the most beautiful birds. Black with a bluish tint, the male has bright red eyebrows and a lyre-shaped tail. The female wears a more modest outfit, where black-brown mottles are scattered over a reddish background. This coloring perfectly mimics with the litter, makes the bird hardly noticeable and saves from numerous enemies during the incubation and brood period. From February, as soon as the sun begins to warm, flocks of grouse break. Kosach separated from females sit for a long time on the tops of trees, as if absorbing the first solar heat. With the appearance of thawed patches on hillocks and clearings, almost simultaneously with the arrival of rooks, black grouse begin their current song. Their muttering, reminiscent of the murmur of a spring stream, can be heard on quiet, clear mornings for 2-3 km. Having chosen a meadow, a clearing, or a forest edge for a lek, kosachs, if they are not disturbed by a person, lek in the same place for decades.
The east will turn a little pale, as the most gambling mowers begin to flock to the current. Spreading their wings, raising their lyre-shaped tail with a bright white undertail and lowering their heads somewhat with coral eyebrows swollen at that time, chufy and muttering, the males enter into fights among themselves. A little later, black grouse arrive, and their clucking excites the males even more.
Mating sometimes occurs on the current, but more often the grouse with the chosen one fly off into the forest or shrub thicket. Large currents are now rare, usually current is 2-5 braids, very rarely 10 or more.
The grouse nest, like all our chickens, arranges on the ground, covering it with moss, grass and its own fluff. The clutch, consisting of 6-9 eggs, ends most often by mid-May. On the 21st day of incubation, grouse hatch, partly already feathered, and after 10 days they already fly well. Juveniles are mimicking female.
The grouse zealously guards the brood and, at the risk to itself, leads the enemy away, pretending to be wounded, hobbling and flitting, and when it takes a person, dog, fox or wolf 100-200 meters away, it rises to the edge, makes a wide circle and returns to the hidden brood. Young grow quickly, and in August, black feathers already begin to appear in males.
Kosachi do not take any part in the incubation and upbringing of young animals. After the end of the current, usually in early June, they climb into blind supports, where they spend the entire molting period. Quite often in the fall, kosachi, as if preparing for the spring current, try to lek. In September, black grouse gather in flocks and at this time they often fly to feed on the fields.
Four periods can be distinguished in the nutrition of black grouse. The first is the period of education of the young, when caterpillars, beetles, and orthopterans serve as the main food. The second period of nutrition - "summer" - is characterized by the predominance of berries. In autumn, grass seeds, winter crops and grains are of great importance. In winter, they feed on birch and alder catkins, rose hips, euonymus and juniper. 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 black grouse from a tree rush into loose snow, break through a trench, and in such snow shelters, where it is warm and calm, they spend cold and long winter nights. In the black grouse, hazel grouse and capercaillie, by winter, horny bristles grow on the fingers, significantly increasing the surface of the paws. This makes it easier for the birds to move through the snow and especially through icy slippery tree branches, where they get their main winter food.
In winter, black grouse are hunted with stuffed animals, which are displayed on single trees so that they can be seen from afar. A hut is made nearby, where the hunter hides and shoots the birds flying up to the stuffed animals. In autumn they beat black grouse with a gun dog or just from the approach.

Squad of seagulls

This order in the fauna of Tatarstan includes 12 species, of which 8 nest, and 4 species are found only on migration and during summer migrations of immature birds.
Representatives of the order of gulls are quite clearly divided into four groups:
1) the gulls themselves with their characteristic silvery-white color and rounded tail - klusha, gulls: silver, gray, common and small;
2) river terns, which differ from the previous group in 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 - medium and short-tailed, easily distinguished by dark plumage and elongated middle tail feathers extending beyond the tail in the form of a spire. In July 1948, G.P. Priezzhev observed a pair of skuas near Yelabuga for five days; later we met skuas several times in the mouth section of the Kama 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 the eggs and feeding the chicks.
In connection with the formation of the reservoir, the number of large gulls - herring and gray gulls, which are now regularly encountered throughout the growing season, has noticeably increased. They are mostly young immature birds aged one to two years, but there are also nesting specimens.
Common gull, lake
In the first days of April, when the edges of the lakes appear and small steppe rivers open up, steamer gulls fly to us, or, as they are also called by the Volgars, “Martyns”. These gulls often accompany steamships and are excellent at catching pieces of bread thrown by them. Undoubtedly, the Volga without gulls would lose some of its beauty.
The first seagulls can be found on the distant Kaban, where the warm waters of KazGRES flow down and where the ice melts first of all. By the end of May or the beginning of June, seagulls gather in large societies and start nesting.
With the formation of the reservoir and the flooding of most of the lakes and swamps, where the black-headed gulls used to nest, their numbers have declined. Apparently, this is also due to the fact that now the nesting sites of gulls are located on the reservoirs of the continental terrace, they are more often visited and often ruined by humans. During autumn counting, we quite often counted in flocks only 5-6% of young, easily distinguished from adults by their motley outfit and the absence of a black helmet on their heads, although based on theoretical calculations, young in the autumn herd should be more than 50%.

In spring, fish, frogs, and mouse-like rodents that died in winter, which gulls get from flooded manes and during their spring migrations, are of great importance in the diet of gulls. Often in spring, seagulls feed “behind the plow” and destroy a large number of “wireworms” and other insects. In summer, seagulls feed mainly on aquatic and terrestrial insects, as well as fish. During the haymaking period, a huge number of orthoptera are eaten. At the end of 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 to be protected. Seagulls fly away in October. Many of them winter in the Caspian and Black Seas, but some fly as far as the Mediterranean. The little gull, which is distinguished by its smaller size and black plumage of its head, is found much less frequently in Tataria.

Common tern

River tern is a typical inhabitant of large rivers, where it nests in noisy colonies on sandy islands, spits and shallows. Arrives to us late, in mid-May, and starts nesting in June, when the sands appear. In years when the spring hollow waters did not leave for a long time, terns nested on high ridges, arranging their nests on drifts, 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 terrestrial insects. In early September, they already migrate south for wintering in the Mediterranean.
It is very similar to the small river tern, weighing only about 50 g - more than two times lighter than the river tern. Appears with us at the end of May - beginning of June, and in August it flies away.

Order of Anseriformes

The vast order of anseriformes includes birds ranging in size from teal to swan, with a stocky body, short legs, three front fingers 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 teeth or thin plates, for which the Anseriformes are also called lamellar-beaked. All anseriformes are closely connected with 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, shoveler, pintail, etc. In species that pair up and belong to monogamous species, the color is the same for both males and females - for example, swans and geese. All anseriformes are brood birds. Most species feed on plant foods, have a powerful muscular stomach, in which pebbles, sand or hard pondweed seeds are always found, contributing to the grinding of food, very aptly named by prof. P. A. Manteifel V "millstones". Moulting in all species is rapid, and for some time the birds cannot fly.
All anseriformes have very tasty meat and are important hunting objects. In Tatarstan, the anseriform fauna is very richly represented: 30 species have been recorded here, which is more than half of all species found in the vast territory of the CIS. 12 species constantly nest in our country, two species - whooper swan and white-eyed diver - do not nest annually, 9 occur on migration, and 7 belong to rare-flying species.
Our anseriformes are divided into 5 groups: swans, geese, real ducks, divers and mergansers.

whooper swan

About 30-35 years ago the whooper nested in separate pairs in the floodplain of the Kama. Then, as people developed the floodplain, they 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 migrations.

gray goose

The Volga is still bound by an ice cover, patches of browned snow still lie in the fields, and in the forest the breath of spring is very faintly felt and snow is everywhere, as we already have the first schools of noisy geese. The arrival of geese, according to long-term data, usually begins around April 14, when the first temporary reservoirs appear in the fields - “Snowfields”. Many folk signs are associated with the arrival of geese: “If the geese fly high - spring ones will be high, they fly low - and spring low”, “Geese scream a lot - for the harvest”, etc.
The main mass of geese only flies through our republic: numerous bean gooses with a black beak with a yellow or orange belt, white-fronted goose, white-fronted pussycat and various types of geese, which are distinguished by a completely black small beak and black legs. Only a very small part of those flying through Tataria gray geese it 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, arranges a cozy nest somewhere on the shore, which is lined with feathers and down, and lays 5-8 eggs. Incubates for 28 days mainly goose; The male sits on the nest only when the female is feeding. Geese feed on various aquatic vegetation, like to pluck winter, in autumn they regularly fly to the fields to feed on grains of cereals and peas. In connection with the massive autumn plowing, geese are now less and less likely to land on the fields, the autumn migration takes place in a shorter time.
We get few geese: hunting with a decoy goose 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.

Order of birds of prey

As the name itself shows, this detachment unites birds leading a predatory lifestyle. All of them have a powerful beak, curved at the end, the base of which is covered with bare skin - "V" "cere"; 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 muscular stomach and have developed the ability to regurgitate undigested food residues through their mouths - bones and hair of mammals, bird feathers, fish scales and chitinous parts of insects, which are called pellets. The collection and analysis of pellets makes it possible to find out the food objects of birds of prey and to establish their role and importance in our economy. Most predatory species have a goiter, which allows them to eat a significant amount of food at the same time, and then, slowly digesting it, go without food for some time. Birds of prey live in monogamy, forming pairs, which often last for a number of years. Large species of predators lay 1–2 eggs and incubate them for about 50 days; medium and small ones carry up to 9 eggs and incubate for less than a month. Incubation begins immediately after the laying of the first egg, so the chicks do not hatch at the same time. This is of great biological importance, since it makes it easier for parents to feed chicks, which lasts about 25 days for small species, and up to three months for large ones. In a number of 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 sitting 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 - golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, spotted eagle and imperial eagle, as well as goshawk and marsh harrier - although they eat a certain number of hunting and game animals - hares, chicken 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 noted 28 species, of which 21 species nest on the territory of Tatarstan, one species, the upland buzzard, or Rough-legged Rough-legged Rough-legged Rough-legged Rough-legged Rough-legged Buzzard, is found annually and in fairly large numbers on migration, and 6 species belong to rare-flying ones - tuvik, red kite, white-headed vulture, black vulture, steppe eagle and pygmy eagle. Most 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 in the Saralovsky section of the Volga-Kama Reserve for four years. This is apparently due to the widespread development of ice fishing, when fishermen throw infected liguls, bream and other fish on the ice and thus provide the eagles with food.
For a number of years, employees of the Volga-Kama branch of the VNIO conducted counts of birds of prey during summer field work. Systematically, the birds of prey of Tataria are grouped into two families; falcons and hawks. The first includes six species that have a prong on the beak and a corresponding notch in the mandible; all other predators belong to the second family - they are characterized by the absence of a tooth on the beak.

Falcon-Peregrine Falcon

This is one of the largest falcons we meet, and the only one that sometimes stays over the winter. The falcon "takes" birds exclusively on the fly: having risen above the pursued victim, the peregrine falcon with tremendous speed, reaching 75 meters per second, beats the bird with the claws of the hind toes, folded and tightly pressed to the body. The blow is made on a tangent m is very strong. Prof. G.P. Dementiev writes that if a duck has a blow on the neck, then “its head often flies off”. Sometimes the peregrine falcon does not have time to grab the downed bird, and it falls to the ground, where the predator also descends after it. Ducks are the usual prey of the peregrine falcon, but in the cities it feeds on pigeons and jackdaws, often causing havoc in pigeon flocks and greatly annoying pigeon breeders.
In the center of Kazan, on the bell tower of the Church of the Epiphany, a pair of peregrine falcons lived for a number of years and successfully bred chicks; but now, 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 Raifa forest, where A. A. Pershakov made a number of interesting observations on the lifestyle of this relatively rare falcon in our country. In the Saralovsky section of the Volga-Kama Reserve, another large falcon, the saker falcon, has been living and successfully breeding chicks for several years.
Goshawk nests in tall forests. Both nests found by us were located on tall fir trees 10–12 m from the ground on thick side branches. The female usually lays 3-4 greenish-white eggs, which she incubates for about 35 days. At the end of July, the young already completely abandon the nest and begin an independent life.
The color of the goshawk is very characteristic of hawks: it is smoky gray from above, and transverse black stripes stretch along a white background from below. 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.
Sparrowhawk in its lifestyle and coloration is extremely close to the goshawk. The food of this small jackdaw-sized predator is dominated by smaller birds, mainly passerines; he regularly eats mouse-like rodents and large insects. As a number of special studies have shown, in natural conditions the hawk, selecting sick and weakened animals, "cleanses" the livestock and helps to maintain its high numbers. Only in poultry farms is it capable of causing some damage, and there we can shoot them.

Marsh harrier

Low above the thickets of emersed vegetation, over lakes and marshes, the marsh harrier, which seems almost black from a distance, flies. It feeds on eggs and chicks, and attacks adult birds. Ducks and coots are especially affected by it. We observed one Marsh Harrier's nest, located on a raft, among impassable thickets of reeds, with four chicks. Within eight days, the parents brought them 9 coots, 2 gray coots, 3 water voles and many small rodents and birds. S. V. Utyakovsky says that he observed the attack of a marsh harrier on a muskrat.
The number of marsh harriers is now small, and the loss they cause is negligible compared to the positive role in the improvement of livestock.

This is the most common predatory bird in our republic. The carved tail of a kite is an excellent sign of a species by which it is easy to distinguish it from all other predators, which is helped a lot by a characteristic cry that vaguely resembles the neighing of a stallion.
Kites appear in our country in mid or early April and almost immediately concentrate near their nesting sites. They often nest in colonies of 3-6 nests on an area of ​​200-500 hectares - on some forest island, in a forest split 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, we found solitary nests, which were arranged in trees and lined with the most diverse material; 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.
There are usually 2-3 eggs in the nest. Incubation and feeding of chicks takes about two and a half months. By August, the young are difficult to distinguish from adults and are already leading an independent life. At this time, kites are especially often found near settlements and marinas.
Kites feed on a wide variety of food: 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, two or three dozen birds accumulate near the cattle burial grounds and in other areas rich in food.

Owl squad

This detachment unites birds that lead a nocturnal lifestyle, having large, forward-facing eyes, from which small feathers radiate in all directions, forming a facial disk 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 heads 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 owls is loose, soft and contributes to silent flight these predators. Their hearing is well developed. The ear holes are very large and in some species are surrounded by longer feathers, forming, as it were, the outer ear. Most owls have a mimic variegated coloration, where small speckles are scattered over a reddish-gray background. Females are usually larger than males.
Like diurnal predators, owls have a hook-shaped beak and well-developed claws, and the outer finger can turn back - this makes it easier to grasp prey. Food consists of various warm-blooded animals, among which) rodents - voles and mice predominate. Owls discard indigestible food residues in the form of pellets, which differ from those of diurnal predators in their rounded shape.
Owl nests are very primitive, and some species lay their eggs simply on the ground or in hollows; long-eared owls often occupy crow nests. The female incubates. Immediately after the first egg is laid, the female sits on the nest, and therefore the chicks do not hatch at the same time, which greatly facilitates their feeding.
In the fauna of Tatarstan, owls are represented by 12 species. Eagle owl, tawny owl, hawk owl and some owls lead a sedentary lifestyle, and White Owl and the bearded owl appear in our winter only in some years. All owls are undoubtedly useful birds, and if occasionally they catch game animals and birds, then this is more than compensated by the large number of mice and voles they have killed.

The largest representative of the detachment, whose weight reaches 3 kg. On the territory of Tatarstan it is found everywhere, but its favorite habitat is the wilderness. At present, the eagle owl is relatively rare, but nevertheless, in spring, in all large forests of the republic, one can hear at night its deaf cry “hoo-hoo”, sometimes turning into a very unpleasant sound, reminiscent of a human cry or a child’s cry. This, apparently, was the reason for the creation of beliefs among the people, according to which the eagle owl portends trouble. Often, even in our time, the cry of an owl is identified with the laughter of the "goblin".
The food of the eagle owl is very diverse and depends on the amount of one or another food in nature. According to the materials of T. M. Kulaeva, the main food of the eagle owl is mouse-like rodents. So, in the stomach of an eagle owl, obtained in February 1946 by Ya. P. Koksin, the remains of 40 voles and mice were found. There is no doubt that rodents form the basis of its food, but when there are few of them, the eagle owl is able to take hares, catch black grouse, partridges, rooks, jackdaws, crows and jays, and even dare to attack foxes. So, in one of the forest ravines near Matyushin, an owl was killed at the time of its attack on a fox.
The eagle owl does not arrange nests, but lays 2–3 white, almost spherical eggs, which are 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 grouse and other useful animals, then first of all he takes sick and weakened ones and this is of great benefit, clearing the livestock and to some extent preventing disease outbreak.

long-eared owl

One of the most common owls we have. It inhabits forests of various ages and compositions and is often found even in close proximity to the city, and, possibly, also nests in the Arsky cemetery of Kazan, where we repeatedly heard its two-syllable cry “hoo-hoo”. The size of the long-eared owl is significantly inferior to the eagle owl: all the owls we caught weighed less than 500 g. It differs from other owls by two protruding tufts of feathers on its head, resembling ears. In addition, long-eared owls have long wings that, when folded, go beyond the end of the tail.
In years rich in mouse-like rodents, long-eared owls live settled with us, not flying away for the winter; in years, poor in rodents, migrate to the south, reaching Africa. They start nesting in April. The number of eggs in a clutch depends on the availability of food for birds and ranges from 3 to 8. Usually, the long-eared owl occupies the nests of crows, magpies and jays: all 4 nests we found long-eared owl formerly belonged to the ravens. I. V. Zharkov and V. P. Teplov described three owl nests, of which two were built by crows and one by a magpie.
Incubation begins immediately after the first egg is laid. The female incubates, but the male usually stays close to the nest. With large clutches, the difference in the size of the chicks can be very large; so, for example, in one inspected 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, 1-2 "last ones die, since the food brought by their parents is captured by larger chicks, who are even able to kill their little "brothers and sisters" themselves and eat them. Such a "screening out" of chicks is a common occurrence for all our predators.

Detachment long-winged

As the very name of the order shows, it includes birds with long wings, somewhat reminiscent of swallows, but even more adapted to flight. We meet one species from this order - black swift, or common.
Saber-shaped curved wings, as if a flattened head with a beak split like a nightjar, short and weak legs with a feathered metatarsus and trailing fingers pointing forward and serving only to hold 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, with great difficulty rises to the wing. His element is air, where he has no rivals both in speed and in flight maneuverability. It feeds exclusively on insects, which it catches on the fly. Mating in swifts also occurs in the air.
Swifts appear with almost calendar accuracy around May 14, and their swift flight with a piercing cry of “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 eaves, 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 on 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 that are very sensitive to changing weather conditions; thus, observing swifts, it is often possible to predict changes in the weather. For wintering, swifts fly away in early September to Equatorial Africa.

Order of passerines

The order of passerines, which is the richest 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 great numbers. Thus, up to 400 pairs of birds nest on 25 hectares of mixed deciduous forest. Appearance birds belonging to the order of passerines are very diverse. Along with the raven, reaching a weight of up to 1500 g, the order of passerines also includes the wren, whose weight does not exceed 8 g.
Passerines have “stepped” legs, four fingers of which are located in the same plane: three of them look forward, one looks back. The wing has 10-12 flight feathers, the tail consists of 12, less often 10-16 tail feathers. All passerines belong to chicks. The planting period for small species lasts 12-14 days. For about the same period, the 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 warmer climes for the winter, and in the spring they return to their homeland again, 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 during the feeding of chicks. Many eat weed seeds. Passerines are mostly useful birds that help people fight pests in agriculture and forestry.

Bird family larks

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

field lark

Modestly colored, with grayish-brown speckles and a low wide crest, the field bird is well known to everyone who visits the fields in spring and summer. Arrives to us very early - as soon as thawed patches appear in some places, and his ringing song is heard already at the end of March. The mass passage takes place in the first half of April, and then the singing of the lark coming from above can be heard even when walking through the noisy streets of a big city. Pairs start breeding when the fields freed from snow turn green. The clutch contains 4-6 eggs.
A simple nest is arranged on the ground. Chicks develop quickly and leave the nest 9-10 days after hatching. During the summer, larks usually have two broods. 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 autumn, they gather in flocks and roam the fields and meadows before flying for the winter.

Forest lark, or spinning top

From field lark differs in smaller sizes, a light yellowish eyebrow and a shorter tail. The song of the forest lark can be conveyed by the words Yuli-Yuli-YuliV. Yula has a clear attraction to the forest, and its habitats are forest clearings, clearings, pine woodlands, especially moorlands on sandy hillocks.

Horned lark

It got its name for the original B black "horns" of feathers on the sides of the head and it cannot be confused with any other bird. Flocks of these rather brightly and colorfully colored birds, slightly smaller than a starling, can be found during their spring and autumn migration, but they do not nest here.
Crested lark can be attributed to the number of stray species. These birds could be observed several times in the vicinity of Kazan.

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

Arrival time

The beautiful bird is a waterfowl and arrives in Tatarstan in late April and early May. This bird likes to spend winter in warm regions, and overcomes a long way from Africa, the tropics of Asia, Japan, South or Western Europe to Tatarstan to build a nest, raise new offspring. It nests near water bodies, it is an object of fishermen and lovers of sport hunting.

Appearance

An adult diver has an average body size of 58 centimeters. In weight, it can reach from 0.7 to 1.1 kilograms. It has a neat short tail, a distinctive feature is the back arched upwards while swimming. The neck of the diver 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 expanded 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 quite easy to distinguish from a male. They have different patterns and head color. In the male, it is colored brown-red, and in the female it is yellow-brown.

habitats

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

Brackish water bodies avoid diving. They can be found in swamps, sections of rivers with a calm course, artificially created reservoirs.

Diving behavior

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

During molting, red-headed pochards cannot fly, therefore they prefer to spend this period with relatives away from places where they can become easy prey for predators or humans.

reproduction

Pairs of dives are formed already 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 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 five to twelve eggs. Hatches dive its offspring for an average of 26 days. After being born, ducklings are in the care of their mother for two months, after which they begin an independent life.

Diving - Tatarstan. They are quite interesting to watch while feeding. Ducks dive under water, and can stay there for up to 16 seconds, and emerge elsewhere. They are also very active in shallow water, where they like to splash and fool around.

Black goose: description

In Tatarstan, rarely, but still you can meet this beautiful bird. It belongs to the duck, looks like a goose. This type is the smallest of all goose. Average weight- two kilograms, body length reaches sixty centimeters. Birds are on the verge of extinction, listed in the Red Book and protected by law, so you can not hunt them. The cause of extinction is dirty water bodies.

These birds in Tatarstan are migratory; tundra and sea coasts are chosen for the main habitat.

The color of the goose is very interesting. Most of her body is covered with gray, brown feathers. The belly and sides are lighter, and the back is dark. The undertail and tail feathers on the wings are white, the neck, beak, head and paws are black. On the neck there is a white uneven stripe resembling a collar.

The black goose prefers wintering in East Asia, in the North-West of Europe and on the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These birds reach their wintering grounds only along the coasts.

Goose breeding

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

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

The female can lay three to five eggs, incubating them for twenty-four days (on average). The male is always nearby, he takes care of 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 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 goose is very diverse. They eat various vegetation, including algae. Sometimes they can also 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, bending 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 Zoster seaweed.

The birds of Tatarstan impress 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 examined two species from the duck family, now we will get acquainted with one of the most beautiful predatory creatures.

black kite

This is a predator of the hawk order, it is very beautiful, and stands out with its color among other species. It leads a migratory lifestyle, chooses dense forests located near water bodies for living. The kite prefers to spend 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 themes but 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, in a span they can be up to 1.5 meters. The main decoration of this bird of Tatarstan is the tail. It is even, reminiscent of a fan, lowered down.

Males are slightly smaller than females in size, their plumage is the same, so it is very difficult to distinguish. The body is decorated with dark brown feathers, the top of the head has a light gray color. 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 kite's legs are yellow.

Diet and lifestyle

Black kites are scavengers and predators. They love the remains of animals resting 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 from the nests of chicks of other birds. Adult birds are also included in the menu if they are inferior in size to themselves. Also, these birds, living in Tatarstan and many other places, know how to fish. They cling to fish that have approached the surface with their claws.

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

Breeding

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

Nests are built independently, or those that are abandoned by other birds and are suitable in size are populated. Typically, 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 a rock, located at a height of up to fifteen meters from the ground. Nests are insulated with feathers, paper, down and grass.

The female lays eggs in early May, usually two or three future chicks. There may be four eggs in the 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 a month and a half to incubate eggs, and parents share all the worries. After hatching, the chicks do not leave the nest for up to 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

The population has declined greatly in recent years. Scientists attribute this to the use of chemicals in agriculture and industry. Especially few birds remained on the territory of Russia.

Once a numerous species has become on the verge of extinction, and it is very difficult to correct the current situation.

Conclusion

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

Status note: Not subject to commercial use; populations need constant monitoring.
Spreading. In the 19th century, it lived in large numbers in the southern regions - on reservoirs of deserts, semi-deserts and steppes, mainly in the valleys of the Amu-Darya, Syr-Darya, river deltas of the Caspian-Black Sea region. It was also noted on the steppe lakes of Western Siberia and northern Kazakhstan, in Dauria, the Ussuri valley and on Lake. Khanka. East Siberian habitats have been associated with sporadic breeding in eastern Mongolia, Korea and China. In Europe recorded as far south as Scandinavia, in northern Germany, the lower Danube and the Balkans. By the beginning of the 20th century, the areas suitable for habitation had sharply decreased, which, together with mass fishing, led to a depression in numbers and the disappearance of the species from many areas. Thus, the Far Eastern population completely ceased to exist within the USSR. Since the beginning of the 60s of the XX century, an expansion of the range (the Baltic states) has been noted. In the 1980s, new breeding centers were formed - the Middle Volga and South Ural. On the territory of modern Republic of Tatarstan in the 19th century recorded by hunters on migration sporadically. First recorded nesting in the Alekseevsky region of the Republic of Tatarstan in 1977. In the early 80s, it began to nest on the Nizhnekamsk and Kuibyshev reservoirs in the Menzelinsky and Chistopol regions. Over the past ten years, on the territory of Tatarstan, it has been noted in Agryz, Aznakaevsky, Alekseevsky, Almetyevsk, Arsk, Atninsky, Bugulma, Buinsky, Verkhneuslonsky, Yelabuga, Zelenodolsky, Laishevsky, Leninogorsk, Menzelinsky, Nizhnekamsky, Spassky, Tukaevsky, Chistopolsky districts. Previously recorded in Zelenodolsk, Laishevsky, Chistopolsky, Alekseevsky, Menzelinsky and Aktanyshsky districts. The tendency of settling to the north of Tatarstan is noted. On the territory of NP "Nizhnyaya Kama" - Elabuga and Tanaevsky meadows, nesting species.
Number. The mute swan is one of six species of anseriformes whose numbers are steadily increasing. In 1974, 37.9 thousand individuals lived in the former USSR; in 1978 - 58.6 thousand; in 1987 - 283.5 thousand (by the end of the breeding season - at least 350 thousand birds). The highest increase was noted in the Caspian region, the smallest - in Kazakhstan. An increase in livestock was also noted in the western Palearctic. In the forest zone of the East European Plain in the first half of summer, the number is 0.5 thousand individuals (0.00004% of the total number of birds). On the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan in the 80s of the last century, the number of mute swan was estimated at approximately 100 individuals; currently - in 700-800 individuals. The increase in numbers is due to intra-secular climate variability, overgrowth of water bodies due to eutrophication, and long-term protection of the species.
Ecology and biology. Breeding migratory species. Arrives in April. It nests and molts in large stagnant bodies of water overgrown with aquatic vegetation. It starts breeding (in the Republic of Tatarstan) in early May. Nests are arranged on the creases of the reeds. The clutch consists of 5 to 9 eggs; an average of 6.12 eggs (n = 1808). Incubation lasts about 35 days. Breeding individuals molt at nesting sites. Young birds take flight (in RT) in mid-September. Departure to wintering places occurs in mid-October. It feeds on submerged aquatic vegetation. It winters in the southern seas and reservoirs of Central Asia, as well as in the deltas of the river. Volga, Ural and on the lakes of Kazakhstan. I
limiting factors. Drying up of water bodies (Aral Sea, Amu Darya), unfavorable weather conditions in wintering areas, poaching (mainly Central Asia and Kazakhstan). In the Republic of Tatarstan - the planned rise in the level of the Nizhnekamsk reservoir.
Security measures. Included in the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan. Protected on the territory of the NRF RT. It is necessary to promote the protection of the species among hunters.

Solovyov Anton: “How do birds hibernate?” In winter, our birds - neighbors try to stay closer to human habitation: it is warmer and more satisfying here. Fed up and frost is not so terrible. A good dinner warms you from the inside, heat goes through your whole body. If you do not lose weight over the winter and keep the fat under the skin, then even the severe cold that passes through the feather is not dangerous either: it cannot freeze the fatty lining. But the trouble is, in winter it is not easy to find food. It is difficult for those birds that ate insects in the summer, they switch to cones, nuts and grains. And this food is still to be found. Difficult times are easier to get through together. And in winter, different birds gather in flocks. After all, how is it in a pack? I found one food, immediately notified everyone: everyone will be full. It is easier to notice the danger in time, always someone is on guard while others are feeding or dozing. If you need to fight off a large predator, then here it’s more convenient for everyone together. So it’s impossible for a little bird to be alone in winter. Even those of the birds that usually live alone, and then for the winter they are nailed to some flock.

Semenov Daniil: "Nututatch and woodpecker" In the park, garden, near the feeders in a flock of different tits, you can see the nuthatch. This small short-tailed bird immediately attracts attention with its ability to quickly run upside down on a tree trunk. Among the birds, the best climbers crawl. They are helped in this by a special arrangement of paws with very long fingers and claws. All the warm season, these birds run through the trees, looking for pests. In winter, they have to sit on a plant-based diet. A piece of unsalted fat in a feeder or a nuthatch bug turned up in the bark is a delicacy. The color of the bird is bluish-gray, the neck, chest and abdomen are white, a black stripe comes from the beak. The woodpecker is a conspicuous bird. His back, wings, tail are black, as if he was wearing a black tailcoat. 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 leans on its tail. The woodpecker's tail is unusual: with pointed ends, very hard feathers. Resting its tail against the unevenness of the bark, the woodpecker holds firmly on a sheer trunk. Such strength, he needs to hit a tree hard. After all, the woodpecker feeds on worms, beetles and other insects that spoil the tree, gnawing passages deep into the trunk.

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

Egorova Liana "Sparrows" Sparrows of two types live in the middle zone of the European part of Russia: 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 build nests and breed. It is not at all difficult to distinguish a house sparrow from a field sparrow: the house sparrow (male) has a dark gray cap on the crown of the head, and brown for the field sparrow; the house sparrow has one light strip on its wings, and the field sparrow has two. In addition, the field sparrow has black brackets on the cheeks on a light background, and there is a white collar around the neck. By physique, the house sparrow is coarser than the field sparrow and larger than it. The house sparrow is also called the city sparrow, because it is especially numerous in urban settlements and is common even in the largest cities. The tree sparrow is called the village sparrow because of its attachment to the countryside.

Garifullina Gulia "Bullfinches" A bullfinch is larger than a sparrow. It 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 of the head and a thick short black beak. Homeland bullfinches coniferous forests of the northern taiga. Here they make nests and hatch chicks. In September, bullfinches form flocks, and in October they migrate to wintering in the forests of the middle zone of our country. At this time, they appear in villages and cities, standing out sharply against the background of the fallen snow. Hence, probably, the name of these birds bullfinches. In winter, bullfinches keep mixed and deciduous forests, where they feed on the seeds of alder, ash, maple, linden, hornbeam and other trees, as well as shrubs (lilac, 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 to mountain ash, which they willingly eat. During feeding, they leave traces of their work in the form of opened ash and maple fly, the remains of linden seeds, the pulp of crushed rowan berries, etc. It is easy to recognize from these remains that bullfinches “hosted” here.

Nikonorova Azalea "Pigeons" The largest of our pigeons is the wood dove. It is also easy to distinguish by well-marked white spots on the neck and wings. Noble bluish plumage with a light smoky coating. Vakhiri arrive at the end of March, and from mid-April their mating sounds are constantly heard - a dull buzz that vibrates in an early rhythm. At the same time, one can see the current flights of pigeons: a sudden, noisy take-off with a noisy flapping of wings and subsequent smooth gliding. 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 the birds move from the forests to the fields, gathering in large flocks in autumn. Flying out in October. In the reserve, the dove is the most common pigeon. The wedge is much smaller than the dove and without any white markings whatsoever. The vakhirya arrives earlier - the current voice of the klintukh has been heard since the beginning of April. It nests in hollows of trees, sometimes at a considerable height. It occurs regularly in the reserve, preferring ripe pine forests.

Riddles about birds With a greenish back, A yellowish tummy, A black hat And a strip of a scarf. (Titmouse) 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 fierce winter. (Klest) Red-breasted, black-winged, Loves to peck grains, With the first snow on the mountain ash, He will appear again. (Bullfinch) A small bird has legs but can't walk. Wants to take a step - It turns out a jump. (Sparrow)

Game Goals:

• to systematize students' knowledge about the life of birds, their relationship with the environment;
• to deepen the ecological knowledge of students;
• instill in them a humane attitude towards birds, a sense of responsibility for all living things and teach them to realize the need for respect for nature;
• contribute to the development of a sense of collectivism and cohesion.

Equipment:

• Tape recorder and records with birdsong and dance melodies.
• A chest (a beautifully designed box) with tokens - questions.
• For the competition of captains, cards with the image of birds sheets of paper, pens.
• Two cards for the Eight Birds contest, sheets of paper, pens, felt-tip pens.
• Various bird food (sunflower seeds, cones, millet, a piece of bacon, rowan berries, birch seeds ...)
• For the contest "Building feeders" unnecessary items, such as: milk bags, mayonnaise buckets, various boxes, wire.
• Cards with encrypted letters.

DURING THE CLASSES

(Birds chirping).

Leading: Hello guys! Today we have gathered to talk about wintering birds.

Many birds fly south
Many spend the winter with us.
Jackdaw, crow, bullfinch, sparrow.
Come on, guys, remember them soon!

Children name wintering birds, then they are divided into 2 teams. The moderator introduces the members of the jury.

It is difficult for birds to live in winter,
Find your own food.
Who can do them except us
save from hunger?
covered with snowdrifts
Hillocks, yards, paths,
Birds can't find
Not a grain, not a crumb.
And now they fly weaker
Crow, jackdaw, sparrow.
Hurry up, kids!
Here in the most difficult hour
Rescue birds are waiting for us!
Feed them! Warm them up!
Lead the house on a bitch
Scatter the crumbs on the snow
And then semolina ...
And the poor will live.
Gliding merrily across the sky
Feathered friends fly
And sing, chirping:
"Thank you very much"

Competition "Chest of questions"

For each team in turn, Magpie brings a chest and one of the participants takes out a token with numbers from it. The facilitator reads out the question under this number, and the team gives an answer to it. Each question is worth 1 point.

1. What birds spend the night buried in the snow? (Black grouse, partridge, hazel grouse).
2. What benefits do tits bring in winter? (Destroy eggs and insect larvae).
3. Which bird loves jewelry and other shiny objects? (Magpie).
4. Which bird breeds chicks in winter? (Crossbill).
5. What birds hunt at night? (Owls).
6. What bird is drumming? (Woodpecker).
7. What bird changes color for winter? (White partridge).
8. What kind of birds can climb a tree trunk head down? (Nuthatch).
9. When is the sparrow's body temperature higher: in winter or summer? (Same)
10. What bird hangs on trees in winter upside down, downside down? Why? (Titmouse. The branches are covered with snow on top, so they prey on insects on the underside of the branches).
11. How many different tits live in our area? (Large, long-tailed, crested, Muscovy, blue tit).
12. What corvids live in our area? (Crow, hoodie, rook, magpie, jackdaw, jay).
13. Which bird hollows out a hollow in a tree with its beak for its nest? (Woodpecker).
14. We watched from the window the behavior of sparrows flying to the feeder, you can determine what the weather is like outside. How? (In cold weather, sparrows are disheveled - it is easier to keep body heat in this way).

Competition "Eight Birds"

Leading: There are eight birds hiding in the text you are about to read. Find their names and write. For each bird found, 3 points are awarded.

“The girl arranged canteens for birds. D crow came in, cleaned in the corner rubbish Oka fit here comfortably, voob more goal oh place. Fed here large birds flask soy, ka neck. Another dining room - you juice, l better for small birds check, and hell her tree branches. You just have to run to flattery Nitse, ina che rosary I can’t feed, I can’t get a feeder. ”

(Crow, magpie, goldfinch, falcon, coinage, jay, crossbill, tap dance).

"Captain Contest"

Team captains are welcome. Magpie gives them blank sheets of paper.

Leading: Here are cards with the image of birds: jackdaw, jay, nuthatch, dove, mute swan, green woodpecker. Each card has its own number. I will ask the captains questions about these birds. When answering a question, you write only the number of the drawing, which depicts the bird you need. (2 points are awarded for each correct answer).

• This forest bird feeds on acorns and nuts. The most beautiful of the crows. By stocking acorns for the winter, it promotes reforestation. (Jay - 2).
• This bird is a symbol of peace. Air postman. (Dove - 4).
• This bird is from the Red Book. Helps small birds, presenting housing in the winter cold. (Green woodpecker - 6).
• This bird easily climbs a tree trunk upside down. (Nuthatch).
• Birds and juveniles are brownish grey, becoming white after a few years. (Mute swan - 5).
• City bird living next to a person. (Daw - 1).

Physical education "Birds have arrived"

Leading: I will now list the birds, but if you hear something else, you need to clap your hands and stomp your feet.

Birds flew in: pigeons, tits, storks, crows, jackdaws, flies and shears.
Birds flew in: pigeons, tits, storks, crows, jackdaws, pasta.
Birds flew in: pigeons, tits, storks, crows, jackdaws, swifts, mosquitoes, cuckoo.
Birds flew: doves, martens, oatmeal, nuthatch, woodpeckers.
Birds flew in: pigeons, tits, jackdaws, swifts, storks, siskins, cuckoos, even scops owls, swans, starlings ...
All of you are great!

Competition "Mysterious letter" (Appendix )

- Decipher the letter

Teams are given envelopes with letters. Each correctly deciphered letter is worth 5 points.

1. Hi-vet young-nat-ami school-flax-ika-m from-winter-comfortable-them. Help the birds, feed them. Very cold-but go-lod-but.

2. Hello young-nat-ami school-flax-ika-m from d-scarlet south-from p-ern-at-s! Soon pr-ile-tim.

A. Yaschin

"Feed the Birds in Winter"(leader reads).

Feed the birds in winter!
Let from all over
They will fly to you like home
A flock on the porch.

How many die - they can not be counted,
It's hard to see.
But in our heart there is
And the birds are warm

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

Competition "Bird Dining"

Leading: I will show you the food, and the teams take turns naming the bird that loves this food. Teams receive 2 points for each correct answer.

• Sunflower seeds ––> tits;
• Spruce seeds, cones -–> crossbill, woodpecker;
• Oak seeds ––> jay;
• A piece of bacon -–> titmouse;
• Millet -–> sparrows, pigeons;
• Rowan berries -–> bullfinch, waxwing;
• Food waste ––> jackdaws, crows;
• Burdock seeds ––> goldfinch.

Competition "We build feeders"

The children are invited to make bird feeders from the proposed materials. The maximum number of points for the feeder is 10 points.

Competition "Circle of Knowledge"

Each team is asked 10 questions in the form of a blitz survey to identify the circle of knowledge about birds. For this competition, teams will receive as many points as they give the correct answers.

Questions for the 1st team:

1. The forelimbs of birds are ... (wings)
2. Part of the lower limb, characteristic only for birds. (Tsevka)
3. This sense organ is the least developed in birds. (Smell)
4. Birds originated from them. (Reptiles).
5. How do pigeons drink water? (They dip their beak into the water above the nostrils, which are then closed with scales, and drink in large sips without raising their beak.)
6. How does a dipper get food at the bottom of the river in winter, why does it not freeze in ice water? (The dipper dives into the hole and, sinking to the bottom, it runs quickly, clinging with sharp claws, looking for worms, finding it quickly returns to the top. The feathers of the dipper are covered with a layer of fat.)
7. In these birds, chicks are born most often in the middle of winter. (Crossbill)
8. What sedentary birds from the crow family can you call the orderlies of the village? (Raven, crow, rook.)
9. What forest chicken bird, besides the black grouse, arranges currents? (Capercaillie)
10. What do waxwings eat in winter? (Berries of mountain ash, viburnum.)

Questions for the 2nd team:

1. The skin of birds is covered with... (with feathers).
2. The sternum of a bird has a high crest below, which is called ... (keel).
3. This sense organ in birds is more developed than the others. (Vision).
4. "Ancient bird" is ... (Archaeopteryx).
5. Birds can turn their heads to... (180 degrees).
6. Why is a capercaillie called - "capercaillie"? (During the final part of the current song - “grinding” - his ear outgrowths fill with blood, closing his ears so tightly that the capercaillie does not even hear a gun shot.)
7. Name 3 types of settled birds. (Sparrow, magpie, titmouse.)
8. Which birds prepare food for the winter? (Jay, nutcracker, nuthatch, titmouse.)
9. Why don't birds fall from a branch while sleeping. (The legs of birds have special muscles that help them sit steadily on a branch without losing their balance.)
10. How does a woodpecker sleep in a nest? (A woodpecker in a hollow sleeps in an upright position, clinging with sharp claws of short legs to the wall of the hollow and resting against it with stiff tail feathers, that is, it sleeps "sitting" on its tail.)

Leading: Guys, our contests have come to an end. We think everyone has discovered something new today. And the main thing is that birds are our friends, younger brothers, and we, as elders, must protect and protect them.

The jury sums up the game.

The script is based on materials:

1. Guidelines for the preparation and holding of the holiday "Meeting of wintering birds", Kazan, 1997
2. Pedagogical creativity, No. 3 2001, A.F. Fazullina, R.R. Khafizov "Wintering Birds".