When environmental or food conditions change, many birds fly to warmer climes. This may also be due to the characteristics of their reproduction. These living creatures have a high level of mobility, which is not available to other birds. The article will look at photos of migratory birds with names for children, after studying which, the child will begin to clearly distinguish between the types of living creatures and independently determine which of them fly to warm countries for the winter and which prefer cold climates.
This article indicates a variety of migratory routes for children and the description will serve as an excellent opportunity to set a starting point for a child’s development in the environmental field of knowledge. Thanks to this, from a very young age a person will be able to lay the foundations of a new science in his mind.
Famous Names for Children of Different Ages
So, only those that fly to warm regions in the winter should be classified as migratory birds. The fact is that these creatures are warm-blooded (41 degrees is their average body temperature). Therefore, they can easily maintain active positions in winter. But the problem is that not all of them are able to get food in the cold season, because the cover of the earth’s surfaces freezes, and the inhabitants of the sky need to eat a lot, since the energy they expend significantly exceeds the level that is allowed in the warm season. This is the reason for saying goodbye to the Motherland and flying to countries with a warm climate.
Representatives of the group considered include: swallow, lapwing, lark, robin, oriole, wood pipit, redstart, black-headed warbler and many others. In addition to migratory birds, there are also sedentary (remain to winter in their native lands) and nomadic (migrate depending on the severity of the season) inhabitants of the sky. Below will be described in detail and presented photos of migratory birds with names for children.
In what order do birds fly away?
It should be noted that the birds leave their native lands gradually. It has been established in society that the very first to open their wings are migratory birds (names for children are presented below), which feed on insects (insectivores). It is important to note that such creatures tend to sing very well.
In the process of many years of research, it was noted that migratory birds (names for children; see the list of birds below), such as the swift and swallow, become the initial link in the opening of the season of farewell to their native lands. Then they fly away to southern countries (for example, swans). And this is not surprising, because all bodies of water, without exception, are covered with ice immediately after sub-zero temperatures become appropriate. The next one to fly away is the crane (this happens at the beginning of the first autumn month), followed by the rook.
The final link in this list are geese and ducks (the latter leave the region later than everyone else). There are many cases where ducks preferred not to fly to southern countries, but to stay in their native places. But this phenomenon occurs only if their home or pond does not freeze. Therefore, it is popular among people that it is ducks who carry frost and winter on their tails.
Fundamental differences between migratory and nomadic birds
Migratory birds (names for children (middle group): rook, swan, duck, nightingale, lark and others) are examined in great detail. All that remains is to draw a line of difference between them and nomadic living beings. So, migratory birds will in any case prefer to leave their homeland with the onset of cold weather, regardless of various circumstances. They have flight at the genetic level, so it is impossible to contradict nature in this case.
Migratory birds (names for children) are capercaillie, pika, woodpecker, hazel grouse, black grouse, crossbill, jay, titmouse and many others.
Nomadic birds themselves determine whether to fly to southern countries or not. This decision depends on the weather conditions in your native area. If the winter promises to be warm, then jackdaws, siskins, shuras, bullfinches, nuthatches and other representatives of the group in question will happily stay in their homeland for the winter. And if they feel the severity of the approaching season, they will undoubtedly fly away to warmer climes (for example, a sparrow will most likely remain in its territory if its place of residence is the European part of Russia; in the case of Central Asia, it will fly to distant India) .
Flight principles of the birds in question
Thanks to the development of science, a considerable amount of information has been collected about bird migrations. In this section, you should find out how birds navigate and how flocks are formed during the flight.
For absolute navigation of the creatures in question during long-distance flights, guidance by the earth's magnetic field takes place. That is, a starling can return from southern countries to its homeland only by understanding the direction of the north magnetic pole; in addition, it is able to easily determine its location, as well as the direction necessary for returning.
The formation of a flock occurs in a very interesting way, since the dynamics of its light and dark elements play a central role in this process. The fact is that birds thus maintain a certain level of density necessary to collect the necessary information from their neighbors through signs and actions developed at the genetic level.
Migratory birds. Names for children. Rook as the most famous inhabitant of the sky of this group
Of the huge variety of migratory birds, the rook occupies a special place. That is why people call him the harbinger of winter. This inhabitant of the sky arrives in mid-March, and leaves their native land only in late autumn (late October or early November).
An interesting feature of rooks is the ability to imitate human speech, and this is one of the reasons why they are so revered in society. The length of an adult bird is approximately 45 centimeters, but its weight varies from 310 to 490 grams. Visually, the rook resembles a crow, but its difference is in the relative slenderness and surface of the feathers, which are endowed not only with a black color, but also with a purple tint.
Very thin, but straight. This arrangement allows them to freely obtain food from all sorts of places (for example, they can easily afford to get food from underground). Rooks are not at all picky about their diet; they eat earthworms, rodents, and so on.
As for the benefit to society that the birds in question bring, it is undoubtedly great, because rooks are active eaters of flora pests. These include caterpillars, bedbugs, rodents and others. And this is another reason why people are crazy about rooks.
Swallow as one of the most common migratory birds
Most likely, in the absence of evidence, no one would have thought that such a small and fragile bird could cover enormous distances. But this is true; in addition, the swallow carries out the presented process twice a year. Although it should be noted that the flight poses a huge danger for it, which is why the swallow often does not reach its destination (the entire flock may die). As a rule, this situation happens in unfavorable weather conditions.
The bird in question looks truly impeccable, because its elongated wings and clear tail cut do their job. It is important to note that the swallow is a perfect inhabitant of the sky, because this bird is rarely seen on earth. The interesting thing is that during the flight she can sleep, eat and even mate.
The species diversity of swallows is very wide: in nature there are about 120 species. These inhabitants of the sky quickly get used to new conditions, which is why they can be found everywhere except Australia and Antarctica. Swallows feed exclusively on insects, taking them out from under the ground or finding them in the bark of trees.
The nightingale and the nature of its life activity
As can be seen from the article, all migratory birds (names for children can be found as you read) have fundamental differences. The last candidate for consideration is the nightingale, popularly known as a magnificent singer.
Why does the nightingale sing? The fact is that directly during this process the bird completely forgets about all the dangers that threaten it. She simply lowers her wings and enjoys her art (it would be great if a person could get a similar result from singing!).
In winter, this inhabitant of the sky flies towards North Africa, and returns back in the spring. As a rule, in mid-April there is already an opportunity to observe the nightingale, because it is at this time that the first insects appear - and the bird can feed fully. The nightingale weighs very little, only 25 grams, and its color is very dark with a brownish-gray tint. That is why the bird looks miniature, and one cannot even believe that it is capable of long-distance flights.
Tolstoy L.N.
Young sparrows were jumping on the path in the garden.
And the old sparrow sat high on a tree branch and vigilantly looked to see if a bird of prey would appear somewhere.
A robber hawk flies through the backyard. He is the fierce enemy of the small bird. The hawk flies quietly, without noise.
But the old sparrow noticed the villain and is watching him.
The hawk is getting closer and closer.
The sparrow chirped loudly and anxiously, and all the little sparrows disappeared into the bushes at once.
Everything fell silent.
Only the sentry sparrow sits on a branch. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t take his eyes off the hawk.
The hawk noticed the old sparrow, flapped its wings, straightened its claws and descended like an arrow.
And the sparrow fell like a stone into the bushes.
The hawk was left with nothing.
He looks around. Evil has taken the predator. His yellow eyes burn with fire.
Little sparrows poured out of the bushes noisily and jumped along the path.
Swans
Tolstoy L.N.
The swans flew in a herd from the cold side to the warm lands. They flew across the sea. They flew day and night, and another day and another night, without resting, they flew over the water. There was a full month in the sky, and the swans saw blue water far below them. All the swans were exhausted, flapping their wings; but they did not stop and flew on. Old, strong swans flew in front, and those who were younger and weaker flew behind. One young swan flew behind everyone. His strength weakened. He flapped his wings and could not fly any further. Then he, spreading his wings, went down. He descended closer and closer to the water; and his comrades further and further became whiter in the monthly light. The swan descended onto the water and folded its wings. The sea rose beneath him and rocked him.
A flock of swans was barely visible as a white line in the bright sky. And in the silence you could barely hear the sound of their wings ringing. When they were completely out of sight, the swan bent its neck back and closed its eyes. He did not move, and only the sea, rising and falling in a wide strip, raised and lowered him.
Before dawn, a light breeze began to sway the sea. And the water splashed into the white chest of the swan. The swan opened his eyes. The dawn reddened in the east, and the moon and stars became paler. The swan sighed, stretched out its neck and flapped its wings, rose up and flew, clinging to the water with its wings. He rose higher and higher and flew alone over the dark, rippling waves.
Starlings (Excerpt)
Kuprin A.I.
We were looking forward to seeing old friends fly into our garden again - starlings, these cute, cheerful, sociable birds, the first migratory guests, the joyful messengers of spring.
So, we waited for the starlings. We fixed old birdhouses that had become warped from the winter winds and hung new ones.
The sparrows imagined that this courtesy was being done for them, and immediately, at the first warmth, they occupied the birdhouses.
Finally, on the nineteenth, in the evening (it was still light), someone shouted: “Look - starlings!”
Indeed, they sat high on the branches of poplars and, after the sparrows, seemed unusually large and too black...
For two days the starlings seemed to be gaining strength and were hanging out and exploring last year’s familiar places. And then the eviction of sparrows began. I did not notice any particularly violent clashes between starlings and sparrows. Usually, skurts sit in twos high above the birdhouses and, apparently, carelessly chatter among themselves about something, while they themselves gaze intently downwards with one eye, sideways. It's scary and difficult for the sparrow. No, no - he sticks his sharp, cunning nose out of the round hole - and back. Finally, hunger, frivolity, and perhaps timidity make themselves felt. “I’m flying off,” he thinks, “for a minute and right back.” Maybe I'll outwit you. Maybe they won’t notice.” And as soon as it has time to fly away a fathom, the starling drops like a stone and is already at home.
And now the sparrow’s temporary economy has come to an end. Starlings guard the nest in turns: one sits while the other flies on business. Sparrows would never think of such a trick.
And so, out of chagrin, great battles begin between the sparrows, during which fluff and feathers fly into the air. And the starlings sit high in the trees and even tease: “Hey, you black-headed one! You won’t be able to overcome that yellow-chested one forever and ever.” - "How? To me? Yes, I’ll take him now!” - “Come on, come on...”
And there will be a landfill. However, in the spring all the animals and birds... fight much more...
Starling song
Kuprin A.I.
The air warmed up a little, and the starlings had already settled on high branches and began their concert. I don’t know, really, whether the starling has his own motives, but you will hear enough of anything alien in his song. There are pieces of nightingale trills, and the sharp meow of an oriole, and the sweet voice of a robin, and the musical babbling of a warbler, and the thin whistle of a titmouse, and among these melodies suddenly such voices are heard that, sitting alone, you can’t help but laugh: a hen cackles on a tree , the sharpener's knife will hiss, the door will creak, the children's military trumpet will blow. And, having made this unexpected musical retreat, the starling, as if nothing had happened, without a break, continues his cheerful, sweet, humorous song.
Lark
I. Sokolov-Mikitov
Of the many sounds of the earth: the singing of birds, the fluttering of leaves on the trees, the crackling of grasshoppers, the murmur of a forest stream - the most cheerful and joyful sound is the song of field larks and meadow larks. Even in early spring, when there is loose snow on the fields, but dark thawed patches have already formed here and there in the warming months, our early spring guests arrive and begin to sing. Rising into the sky in a column, fluttering its wings, thoroughly penetrated by sunlight, the lark flies higher and higher into the sky, disappearing into the shining blue. The song of a lark welcoming the arrival of spring is amazingly beautiful. This joyful song is like the breath of the awakened earth.
Many great composers tried to depict this joyful song in their musical works...
Much can be heard in the awakening spring forest. Hazel grouse squeak subtly, invisible owls hoot at night. Arrived cranes perform spring round dances in the impenetrable swamp. Bees buzz above the yellow golden downy coats of a flowering willow. And in the bushes on the river bank the first nightingale began to click and sing loudly.
Swan
Aksakov S. T.
The swan, due to its size, strength, beauty and majestic posture, has long been rightly called the king of all aquatic, or waterfowl. White as snow, with shiny, transparent small eyes, with a black nose and black paws, with a long, flexible and beautiful neck, he is inexpressibly beautiful when he calmly swims between the green reeds on the dark blue, smooth surface of the water.
Swan movements
Aksakov S. T.
All the movements of the swan are full of charm: will it begin to drink and, scooping up water with its nose, will raise its head up and stretch its neck; will he begin to swim, dive and splash with his mighty wings, scattering far away splashes of water rolling off his fluffy body; will he then begin to preen himself, easily and freely arching his snow-white neck back, straightening and cleaning with his nose the crumpled or dirty feathers on the back, sides and tail; whether the wing spreads through the air, as if a long slanting sail, and also begins to finger each feather in it with its nose, airing and drying it in the sun - everything is picturesque and magnificent in it.
Sparrow
Charushin E. I.
Nikita and dad went for a walk. He was walking and walking and suddenly he heard someone chirping: Chilik-chilik! Chilik-chilik! Chilik-chilik!
And Nikita sees that it is a little sparrow jumping along the road.
So ruffled, just like a ball rolling. Its tail is short, its beak is yellow, and it doesn’t fly anywhere. Apparently he doesn’t know how yet.
Look, dad,” Nikita shouted, “the sparrow is not real!”
And dad says:
No, this is a real sparrow, but only a small one. This is probably the chick falling out of its nest.
Then Nikita ran to catch a sparrow and caught it. And this little sparrow began to live in a cage at our house, and Nikita fed him flies, worms and a bun with milk.
Here is a sparrow living with Nikita. He screams all the time and asks for food. What a glutton! As soon as the sun appears in the morning, he will chirp and wake everyone up.
Then Nikita said:
I will teach him to fly and release him.
He took the sparrow out of the cage, sat it on the floor and began to teach.
“You flap your wings like this,” Nikita said and showed with his hands how to fly. And the sparrow jumped under the chest of drawers.
We fed the sparrow for another day. Again Nikita put him on the floor to teach him to fly. Nikita waved his arms, and the sparrow flapped its wings.
The sparrow has flown!
So he flew over the pencil. A red fire truck flew over. And when he began to fly over the inanimate toy cat, he bumped into it and fell.
“You’re still a bad flyer,” Nikita tells him. - Let me feed you for another day.
He fed and fed, and the next day the sparrow flew over Nikitin’s bench. Flew over a chair. Flew over the table with the jug. But he couldn’t fly over the chest of drawers - he fell.
Apparently, we still need to feed him. The next day Nikita took the sparrow with him into the garden and released it there.
The sparrow flew over the brick.
Flew over a stump.
And he began to fly over the fence, but bumped into it and fell.
And the next day he flew over the fence.
And flew over the tree.
And flew over the house.
And he completely flew away from Nikita.
That's how great it was to learn to fly!
Winter debts
N.I. Sladkov
The Sparrow was chirping on the dung heap - and he was jumping up and down! And the Crow Hag croaks in her nasty voice:
Why, Sparrow, was he happy, why was he chirping?
“The wings itch, Crow, the nose itches,” Sparrow answers. - The passion to fight is the hunt! Don’t croak here, don’t spoil my spring mood!
But I'll ruin it! - Crow does not lag behind. - How can I ask a question?
I scared you!
And I'll scare you. Did you peck crumbs in the trash bin in winter?
Pecked.
Did you pick up grains from the barnyard?
Picked it up.
Did you have lunch in the bird cafeteria near the school?
Thank you guys for feeding me.
That's it! - Crow bursts into tears. - With what
Are you thinking of paying for all this? With your chirping?
Am I the only one who used it? - Sparrow was confused. - And the Tit was there, and the Woodpecker, and the Magpie, and the Jackdaw. And you, Vorona, were...
Don't confuse others! - Crow wheezes. - You answer for yourself. Borrowed - give back! As all decent birds do.
Decent ones, maybe they do,” Sparrow became angry. - But are you doing it, Crow?
I'll cry before anyone else! Do you hear a tractor plowing in the field? And behind him, I pick out all sorts of root beetles and root rodents from the furrow. And Magpie and Galka help me. And looking at us, other birds are also trying.
Don't vouch for others either! - Sparrow insists. - Others may have forgotten to think.
But Crow doesn’t let up:
Come and check it out!
Sparrow flew to check. He flew into the garden, where the Tit lives in a new nest.
Congratulations on your housewarming! - Sparrow says. - In my joy, I suppose I forgot about my debts!
I haven’t forgotten, Sparrow, that you are! - Titmouse answers. “The guys treated me to delicious salsa in the winter, and in the fall I’ll treat them to sweet apples.” I protect the garden from codling moths and leaf-eaters.
For what reason did Sparrow fly to my forest?
“But they’re demanding payment from me,” Sparrow tweets. - And you, Woodpecker, how do you pay?
That’s how I try,” answers the Woodpecker. - I protect the forest from wood borers and bark beetles. I fight them tooth and nail! I even got fat...
Look, thought Sparrow. - I thought...
Sparrow returned to the dung heap and said to Crow:
Yours, hag, the truth! Everyone is paying off winter debts. Am I worse than others? How can I start feeding my chicks mosquitoes, horseflies and flies! So that the bloodsuckers don't sting these guys! I'll pay back my debts in no time!
He said so and let’s jump up and chirp on the dung heap again. There is still free time. Until the sparrows in the nest hatched.
Arithmetic titmice
N.I. Sladkov
In the spring, the white-cheeked tits sing loudest of all: they ring their bells. In different ways and manners. Some people just hear: “Twice two, twice two, twice two!” And others whistle smartly: “Four-four-four-four!”
From morning to evening, titmouses cram the multiplication table.
“Twice two, twice two, twice two!” - some shout.
“Four-four-four!” - others answer cheerfully.
Arithmetic titmice. 
Brave duckling
Boris Zhitkov
Every morning the housewife brought out a full plate of chopped eggs for the ducklings. She put the plate near the bush and left.
As soon as the ducklings ran up to the plate, suddenly a large dragonfly flew out of the garden and began to circle above them.
She chirped so terribly that the frightened ducklings ran away and hid in the grass. They were afraid that the dragonfly would bite them all.
And the evil dragonfly sat on the plate, tasted the food and then flew away. After this, the ducklings did not come to the plate for the whole day. They were afraid that the dragonfly would fly again. In the evening, the hostess removed the plate and said: “Our ducklings must be sick, for some reason they are not eating anything.” Little did she know that the ducklings went to bed hungry every night.
One day, their neighbor, the little duckling Alyosha, came to visit the ducklings. When the ducklings told him about the dragonfly, he began to laugh.
What brave men! - he said. - I alone will drive away this dragonfly. You'll see tomorrow.
“You are bragging,” said the ducklings, “tomorrow you will be the first to get scared and run.”
The next morning, the hostess, as always, put a plate of chopped eggs on the ground and left.
Well, look, - said the brave Alyosha, - now I will fight with your dragonfly.
As soon as he said this, a dragonfly began to buzz. It flew straight from above onto the plate.
The ducklings wanted to run away, but Alyosha was not afraid. Before the dragonfly had time to sit on the plate, Alyosha grabbed its wing with his beak. She forcibly escaped and flew away with a broken wing.
Since then, she never flew into the garden, and the ducklings ate their fill every day. They not only ate themselves, but also treated the brave Alyosha for saving them from the dragonfly.
Jackdaw
Boris Zhitkov
The brother and sister had a pet jackdaw. She ate from her hands, let herself be petted, flew out into the wild and flew back.
Once my sister began to wash herself. She took the ring off her hand, put it on the sink and lathered her face with soap. And when she rinsed the soap, she looked: where is the ring? But there is no ring.
She shouted to her brother:
Give me the ring, don't tease me! Why did you take it?
“I didn’t take anything,” the brother answered.
His sister quarreled with him and cried.
Grandma heard.
What do you have here? - speaks. - Give me glasses, now I’ll find this ring.
We rushed to look for glasses - no glasses.
“I just put them on the table,” the grandmother cries. -Where should they go? How can I thread a needle now?
And she screamed at the boy.
It's your business! Why are you teasing grandma?
The boy got offended and ran out of the house. He looks, and a jackdaw is flying above the roof, and something glitters under her beak. I took a closer look - yes, these are glasses! The boy hid behind a tree and began to watch. And the jackdaw sat on the roof, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and began pushing the glasses on the roof into the crack with her beak.
The grandmother came out onto the porch and said to the boy:
Tell me, where are my glasses?
On the roof! - said the boy.
Grandma was surprised. And the boy climbed onto the roof and pulled out his grandmother’s glasses from the crack. Then he pulled out the ring from there. And then he took out pieces of glass, and then a lot of different pieces of money.
The grandmother was delighted with the glasses, and the sister was delighted with the ring and said to her brother:
Forgive me, I was thinking about you, but this is a thief jackdaw.
And they made peace with their brother.
Grandma said:
That's all them, jackdaws and magpies. Whatever glitters, they drag everything away.
Orphan
Georgy Skrebitsky
The guys brought us a small shirt... He couldn’t fly yet, he could only jump. We fed him cottage cheese, porridge, soaked bread, and gave him small pieces of boiled meat; he ate everything and refused nothing.
Soon the little magpie grew a long tail and its wings were covered with stiff black feathers. He quickly learned to fly and moved to live from the room to the balcony.
The only problem with him was that our little magpie could not learn to eat on his own. The bird is quite an adult, so beautiful, flies well, and still asks for food like a little chick. You go out onto the balcony, sit down at the table, and the magpie is right there, spinning around in front of you, crouching, bristling its wings, opening its mouth. It’s funny and I feel sorry for her. Mom even nicknamed her Orphan. He used to put cottage cheese or soaked bread in her mouth, swallow the magpie - and then start begging again, but she herself wouldn’t take a bite from the plate. We taught and taught her, but nothing came of it, so we had to stuff food into her mouth. Orphan would sometimes eat her fill, shake herself up, look with her sly black eye at the plate to see if there was anything else tasty there, and fly up onto the crossbar right up to the ceiling or fly into the garden, into the yard... She flew everywhere and knew everyone : with the fat cat Ivanovich, with the hunting dog Jack, with ducks, chickens; Even with the old pugnacious rooster Petrovich, the magpie was on friendly terms. He bullied everyone in the yard, but didn’t touch her. It used to be that chickens would peck from the trough, and the magpie would immediately turn around. It smells delicious of warm pickled bran, the magpie wants to have breakfast in the friendly company of chickens, but nothing comes of it. Orphan pesters the chickens, crouches, squeaks, opens her beak - no one wants to feed her. She will jump up to Petrovich, squeal, and he will just look at her and mutter: “What a disgrace this is!” - and will go away. And then he suddenly flaps his strong wings, stretches his neck upward, strains, stands on tiptoe and sings: “Ku-ka-re-ku!” - so loud that you can hear it even across the river.
And the magpie jumps and jumps around the yard, flies into the stable, looks into the cow’s stall... Everyone eats themselves, and she again has to fly to the balcony and ask to be hand-fed.
One day there was no one to bother with the magpie. Everyone was busy all day. She pestered and pestered everyone - no one feeds her!
That day I was fishing in the river in the morning, returned home only in the evening and threw out the worms left over from fishing in the yard. Let the chickens peck.
Petrovich immediately noticed the prey, ran up and began calling the chickens: “Ko-ko-ko-ko! Ko-ko-ko-ko!” And as luck would have it, they scattered somewhere, not one of them was in the yard. The rooster is really exhausted! He calls and calls, then he grabs the worm in his beak, shakes it, throws it and calls again - he never wants to eat the first one. I’m even hoarse, but the chickens still won’t come.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a magpie. She flew up to Petrovich, spread her wings and opened her mouth: feed me, they say.
The rooster immediately perked up, grabbed a huge worm in his beak, picked it up, and shook it right in front of the magpie’s nose. She looked, looked, then grabbed a worm - and ate it! And the rooster is already giving her a second one. She ate both the second and the third, and Petrovich pecked the fourth himself.
I look out the window and am amazed at how the rooster feeds the magpie from his beak: he will give it to her, then he will eat it himself, then he will offer it to her again. And he keeps repeating: “Ko-ko-ko-ko!..” He bows and uses his beak to show the worms on the ground: eat, don’t be afraid, they’re so delicious.
And I don’t know how it all worked out for them, how he explained to her what was the matter, I just saw the rooster crowed, showed a worm on the ground, and the magpie jumped up, turned its head to one side, to the other, took a closer look and ate it right from the ground . Petrovich even shook his head as a sign of approval; then he grabbed a hefty worm himself, threw it up, grabbed it more comfortably with his beak and swallowed it: here, they say, as we think. But the magpie apparently understood what was going on - it jumped near him and pecked. The rooster also began to pick up worms. So they try to race each other to see who can do it faster. Instantly all the worms were eaten.
Since then, the magpie no longer had to be hand-fed. One time Petrovich taught her how to manage food. And how he explained this to her, I myself don’t know.
Forest voice
Georgy Skrebitsky
Sunny day at the very beginning of summer. I am wandering not far from home, in a birch forest. Everything around seems to be bathing, splashing in golden waves of warmth and light. Birch branches flow above me. The leaves on them seem either emerald green or completely golden. And below, under the birches, light bluish shadows also run and flow across the grass, like waves. And the light bunnies, like reflections of the sun in the water, run one after another along the grass, along the path.
The sun is both in the sky and on the ground... And this makes it feel so good, so fun that you want to run away somewhere into the distance, to where the trunks of young birch trees sparkle with their dazzling whiteness.
And suddenly from this sunny distance I heard a familiar forest voice: “Kuk-ku, kuk-ku!”
Cuckoo! I've heard it many times before, but I've never even seen it in a picture. What is she like? For some reason she seemed plump and big-headed to me, like an owl. But maybe she's not like that at all? I'll run and have a look.
Alas, it turned out to be far from easy. I go to her voice. And she will fall silent, and then again: “Kuk-ku, kuk-ku,” but in a completely different place.
How can you see her? I stopped in thought. Or maybe she's playing hide and seek with me? She's hiding, and I'm looking. Let's play it the other way around: now I'll hide, and you look.
I climbed into the hazel bush and also cuckooed once and twice. The cuckoo has fallen silent, maybe it’s looking for me? I sit in silence, even my heart is pounding with excitement. And suddenly, somewhere nearby: “Kuk-ku, kuk-ku!”
I am silent: better look, don’t shout to the whole forest.
And she’s already very close: “Kuk-ku, kuk-ku!”
I look: some kind of bird is flying across the clearing, its tail is long, it is gray, only its chest is covered in dark speckles. Probably a hawk. This one in our yard hunts sparrows. He flew up to a nearby tree, sat down on a branch, bent down and shouted: “Kuk-ku, kuk-ku!”
Cuckoo! That's it! This means that she does not look like an owl, but like a hawk.
I'll crow out of the bush in response to her! Out of fright, she almost fell out of the tree, immediately darted down from the branch, scurried off somewhere into the thicket of the forest, and that was all I saw.
But I don’t need to see her anymore. So I solved the forest riddle, and besides, for the first time I spoke to the bird in its native language.
So the clear forest voice of the cuckoo revealed to me the first secret of the forest. And since then, for half a century, I have been wandering in winter and summer along remote untrodden paths and discovering more and more secrets. And there is no end to these winding paths, and there is no end to the secrets of our native nature.
Friendship
Georgy Skrebitsky
One day my brother and I were sitting in our room in the winter and looking out the window at the yard. And in the yard, by the fence, crows and jackdaws were digging in the garbage.
Suddenly we see that some kind of bird has flown towards them, completely black, with a blue tint, and a large, white nose. What a wonder: it’s a rook! Where did he come from in winter? We see a rook walking through the garbage heap among the crows and limping a little - probably someone sick or old; He couldn’t fly south with other rooks, so he stayed with us for the winter.
Then every morning a rook got into the habit of flying to our trash heap. We will deliberately crumble him some bread, porridge, and cottage cheese from lunch. Only he didn’t get much: the crows would eat everything - they’re such impudent birds. And some quiet rook was caught. He stays on the sidelines, all alone. And that’s true: his brethren flew south, he was the only one left; Crows are bad company for him. We see that the gray robbers are offending our rook, but we don’t know how to help him. How to feed him without the crows disturbing him?
Day by day the rook became sadder. Sometimes he would fly in and sit on the fence, but he was afraid to go down to the crows’ rubbish heap: he was completely weak.
One morning we looked out the window, and a rook was lying under the fence. We ran and brought him into the house; he can barely breathe. We put him in a box next to the stove, covered him with a blanket and gave him all kinds of food.
He stayed with us for two weeks, warmed up, and ate a little. We think: what to do with him further? Don't keep him in a box all winter! We decided to release him into the wild again: maybe he will be stronger now and will survive the winter somehow.
And the rook, apparently, realized that we did good to him, which means there is nothing to be afraid of people. Since then, I spent whole days like this with the chickens in the yard.
At that time, a tame magpie, Orphan, lived with us. We took her as a chick and raised her. The orphan flew freely around the yard and garden, and returned to the balcony to spend the night. Here we see - our rook has become friends with Orphan: where she flies, he follows her. One day we see - the Orphan flew to the balcony, and the rook also showed up with her. It’s important to walk around the table like that. And the magpie, like a mistress, fusses and jumps around him.
We slowly stuck a cup of soaked bread out from under the door. The magpie goes straight to the cup, and the rook follows it. We both had breakfast and flew away. So every day the two of them began to fly to the balcony to feed.
Winter passed, the rooks returned from the south, and started making noise in the old birch grove. In the evenings, they sit in couples near the nests, sit and talk, as if they are discussing their affairs. Only our rook did not find a mate; he still flew everywhere after Orphan. And in the evening they will sit on a birch tree near the house and sit side by side, close, side by side.
You look at them and involuntarily think: this means that birds also have friendship.
It has been experimentally established that they cannot stay in the air for more than 15 minutes. If you don't allow the birds to perch, they will drop dead. This was the case in the middle of the last century in China. Considering sparrows to be pests, the authorities declared “war” on them. The birds could not avoid reprisals.
Migratory birds act differently. They are able to save themselves not only from human wrath, but also from frost. Without rest, birds fly hundreds of kilometers. The goal is the south with an abundance of food and warmth. However, migratory birds can become sedentary.
In England this spring, swallows flew a month and a half later than usual, and several other bird species completely refused to move. The reason is the increase in average annual temperature. Over the past decade, it has increased by 1 degree. Russia has not yet been affected by climate change. The list of migratory birds in our country remains the same.
Wood Accentor
It is confused with the forest pipit, warbler, and warbler. The Accentor is one of those birds that only ornithologists know, although it is common in forests. Hunters come across birds along with goldfinches and buntings.
The bird's appearance is inconspicuous. The plumage is brown-gray. The size is small. The body weight of the Accentor does not exceed 25 grams. Many people confuse a bird with a sparrow. There is a deal of truth in it. Accentor belongs to the order Passeriformes.
The Accentor feeds on insects. This prompts the bird to fly south. However, the bird stays until the coldest weather and returns early in the spring. True, this backfires on the Accentor. Having arrived, the bird immediately lays eggs. There is no vegetation yet. It is impossible to hide the masonry. The eggs are eaten by predators. Chicks hatch only from the second clutch.
The Accentor's tolerance to cold is reinforced by its ability to change its protein diet to a plant-based one. Instead of insects, the bird can eat berries and seeds. Therefore, in regions with a temperate climate, dunnocks do not fly away at all. Birds from the northern regions of the country are flocking to the south.
Few people know the Accentor, it is very similar to a sparrow, and is often confused with a more familiar bird
Reed Bunting
Outwardly, it also looks like a sparrow and also belongs to the passerine order. The bird prefers to settle in the forest-steppes of southern Russia. It looks for thickets of bushes and reeds in them. They serve as a reliable shelter for the bird.
Names of migratory birds, as can be seen, is often associated with external features or those related to nutrition and lifestyle. The last option is relevant for the Orioles. They often settle in willow thickets along the banks of water bodies.
However, linguists and historians associate the name of the bird rather with the word “moisture”. The ancient Slavs considered the oriole a harbinger of rain.
The oriole is considered a harbinger of rain
Crane
Appeared earlier than most birds. The crane family is more than 60,000,000 years old. Representatives of 15 species survived to the 21st century.
Gray herons are shy. Seeing danger, the birds take off from their place. At the same time, herons often abandon their chicks to the mercy of fate. The wren, for example, pretends to be wounded and, at its own peril and risk, carries predators along with it, protecting its offspring.
Fieldfare
This . The bird is active, seems fussy, and constantly repeats “chuck, chuck, chuck.” The characteristic sound gives away the fieldfare. Most often, a din of many voices is created. Pairs of birds nest next to each other. There are usually 30-40 families of fieldfare in a colony.
Listen to the singing of the fieldfare
Birds settle in copses and parks. Approximately half of the individuals survive the winter in Russia, wandering from place to place in search of food. The other half of the blackbirds fly to Asia Minor and northern Africa.
They have developed a unique way of protecting themselves from enemies. The birds spray them with their droppings. This is what blackbirds do, for example, with crows. The latter feast on both fieldfare and their eggs.
Redstart
This is a passerine bird with a red tail. Its brightness is reminiscent of flames. The young ones really have a dull coloration. It becomes bright by the age of one and a half years.
Of the 14 species of redstart, the nigella lives in Russia. With the exception of the tail, she has black plumage. From the south, males return to Russia first to build nests. Birds build them in thickets of bushes, hollows, and on tree branches. When the houses are ready, females and young animals arrive. As a rule, this is the beginning of May.
Redstarts feed on small insects. When the beak is free, the birds sing. It seems that the birds do this continuously. The redstarts managed to attract attention with their singing and coloring. In 2015, the species was declared bird of the year.
In the photo there is a redstart bird
Warbler
A dense bird up to 11 centimeters long. There are 3 species living in Russia. They live everywhere except the Far East and Yakutia. In other territories, warblers make nest-huts.
Warblers have a pleasant voice timbre. Males especially love to sing during the nesting period. Trills are interspersed with whistling. You can listen to them at home. are easily tamed. In captivity, birds live up to 12 years. In nature, the age of birds is 2-3 years.
Without being domesticated, the warbler flies south in mid-September. Birds return by early April.
Deryaba
Refers to blackbirds. The species is also called the great gray. Not all individuals fly south. Those who dare to stay switch in winter from protein food in the form of larvae and insects to frozen berries.
Deryaba is shy. Therefore, it is difficult to see a bird in nature, even though it is feathered and the size of a dove. The deryaba is the largest of its kind.
Mistle Thrush
Nightingale
Songs spread through the forests when they become covered with leaves. Before the greenery appears, the birds do not trill, although they arrive in Russia earlier. As a rule, birds return 6-7 days before nature blooms.
Listen to the nightingale trill
Love for the nightingale is expressed in folk tales, monuments and museums dedicated to the bird. In Kursk, for example, there is an exhibition “The Kursk Nightingale”. This museum contains crafts depicting birds and books about them. In publications you can read that nightingales build nests near water in bushes or among enemies.
Nightingales feed exclusively on pests of fields and forests. Caterpillars and beetles get into the stomachs of birds. Songbirds are not ready to switch to plant foods, so in the fall they rush to warmer climes.
In total, about 60 species of migratory birds nest in Russia. Many of them are subspecies of one bird, as is the case with the warbler. In preparation for departure, the birds eat to their fill. You need to stock up on energy, because it’s not always possible to refresh yourself on the road.
If the journey is difficult and there is little preparation for it, migratory flocks may die. Thus, thousands of swallows do not return to their homeland every year. Having perished along the way, they forever remain a symbol of courage, the desire to explore new horizons no matter what.
CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW THE NOUNS: rook, starling, swallow, swift, cuckoo, crane, geese, swans, lark, thrush, nest, birdhouse, male, female, chicks, eggs, singer, insects, larvae, plumage, flock, countries, legs , neck, wing, eyes, tail, beak, head, stork, heron.
VERBS: fly, fly away, arrive, return, build, clean, set aside, howl, hatch, hatch, feed, grow up, get stronger, squeak, sing, curl, leave, say goodbye, gather, eat, peck, destroy, twist, pinch, glue, blind.
ADJECTIVES: big, small, singing, black, warm (edges), white, striped, caring, busy, spring, strangers, fluffy, ringing, field, distant, beautiful, long-legged, waterfowl, agile, vociferous.
LET'S TELL ABOUT BIRDS.
Migratory birds are birds that fly from us in the fall to warmer regions.
These birds are insectivores (eat insects) and feed on insects.
In the fall, insects hide, the birds have nothing to eat, so they fly away.
Ducks, geese and swans fly away in a line - a string.
Swallows and starlings fly away in a flock.
Cranes fly away in a wedge - an angle.
And the cuckoos fly away one by one.
In spring, migratory birds return to us.
Birds have a head with a beak, a body with two wings, two legs with claws, a tail and plumage.
CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY EXCESS AND EXPLAIN: WHY?
Magpie, crow, tit, swallow (swallow is a migratory bird, the rest are wintering).
Lark, sparrow, rook, starling.
Crow, duck, dove, sparrow.
Rook, tit, swallow, cuckoo.
Magpie, sparrow, woodpecker, swift.
Dove, swan, heron, crane.
Beetle, butterfly, chick, mosquito
(the chick is a bird, the rest are insects).
TO NAME CHICKS CORRECTLY:
Cranes are baby cranes.
Rooks - rooks.
Geese are goslings.
Starlings are starlings.
Ducks - ... .
Cuckoos - ... .
Swifts - ... .
CORRECTLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: WHOSE? WHOSE? WHOSE? WHOSE?
Whose beak?
The crane has a crane-like appearance.
The goose has goose.
The duck has... .
The cuckoo has... .
The rook has... .
ONE IS MANY.
Cuckoo - cuckoos.
Crane - cranes.
Starling - starlings.
Nightingale - nightingales.
Lark - larks.
Swan - swans.
Rook - rooks.
Duck - ducks.
Swallow - swallows.
Rook - rooks.
Stork - storks.
Gosling - goslings.
WHO HAS A VOICE:
The cuckoo is cuckooing.
The swallow is chirping.
The starling sings.
The crane is chirping.
The duck quacks.
The goose cackles.
DESCRIBE AND COMPARE BIRDS ACCORDING TO PLAN:
Wintering or migratory bird?
Why are they called that?
Appearance (tail, head, wings, body, beak, feathers, colors...)
What does it eat?
Where it lives - a hollow, a birdhouse, a nest...
COMPILATION OF A DESCRIPTIVE STORY.
The rook is a black bird with a white beak. The rook has a head, body, wings, tail, and paws. The bird's entire body is covered with feathers. In the spring, rooks fly from warm countries, build nests and hatch chicks - rooks. Rooks feed on insects, worms and plant seeds. In the fall, when it gets cold, rooks gather in flocks and fly away to warm countries until spring. Rooks help humans; they destroy insects and caterpillars - pests of fields and vegetable gardens.
The grass is green, the sun is shining,
A swallow flies towards us with spring in the canopy.
With her the sun is more beautiful and spring is sweeter...
Shout out hello to us from the road quickly.
I'll give you grains, and you sing a song,
What she brought with her from distant countries.
(A. Pleshcheev)
SAY A WORD.
There is a palace on the pole, in the palace there is a singer, and his name is ... (starling).
CALL IT AFTERLY:
Nightingale - nightingale.
Crane - crane.
Swan - swan... .
WHO has WHO?
The cuckoo has a little cuckoo, cuckoo.
The crane has a baby crane, crane babies.
The starling has a little starling, starlings.
The swan has a baby, swans.
The rook has a rook, rooks.
The duck has a duckling, ducklings.
The stork has a baby stork, baby storks.
The goose has a gosling, goslings.
END THE SENTENCE WITH "LONG-LEGGED CRANE":
In the field I saw... (a long-legged crane). I watched for a long time... (long-legged crane). I really liked this beautiful and slender... (long-legged crane). I wanted to approach... (long-legged crane). But he got scared and flew away. He flew beautifully, spreading his wings and circling in the sky... (long-legged crane). I told my mother about... (long-legged crane). Mom said that you shouldn’t come up and scare... (the long-legged crane). I promised my mother not to approach... (the long-legged crane) anymore. Now I will only watch from afar... (long-legged crane).
CHOOSE THE PREPOSITION RIGHT BY MEANING (FROM, IN, TO, OVER, ON, ON):
The rook flew out... the nest. The rook has arrived... the nest. The rook flew up... to the nest. The rook is circling... with his nest. The rook sat down... on a branch. The rook walks... in the arable land.
WE IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO RELL.
RETELL THE STORY BY QUESTIONS:
The rooks have arrived.
The rooks arrive first. There is still snow all around, but they are already here. The rooks will rest and begin to build nests. Rooks build nests on the top of a tall tree. Rooks hatch their chicks earlier than other birds.
Which birds arrive first in spring?
What do the rooks immediately begin to do?
Where do they build their nests?
When do they hatch their chicks?
Harbingers of spring.
The cold winter has passed. Spring is coming. The sun is rising higher. It heats up more. The rooks have arrived. The children saw them and shouted: “The rooks have arrived! The Rooks Have Arrived!"
What was the winter like?
What comes after winter?
How does the sun warm in spring?
Who arrived?
Who did the children see?
What did they shout?
RELL THE STORY IN THE FIRST PERSON:
Sasha decided to make a birdhouse. He took boards, a saw, and sawed the planks. From them he put together a birdhouse. The birdhouse was hung on a tree. May the starlings have a good home.
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE:
There is a nest in the tree, and in the trees... (nests).
There are branches on the branch, and on the branches... .
There is a chick in the nest, and in the nests - ... .
There is a tree in the yard, and in the forest there is... .
GUESS THE RIDDLES:
Without hands, without an ax
A hut has been built.
(Nest.)
He appeared in a yellow fur coat,
Goodbye, two shells.
(Chick.)
There's a palace on a pole,
There's a singer in the yard,
And his name is...
(Starling.)
White-billed, black-eyed,
He walks importantly behind the plow,
Finds worms and beetles.
A faithful watchman, a friend of the fields.
The first harbinger of warm days.
(Rook.)
READ THE POEMS ABOUT BIRDS, LEARN ONE OF THEM BY MORE.
Starlings.
We even got up at night
Looking out the window into the garden:
Well when, oh when
Will our guests arrive?
And today we looked -
A starling sits on an alder tree.
They arrived, they arrived,
We've finally arrived!
This page of the site contains stories for preschoolers and primary school students about migratory birds.
Vitaly Bianchi. Night alarm
Almost every night there is alarm on the outskirts of the city.
Hearing noise in the yard, people jump out of their beds and stick their heads out the windows. What is it, what happened?
Below, in the yard, birds flapping their wings loudly, geese cackling, ducks calling. Was it possible that a ferret had attacked them, or that a fox had snuck into the yard?
But what kind of foxes and ferrets are there in a stone city, behind the cast-iron gates of houses?
The owners inspect the yard and inspect the poultry houses. Everything is fine. There is no one, no one could get through the strong locks and bolts. The birds probably just had a bad dream. Now they are calming down.
People lie down in bed and fall asleep peacefully.
And an hour later - again cackling and quacking. Confusion, anxiety. What's happened?
What's there again?
Open the window, hide and listen. Golden sparks of stars flicker in the black sky. Everything is quiet.
But it’s as if someone’s elusive shadow is sliding overhead, one by one eclipsing the golden heavenly lights. A slight intermittent whistle is heard.
The yard ducks and geese instantly wake up. Long ago, it seemed, the birds had forgotten their will, and in a vague impulse they beat their wings in the air. They rise on their paws, stretch their necks, scream, scream sadly and sadly. From the high black sky they are answered by a call from free, wild sisters. Above the stone houses, above the iron roofs, flock after flock of winged wanderers are drawn. Duck wings whistle. The guttural roll call of wild geese and geese rings out:
Go! go! go! On the road, on the road!
From cold and hunger! On the road, on the road!
The ringing cackle of migrating birds fades away in the distance, and in the depths of the stone courtyard, domestic geese and ducks, long unaccustomed to flying, are darting about.
FAREWELL SONG
The foliage on the birch trees has thinned out a lot. A long-abandoned house - a birdhouse - swings forlornly on a bare branch.
Suddenly - what is it? - two starlings flew up. The female slid into the birdhouse and was busily fidgeting around in it. The male sat down on a branch, sat, looked around... and began to sing! But he sang quietly, as if to himself.
I've finished. The female flew out of the birdhouse and quickly back to the flock. And he follows her. It's time, it's time: not today, tomorrow - on a long journey.
We said goodbye to the house where we took the boys out in the summer.
They will not forget it, and in the spring they will settle in it again.
From the diary of a youth
FIRST TELEGRAM FROM THE FOREST
All the songbirds in bright and colorful outfits have disappeared. We did not see how they set off, because they fly away at night.
Many birds prefer to travel at night: it’s safer. in the dark they are not touched by falcons, hawks and other predators that have emerged from the forests and are waiting for them on the way. And migratory birds will find their way to the south even on a dark night.
Flocks of water birds appeared on the Great Sea Route: ducks, ducks, geese, waders. Winged travelers make stops in the same places as in the spring.
The foliage in the forest is turning yellow. The hare brought six more bunnies. These are the last deciduous bunnies this year.
On the muddy shores of the bays, someone puts crosses at night. All the mud is dotted with crosses and dots. We made ourselves a hut on the shore of the bay and want to see who is playing pranks.
SECOND TELEGRAM FROM THE FOREST
We spied who was putting crosses and dots in the mud along the shore of the bay.
It turns out that these are waders.
They have taverns in muddy little creeks. They stop here to rest and have a snack. They walk with their long legs through the soft mud and leave on it the imprints of their three widely spaced fingers. And the dots remain where they stick their long noses into the mud to pull out some small living creature for breakfast.
We caught a stork that lived on our roof all summer and put a light metal (aluminum) ring on its leg. The inscription is embossed on the ring: Moscow, Ognitolog, Komitet A, No. 195 (Moscow, Ornithological * Committee, series A, No. 195). Then we released the stork. Let him fly with a ring. If anyone catches him where he will spend the winter, we will find out from the newspapers where our storks have their winter quarters.
The foliage in the forest became completely colored and began to fall.
* Ornithology - the science of birds.
THIRD TELEGRAM FROM THE FOREST
(From our special correspondents)
The cold mornings hit.
On some bushes the foliage was cut off like a knife. Leaves are raining down from the trees.
Butterflies, flies, beetles are hiding in all directions.
Migratory songbirds hastily make their way through groves and copses: they are already getting hungry.
Only blackbirds do not complain about lack of food. They attacked the clusters of ripe mountain ash in flocks.
A cold wind whistles in the bare forest. The trees fall into deep sleep. You can no longer hear songs in the forest.
DEPARTURE OF BIRDS TO WINTERING GROUND
AUTUMN FROM THE SKY
I wish I could look at our endless country from the sky. In autumn. To rise on a stratospheric balloon higher than a standing forest, higher than a walking cloud - it would be thirty kilometers above the ground. You still won’t see the end of our land, but see - what you can see all around - it’s huge. Unless, of course, the sky is clear and a solid cloud - a shell - does not cover the earth from view.
And it will seem from such a height that our entire earth is in motion: something is moving over forests, steppes, mountains, seas...
These are birds. Countless flocks of birds.
Our migrants leave their homeland and fly to wintering grounds.
Some, of course, remain: sparrows, pigeons, jackdaws, bullfinches, siskins, tits, woodpeckers and other small things. All wild chickens, except quails. Large goshawk, large owls. But even these predators have little work to do in winter: most birds, after all, fly away from us for the winter. The departure begins at the end of summer: the first to fly away are those that arrived last in the spring. And it lasts all autumn, until the waters are covered with ice. The last to fly away from us are those that were the first to appear in the spring: rooks, larks, starlings, seagull ducks...
WHO WHERE
Do you think the flight from the stratospheric balloon to wintering grounds is a continuous stream of flocks of birds from north to south? Not anymore!
Different types of birds fly away at different times, most fly at night: it’s safer. And not everyone flies from north to south for the winter. There are birds that fly from east to west in autumn. Others are the opposite - from west to east. And we also have those who fly straight to the north for the winter!
Our special correspondents telegraph to us by wireless telegraph, transmit by wireless mail - by radio - where who is flying and how the winged wanderers feel on the way.
FROM WEST TO EAST
"Whose! Whose! Whoa!" - this is how the red lentil canaries talked in a flock. They began their journey from the shore of the Baltic Sea, from the Leningrad and Novgorod regions back in August. They fly slowly: there is enough food everywhere, - what's the hurry? They're not flying to their homeland - feather nests, hatch babies.
We saw them flying across the Volga, through the low Ural ridge, and now we see them in Baraba - the Western Siberian steppe. Day after day they move increasingly to the east, increasingly to the east - in the direction where the sun rises. They fly from grove to grove: the entire Barabinsk steppe is surrounded by birch groves.
They try to fly at night, and during the day they rest and feed. Even though they fly in flocks and every bird in the flock is careful not to get into trouble, it still happens: they don’t look out for themselves, and one or two of them are grabbed by a hawk. There are a lot of them here in Siberia: sparrowhawk, hawksbills, white-throated hobby, merlin... Swift-winged ones are a passion! While you are flying from peg to peg, how many will be snatched away! It’s still better at night: there are fewer owls.
Here, in Siberia, there is a bundle for the lentils: through the Altai Mountains, through the desert of Mongolia - how many more of them die, little ones, on the difficult journey! - to hot India. They spend the winter there.
BRIEF HISTORY OF RING No. F-197357
A light metal ring No. F-197357 was placed on the leg of a chick of an Arctic tern - a thin gull - by one of our young Russian scientists. It happened in the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve on the White Sea - beyond the Arctic Circle - on July 5, 1955.
At the end of July of the same year, as soon as the chicks took wing, the Arctic terns gathered in a flock and set off on their winter journey. We headed first north - to the throat of the White Sea, then west - along the northern coast of the Kola Peninsula, then south - along the coasts of Norway, England, Portugal, and all of Africa. We rounded the Cape of Good Hope and moved east: from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.
On May 16, 1956, a young Arctic tern with ring No. 197357 was caught by an Australian scientist on the western coast of Australia near the city of Fremantle - 24 thousand kilometers in a direct direction from the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve.
A stuffed animal of her with a ring on her leg is kept in the Australian Zoological Museum in Perth.
FROM EAST TO WEST
Clouds of ducks and whole clouds of gulls hatch every summer on Lake Onega. Autumn comes, these clouds move to the west - at sunset. A flock of pintail ducks and a flock of common gulls set off for the winter. We'll fly after them by plane.
Do you hear a sharp whistle? Behind him is the splash of water, the sound of wings, the desperate quack of ducks, the cries of seagulls!..
These pintails and seagulls were settling down to rest on a forest lake, and the migrating peregrine falcon overtook them here. Like a long shepherd's whip, with a whistle it pierced the air, swept over the very back of the duck that had risen into the air - it cut it with the claw of its hind finger, sharp as a crooked knife. Having hung its long neck like a whip, the wounded bird did not have time to fall into the lake when the swift falcon turned sharply, grabbed it just above the water, killed it with one blow of its steel beak to the back of the head, and took it away for lunch.
This peregrine falcon is the misfortune of the duck flock. Together with her, he set off on a flight from Lake Onega, together with her he passed Leningrad, the Gulf of Finland, Latvia... When he is full, he indifferently watches, sitting somewhere on a rock or tree, how seagulls fly over the water, how they somersault on the water upside down duck. How they rise from the water and, gathered in a group or stretched out by the reins, continue their journey to the west - to where the sun descends like a yellow ball into the gray waters of the Baltic Sea. But as soon as the peregrine falcon gets hungry, he quickly catches up with his flock and snatches a duck from it.
So he will fly after them along the shores of the Baltic, North, and German seas, fly over the British Isles after them - and only near their coast, perhaps, will this winged wolf finally get rid of them. Here our ducks and seagulls will remain for the winter, and if he wants, he will fly for other flocks of ducks to the south - to France, Italy, across the Mediterranean Sea to sultry Africa.
TO THE NORTH, TO THE NORTH - TO THE LANDS OF MIDNIGHT!
Eider ducks - the same ones that give us such amazingly warm and light fluff for our fur coats - calmly raised their chicks on the White Sea - in the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve. For many years, eiders have been protected here, and students and scientists ring them: they put light metal rings with numbers on their legs in order to know where the eiders fly from the reserve, where they winter, how many eiders return back to the reserve, to their nesting places and various other details of the life of these wonderful birds.
And then we learned that eiders were flying from the reserve almost directly north - to the land of midnight, to the Arctic Ocean, where harp seals live and beluga whales sigh loudly and protractedly.
The White Sea will soon be covered with thick ice, and the eiders will have nothing to feed on in winter. And there, in the north, the water is open all year round, where seals and huge beluga whales fish.
Eiders pluck mollusks - underwater shells - from rocks and algae. For them, the northern birds, the main thing is to have enough food. And even if there is terrible frost, and water all around, and pitch darkness, they are not afraid: their fur coats are made of eider down, impenetrable to the cold, the warmest down in the world! Yes, every now and then there are flashes - wonderful northern lights in the sky, and a huge moon, and clear stars. What is it that the sun doesn’t peek out of the ocean there for several months? Polar ducks still have a good, satisfying and free time there during the long polar winter night.
MYSTERIES OF FLIGHTS
Why do some birds fly straight to the south, others to the north, others to the west, and others to the east?
Why do many birds fly away from us only when the water freezes or snow falls, and they have nothing else to feed on, while others, for example, swifts, fly away from us on time - exactly according to the calendar, even though there is as much food for them as you want? ?
And most importantly, how do they know where to fly in the fall, where their wintering grounds are and how to get there?
In fact: the bird hatched from the egg here - say, somewhere near Moscow or Leningrad. And he flies to South Africa or India for the winter. And we have such a fast-winged falcon - so it flies from Siberia to the ends of the world - all the way to Australia. He will stay there a little, and then fly back to us in Siberia, in time for our spring.