Our planet is inhabited by so many birds, the names of which we sometimes have not even heard. They are found everywhere: in forests, mountains, steppes, on sea coasts and even in the cold tundra. The diversity of this group of fauna is so great that, for example, on the territory of the Russian Federation alone you can meet representatives of more than 400 species, including not only sedentary, but also migratory birds, photos with names of which can be easily found in atlases.

Order Passeriformes

Interestingly, more than 50% of all bird species belong to the passerine order, with the smallest being the kinglet (6 g), and the largest being the raven (1.5 kg). There are four subspecies of these birds: songbirds, semi-songbirds, screamers (tyrants) and broad-billed birds (broad-billed birds). The habits and colors of birds, including forest birds, are very diverse, and the males sing and look the most impressive. They are the first to arrive at the site chosen for nesting, and with their singing they mark the territory and attract females. Some species, such as starlings and jays, are able to copy the voices of different birds and some words of our speech. Distributed everywhere.

Some passerines live in whole flocks during the nesting period, but most form pairs. The male chooses the place, and different subspecies prefer for this purpose hollows, tree branches, stones, holes in the ground, rocks, etc. Reproduction occurs in spring or summer, although, for example, the crossbill is not afraid of the cold, and if there is enough food (spruce and pine cones ), then he nests even in January.

All passerines hatch chicks that are born barely covered with light down, deaf and blind, but grow very quickly. Both the female and the male feed the cubs. On the 10-15th day, accompanied by their parents, the babies fly out of the nest; in species nesting in hollows, this happens a little later - on day 20-25.

The names of birds that belong to passerines are always heard: sparrow, tit, oriole, swallow, starling, wagtail, bunting, etc. Among the larger ones, we can distinguish the crow, jay, cardinal,

gardens, meadows and fields

All birds of open spaces are adapted to their habitat in their own way. Some of them move excellently on the ground, not only in search of food, but also to escape from enemies, practically without using their wings. They have lost the ability to fly, but they have strong legs with short toes, which facilitates fast running and digging. This group of birds includes galliformes (grouse, pheasant, partridge, guinea fowl, crax), ostriches, etc.

Daytime and nocturnal “flying” predators are characterized by powerful wings and sharp claws, which helps them hunt well. This group includes falcons, black kites, hawks, owls, meadow and field harriers, etc.

Steppe birds

The Russian steppes stretch all the way from the shores of the Azov and Black Seas to the Urals itself, and it is quite natural that a great variety of birds live in such open spaces. Steppe and desert birds, the species and names of which we will give below, are forced to be careful. Open space is not very rich in shelters, so sometimes only a quick reaction and flight can save the bird from the enemy.

Since steppe and desert species move a lot among the grass in search of food, their legs are sufficiently developed for this. In addition to partridges, steppe birds include: demoiselle crane, common bustard, little bustard, lapwing, bustard, etc. They skillfully hide in the grass thanks to the “camouflage” coloring of their feathers and easily find food on fertile steppe soils. Plants and insects are the main food, but birds of prey, photos with names of which can be found in any manual, hunt snakes, frogs and rodents, of which there are a great many here, and also do not neglect carrion. Some species of birds make their nests directly in the ground, and large predators make their nests on trees that are rare in these places.

Desert birds

There are few birds in the desert because they cannot tolerate thirst. In Russia, the south of the Astrakhan region and the east of Kalmykia belong to desert zones that abound with vegetation and moisture only in the spring. Birds such as desert chickens, bustards, warblers, and steppe eagle feel comfortable in fairly difficult conditions. Pelicans, mute swans, ducks, and egrets can nest in border areas near water bodies.

It is impossible not to mention the world's largest flightless bird - the African ostrich, whose weight can reach more than 150 kg. Evolution took care of him, giving him a long neck for a good view of the area and powerful legs for fast running and hitting the enemy during a fight. Ostriches live in numerous families; They feed on vegetation, insects, lizards, rodents, but can pick up the remains of predators' meals. The funny story about ostriches hiding their heads in the sand is just a joke, but females hatching their chicks literally flatten themselves on the ground when they see danger, trying to become invisible. Due to the heat in summer, desert birds are active at night, and in winter - during the day, when it is warm.

Forest birds

Forest birds make nests in trees and bushes, as well as in hollows. Woody vegetation serves for them not only as a refuge, but also as a place for obtaining food. Therefore, the paws of most species are designed in such a way that they easily grasp branches. Common features are long tails and wide, shortened wings, allowing them to quickly take off, brake, and perform tricky maneuvers between dense branches. Forest birds include most passerines, woodpeckers, owls and Galliformes.

Birds that climb vertically on trunks have claws that are curved and sharp. Some names of forest birds of this group characterize this method of movement (nuthatches). For support and balance, pikas and woodpeckers use their tails, and tits, finches and some other pichugas are able to hang from the branches from below when obtaining food. Forest predators hunt in flight, or by rapidly falling down onto their prey.

Birds of prey of the forest

Characteristic features of day and night predators of the forest are a sharp hooked beak and long claws on strong legs. In addition, they have excellent vision and hearing.

Some names of Russian birds related to forest predators: eagle owl, white owl, owl, honey buzzard, buzzard, goshawk, etc.

Origin of bird names

The names of the birds were not chosen at random: almost all of them suggest the presence of some features noticed by people. For example, names were given to the cuckoo (ku-ku), siskin (chi-chi), tit (sin-sin), rook (gra-gra), as well as hoopoe, seagull, lapwing and many other birds for their voice and style of singing.

The birds of the Urals also received names for their characteristic plumage: greenfinch, hazel grouse, redstart (jay), and such birds as the flycatcher, honey buzzard and nutcracker indicate their preferences in food. The wagtail and the wagtail are easy to distinguish by their behavior, but the nesting location of some birds is literally included in their name: the shore swallow digs holes on high banks, and the warbler hides in dense lake vegetation.

The names of birds are easy for children to remember if they resemble the sounds they make, for example, when walking, like a heron. She slowly walks through the swamp mud, as if “grabbing”, raising her long legs high, and the village dialect has modified the name of the bird from “chapel” to heron. Or if they are associated, for example, with snow, where the name of the bird bullfinch comes from.

But hunters know why the capercaillie got its name: when it displays, it is so carried away that it literally stalls and does not hear the dangerous noise at all. But when it falls silent, everything turns into attention.

Based on their habitat, names were given to birds such as the chaffinch and the robin. Small finches fly in and fly away during the chilliest, coldest months, which is why they were called that, although they themselves are quite frost-resistant. And the robin, which often settles in gardens closer to people, greets the morning and evening dawn with its ringing singing.

Bullfinch

The Russian origin of the name of the bird bullfinch is also peculiar, because it flies to our region for the winter, along with the snow, and with the onset of spring flies away to dark coniferous forests. The bullfinch is always associated with the New Year, so the image of the little red-bellied bullfinch is decorated with household items, New Year's cards and souvenirs.

The birds are part of the finch family and live in flocks, constantly calling to each other by whistling. In winter it is found even in city parks. Breeds with the onset of warm weather in the alpine and taiga forests of Eurasia, the Caucasus, and the Carpathians. It feeds on berries, seeds, and tree buds.

Waterfowl

Waterfowl, photos and names of which are given below, are those birds that are able to float on the water. These do not include species that only find food in water bodies. Due to their special lifestyle, they are characterized by common features: membranes between the fingers, dense plumage and a secretory coccygeal gland that lubricates the feathers.

The name of waterfowl, or rather orders, is derived from the most prominent representative: Anseriformes, pelicans, loons, gulls, penguinids, etc. The food is fish, shellfish, frogs, algae, which they get by diving into the water, like cormorants and ducks, or lowering only their heads, like swans and ducks. Seagulls can catch fish directly in flight, plunging only their beaks into the water.

Waterfowl of Russia

Waterfowl are widespread throughout the Russian Federation, photos and names of most of which are familiar to everyone. Although the majority are migratory: ducks, geese, swans, etc. At the end of summer, active migration of waterfowl to wintering areas begins. By the way, some representatives of this group spend most of the year far out to sea, returning to the shore only for nesting and hatching chicks (some ducks). The habitat can rightfully be considered Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Crimea and other places with an abundance of water bodies.

Russian waterfowl, whose names are long-tailed duck and eider, live in Yakutia and on the shores of Lake Chukotka. The following breed along the Volga: moorhen, red-crested pochard, great grebes, greylag goose, mute swan, and coot.

Red birds

Among all the diversity of birds, red birds stand out especially, whose name is very exotic, as is their bright plumage. If our lentils, crossbills and bullfinches are partially painted in this color, then flamingos, tanagers, Virginia cardinals, fiery velvet weavers, and ibis are almost entirely red. Most of these birds live in tropical forests, in the south of America, Hawaii and other islands, Australia and Africa. They belong to passerines, weaverbirds, flamingos, storks and other species.

Different species of birds primarily differ in body size, beak shape, plumage color and habitat. It is difficult to describe all the features briefly, so we will only touch on a few. Interestingly, the beak of each bird is designed in such a way that it can easily obtain food for itself. As a result of morphological adaptation, birds were divided according to the shape of their beaks into 14 groups, including: omnivores, fishermen, insectivores, skimmers, mowers, feeding on coniferous seeds, nectar or fruits, scavengers, predators and others.

As a result of observations, it was noticed that some species of birds have remarkable intelligence and ingenuity. Thus, seagulls and crows, having found a shellfish or nut, lift it into the air and then throw it on the ground to break it, repeating this manipulation several times. And green night herons throw bait in the form of a twig or leaf onto the water to attract fish. Parrots, jays and rooks can be taught human speech, and the woodpecker finch uses a thin stick to pick a crack in the bark of a tree and extract insects from it.

The role of birds in nature and for humans

The importance of birds in nature cannot be downplayed: interacting with each other and animals, they build complex relationships that contribute to natural selection. Birds help disperse seeds, and some species cross-pollinate flowering plants.

Birds of prey maintain the balance of rodent growth. And thanks to the insectivorous birds, which eat caterpillars and larvae, many crops, including agricultural ones, are preserved, which is very useful for humans. That is why all possible measures are being taken to preserve various species of birds, and nature reserves are being created.

Our planet is inhabited by millions of different birds. All of them are beautiful, unique and useful in their own way and live throughout the territory of our earth. Of course, it will not be possible to fit information about each winged species into one article. But we will try to find out about all the most common and interesting representatives of this group.

Most beautiful

Each bird is beautiful in its own way, but there are also those who, undoubtedly, are standards of grace , beauty and brightness.

The most dangerous

Strong wings, agility, powerful paws, long claws, impeccable hearing and vision - nature has blessed birds of prey with all this. List of bird names, which are the most dangerous and fight for their existence in all possible ways, and also hunt no worse than large predatory animals, looks like this:

Everybody knows, that such birds exist that cannot fly into the air. Fortunately, this does not in the least prevent them from leading a comfortable lifestyle and us admiring these creatures. There are several reasons why some birds cannot fly like all other birds. The first reason lies in the bones being too small and the lack of a keel, and the second is that the mass of some birds is too large for flight.

Everyone knows the bird ostrich cannot fly, but is an excellent runner due to its well-developed muscles and long legs. It should be noted that this is the largest flightless bird on earth. The structure of ostrich wings is quite primitive and also has a loose structure. At least the wingspan and can reach several meters, this is not enough to lift into the air a body whose mass varies from seventy to one hundred and fifty kilograms.

Emu outwardly similar to the ostriches described above, however, many are smaller. Their weight can reach only fifty-five kilograms, and the height of the bird is about two meters. Emus are quite good runners, capable of reaching speeds of up to fifty kilometers per hour. Why can't they fly? The fact is that the wings of this bird are very small and poorly developed. An interesting feature is the presence of small claws at the end of each wing. Despite the inability to hide from predators in the air, emus are excellent at protecting themselves from many dangers with the help of strong legs and sharp claws.

Cassowaries are also quite large and their weight can reach sixty kilograms. Their distinctive feature is their brightly colored head and neck, which give the bird a rather unusual and at the same time attractive appearance. The territories where they live are in New Guinea and on some Australian islands. They take second place in size, giving first place to ostriches.

Total cassowaries are non-aggressive and try to stay away from people and populated areas, however, if you approach them at too close a distance, the birds will begin to actively defend themselves, and their offender will be in trouble, because without making much effort, the cassowary can kill the attacker using its claw - dagger on the leg. Fortunately, collisions between humans and this large bird do not happen very often.

External component rhea birds makes them look like ostriches, however, there are also significant differences in their appearance. The head is more round in shape, and the feathers are much more beautiful than ostriches and in some individuals are painted white. Rheas can boast not only of their powerful legs, thanks to which they reach speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour, but also of their ability to swim across fairly large bodies of water.

Kiwi truly a unique bird. She is very small, with a long beak, ruffled plumage and a funny manner of movement. This species cannot boast of acute eyesight, however, their hearing and sense of smell are excellent.

The smallest

The diversity of bird species is truly amazing. They can be as huge as ostriches, weighing one hundred and fifty kilograms, or very tiny, weighing several grams.

There are a huge number of birds in Russia; birds can be found in all natural areas of the country. These are aquatic and forest, field and urban, birds of the tundra and arctic. Quite a lot of birds are rare and endangered species, so they are listed in the Red Book. Unfortunately, there are bird catchers who sell birds at pet markets. Those people who care about the conservation of nature should not buy birds, because otherwise they will finance this criminal and destructive activity for the fauna.

City residents

Birds find a home in various places: both in dense forests and in noisy cities. Some species have adapted to live near human settlements, and over time they have become full-fledged inhabitants of cities. They had to change their rhythms of life and diet, find new places for nesting and new materials for their arrangement. Urban birds make up about 24% of the entire avifauna of Russia.

The following species can be found in cities:

Birds living in cities make nests in buildings and structures, in the crowns of trees growing in the courtyards of residential complexes, in public gardens and parks. In addition to the above species, in various places you can also find tits, jays and magpies, black-headed grosbeaks and jackdaws.

water birds

On the banks of rivers and seas, lakes and swamps you can find numerous flocks of waterfowl. The largest representatives are mandarin ducks and wreaths, waders and gulls, loons and coots, kingfishers and scoters, storm petrels and puffins, guillemots and cormorants, guillemots and puffin rhinoceroses. These species feed on sea and river small animals and fish.

Mandarin duck

Kingfisher

Guillemot

Common guillemot

Hatchet

On the rocky shores of some islands and on the shores of the seas, huge bird colonies are often found. They are inhabited by a variety of species that get along well with each other. These are mainly gulls, cormorants and guillemots. The territory of the bird colonies is quite safe and protected from predators, and in case of danger, the birds sound alarms. During mass gatherings, birds build nests, lay and hatch eggs, and then raise their offspring.

Forest birds

Birds are inextricably linked with plants such as trees, since they find protection and home in the branches, which is why they live in forests. The species diversity of avifauna depends on the forest, be it coniferous, mixed or broad-leaved. The following species of birds live in the forests:

Blue Magpie

Night heron

Blue tit

flycatcher

Grouse

Wide-short

black woodpecker

Warbler

Owl

Kedrovka

Capercaillie

Korolek

This is not a complete list of all forest inhabitants.

Birds of the wild

Among the field and meadow birds are the following representatives:

Lapwing

Lark

Golden-feathered pheasant

Curlew

Dumb Quail

Snipe

Bustard

Short-eared owl

These birds not only fly, but jump and run quickly, jump and fuss, chase and hunt for someone. They make special sounds, protect and assert their territory, and some of them sing beautifully.

Birds of the tundra

Birds of the tundra and Arctic have adapted to cold climate conditions. In addition, there is no diversity of vegetation here, only small shrubs, some types of grasses, lichens and mosses. In the tundra there are:

Gull

Brown-winged Plover

Birds of the Arctic

In the Arctic zone there are:

Loon

Bering cormorant

Great auklet

Ipatka

Burgomaster

Goose

Petrel

Bunochka

Thus, Russia is home to a huge number of birds. Certain climatic zones are characterized by specific species that have adapted to life in a particular nature. They get their food and build nests in the conditions to which they are already accustomed. In general, it is worth noting that Russia has a very rich bird world.

In this article I will review all the birds of Russia. You will learn what types of birds live in our country, what they are called, how they are classified and why they are unique. I will give photographs of the most interesting species.

Types of birds in Russia and what they are called

Russia is located on a territory that is divided into 5 zones. This is a large number of geographical zones in which a certain habitat is created. Therefore, the biodiversity of birds in Russia is large - 790 species. For taxonomy, they are classified into the class Aves of the phylum Chordata. The class is divided into orders, and they, in turn, into families.

Birds of Russia are divided into 21 orders and 76 families. They also include individuals that became extinct relatively recently. There are 7 types of them in Russia. The most famous of them is the red-footed ibis, the last individual was found in 1990 in the Amur region.

Related species that are similar in some characteristics form families, and those, in turn, form orders. Some orders include only a few species, others - hundreds.

In total, 657 species of birds nest in our country.

Migratory - they fly south in the fall, their main diet being insects. They are called sedentary - those who never leave their area. They mainly feed on grain feed.

Vagrants - (about 110 species) are observed in Russia during migrations. They fly in less often by accident or in search of food in cases of climate change and food conditions in the area. These are often called nomadic.

About 130 species of Russian birds are included in the Red Book as vulnerable and close to extinction. The Russian Bird Conservation Union is engaged in preserving species diversity.

The main reason for the disappearance of birds is human activity. Deforestation, urbanization, water and air pollution, fishing and the use of pesticides in agriculture.

Every person can contribute to the protection of birds. You can reduce the use of chemicals in gardens, feed wintering birds, and care for chicks that have fallen from the nest.

Stork-like or ankle-footed

This order includes herons (herons, bitterns), ibises and storks.

Russia is home to 26 species of storks, some of which come during the migration season. These are birds that have adapted to life in wetlands and shallow waters.

Many species have high legs, a long neck and a strong beak, making it easier for them to move across muddy ground and grab mobile aquatic animals. They live along the banks of lakes, rivers, seas and in swamps. They rarely settle in fields.

Among the storks of Russia there are many rare species.

The black stork is a representative with a unique color, included in the Red Book.

The stork has a white belly, blue-black feathers, and a reddish beak and legs. Range - extends along 60-61 parallels from the Baltic Sea to Sakhalin Island. The black stork is secretive - it does not contact people, and therefore has been little studied.

Ibises are mainly found in the south of Russia, some species are just migratory. For example, the sacred ibis.

The range of herons in Russia is very wide, depending on the species.

For example, the yellow heron lives in the Stavropol region and on the Volga delta. She is more active at dusk and mostly leads a solitary lifestyle.

Petrel-like

The order includes long-winged and short-tailed seabirds.

A characteristic feature is the special structure of the beak.

The nostrils are extended forward in the form of horny tubes, which are located along the surface of the beak. Hence the second name of the order - tubenoses.

They spend most of their time above the sea, returning to land only for nesting. Long and narrow wings allow birds to fly or soar over water without landing. They feed on plankton, fish, carrion, attack living small birds and destroy nests.

Albatross and petrel

The most famous representatives are albatrosses and petrels.

The white-backed albatross is a giant of the air

storm petrels

Less known are storm petrels - small (20-50 g) seabirds.

The name comes from the colloquial word - to die; in the old days birds were considered the souls of dead sailors.

They live on the Pacific coast. They feed on plankton, fry or fishing waste. Therefore, at night you can see an interesting sight - flocks of storm petrels flocking to the light of ships.

Copepods

Common features from this order are the structure of the legs, where all the fingers are connected by a swimming membrane. Also partially or completely closed nostrils, wide wings, waterproof plumage.

All species feed on fish that are caught underwater.

They form large colonies, mainly on sparsely inhabited islands.

Bering cormorant

The Bering cormorant lives on Wrangel Island, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. In search of food, it flies far into the sea and forms the most numerous bird colonies.

The pink pelican lives on the islands of the Azov Sea and the Volga delta.

It has a Russian name - baba-bird. Pink pelicans are distinguished by organized fishing - this is a rarity.

They gather in groups and drive the fish towards the shore, flapping their wings heavily on the water. Interestingly, this happens at the same time from 8 to 9 o'clock.

Sometimes tropical birds - gannets - fly to Russia.

Passeriformes

Some species live in close proximity to people. For example, swallows, starlings, sparrows, tits, magpies and crows. These are small and medium-sized birds that differ in appearance and lifestyle.

Passeriformes are important helpers for humans in the fight against insect pests in agriculture and forestry. However, granivores - sparrows and weavers - can cause significant damage to the crop.

Endemics:

• Naumann's thrush;
• Siberian lentils;
• yellow-browed bunting;
• Siberian Pipit.

Some passerine species lead a sedentary lifestyle. Living in regions with sudden climate change, they fly away for the winter.

The red-headed wren is the smallest bird in Europe with an average weight of only 5.1 g. It lives in the Pskov region and Crimea.

The robin or robin lives throughout the central part of Russia up to the Ob River. The robin is known as the teacher of cuckoo chicks and for its incessant singing.

The order is very extensive; there is no common unifying feature.

This includes thrushes, crossbills, pikas, buntings, orioles, flycatchers, warblers, nightingales and other species.

Loons

This order includes 5 species of loons. In Russia they nest in the Arctic zone from the Kola Peninsula to the lower reaches of the Amur. They are found in Altai, Sayan Mountains and Tuva. Loons are waterfowl about the size of a domestic goose. They spend most of their time on the water; they move on land with difficulty, as if they are sliding on their belly.

They are capable of diving to a depth of 21 m and feed exclusively on small fish.

They mainly live in the sea, visiting freshwater bodies only during migration or breeding.

They winter on the Black Sea. They return back by a different route - first they fly to the Baltic Sea, then to the northern coasts to the nesting site.

Loon meat is eaten by the indigenous people of the Far North. Previously, women's hats and collars were made from the skins, but the fashion for such products has passed - the fishery is no longer carried out.

Pigeonidae

This order unites 12 species of pigeons and doves.

Common characteristics are a short neck, small head, rounded body, short legs, long and pointed wings. They mainly feed on seeds, berries, grains, and fruits.

The most famous representative is the rock pigeon, habituated by man in ancient times. Subsequently, breeds of domestic pigeons were developed from this species through selection. The rock pigeon is found in almost all cities; wild relatives live on coastal rocks and cliffs near agricultural farms.

A unique feature of pigeons is their unmistakable determination of the way back home.

Therefore they were used in the postal service.

A very rare species of pigeon, listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, lives in the Far East. This is a Japanese green pigeon with an unusual color: a bright green body and gray wings. The bird is secretive and cautious, very little has been studied.

Anseriformes

This order includes all species of ducks, geese and swans.

They are of different sizes, for example, the mute swan weighs about 13 kg, and the whistling teal only 300 g. All species live near bodies of water: swamps, lakes, river mouths. Some lead a marine lifestyle, visiting land only for nesting.

A distinctive feature of Anseriformes is the membranes between the toes, which facilitate movement on the water.

They swim and dive well and can spend up to 3 minutes underwater.

Most species fly well. Every year they cover several thousand kilometers during their flight to their wintering grounds. They feed on fish, algae and plants. To ease digestion, small pebbles are regularly swallowed. These are mostly monogamous representatives - in some species, pairs form for life. For example, mute swans.

Which live only in Russia:

• teal;
• red-breasted goose;
• tundra swan.

All endemics are included in the Red Book of Russia

A rare duck, the mandarin duck, lives in the Far East. It is distinguished by the unique color of the male: a bright red beak, plumage with orange, greenish, and red flowers.

Birds mostly stay on the surface of the water and practically do not dive

They eat plant foods and nest in tree hollows. Unlike other species, ducks love to rest on rock ledges and tree branches.

Woodpeckers

A characteristic feature of all species is a developed, chisel-shaped, fully horned beak. They use it to chisel wood, removing larvae and insects.

This order includes 11 species of woodpeckers.

Woodpeckers have a stocky body, short legs, blunt and wide wings. Various colors: variegated, black, green, orange. Many species have a bright red oval spot on the top of their head.

Woodpeckers live in mixed or deciduous forests with many old trees. Many species are not afraid of humans and can settle in city parks or gardens. All woodpeckers in Russia lead a sedentary lifestyle, except for the woodpecker, which winters in Africa, India or Southeast Asia. During the mating season, woodpeckers form pairs, hollowing out hollows for a nest.

Crane-like

This order includes birds that differ in appearance, internal structure and lifestyle. These are cranes, bustards and rails. They mainly live in swamps and rarely nest in trees. The difference in size is impressive: from 15 cm to 2 m.

There are 23 species of crane-like creatures living in Russia, 13 of which are listed in the Red Book.

The endemic species of our country are the black crane and the eagle crane.

7 species of cranes nest in Russia. The most common and famous of them is the gray crane. It is 115 cm high and weighs up to 6 kg. Range - all of central Russia to Transbaikalia. Mostly lives in isolation, but can settle near farmland and pastures.

They create a pair for life; before nesting, they cover their feathers with silt and dirt to hide from predators while hatching eggs. They winter in Africa, India or China.

The rail family includes:

• 8 types of crakes,
• landrail,
• moorhen,
• sultana,
• coot.

They live near bodies of water, with the exception of the corncrake. It nests in a forest or forest-steppe zone. This is a commercial fish - a desirable catch for hunters. The corncrake is distinguished by long-distance flights - for wintering it flies to the southern regions of Africa.

Another interesting representative of this order is the bustard. It inhabits semi-arid steppes or forest-steppes, feeding on insects, seeds of plants and grain crops. It tolerates low temperatures calmly, but with prolonged snow cover it can die. In Tsarist Russia, the bustard was considered a princely game.

Nightjars

There are 2 species of nightjars in Russia; their range is Primorye, Southern Siberia, and Transbaikalia. For wintering they fly to South Africa. These are nocturnal birds that inhabit light pine forests, clearings and wastelands.

Characteristic features are a relatively large head and eyes, a short beak, a wide mouth, long tail and wings. The legs are short and poorly adapted to moving on the ground. They feed on nocturnal insects and nest directly on the ground.

The bird got its name - nightjars - undeservedly; previously people were mistaken and believed that they captured the udders of goats with their beaks and drank milk.

This is wrong.

Cuckoo-like

There are 5 species of cuckoos in Russia.

Birds have different sizes and are united by characteristics: a thin body, a long tail and strong legs. These are typical migratory birds that winter in Africa or the tropics of Asia.

Cuckoo chicks are characterized by early hatching and rapid development. Therefore, they often throw the weaker chicks of their adoptive parents out of the nest.

The common cuckoo is the most common species in our country. It is of medium size, weighing up to 190 g. The cuckoo leads a secretive and silent lifestyle. Only in spring and the first half of summer can you hear the mating song of males. The most famous and measured sound: ku-ku, ku-ku. In clear weather, the voice of the cuckoo can be heard at a distance of 2 km.

Galliformes

This order includes birds leading a terrestrial lifestyle. Many species of chickens do not fly at all. The appearance and anatomical features of birds are adapted for life on land and protection from predators.

General characteristics: dense build, small head on a short neck, strong legs, wide and short wings, small and convex beak. All this allows birds to get food from the surface of the ground, run quickly and dig the soil.

The squad includes:

• partridges;
• black grouse;
• capercaillie;
• pheasants;
• quail;
• Siberian grouse;
• snowcocks;
• grouse.

One of the rarest birds is the grouse. This species is on the verge of extinction.

The reason is that grouse are absolutely not afraid of humans. This led to their mass destruction. Taiga hunters have a tradition of not killing grouse, leaving it to weakened travelers. She eats pine needles, so the meat is slightly bitter.

The capercaillie received its Russian name due to the complete loss of vigilance of males during mating, which hunters always take advantage of. This is the largest of this family, gaining weight up to 6.5 kg.

All species of Galliformes are commercial objects. The meat of hazel grouse, pheasant, and quail is considered a delicacy and is served in expensive restaurants.

Grebes

This order includes 5 species of waterfowl living in Russia.

They are often confused with ducks, although they have nothing in common.

They differ in appearance and structural features.

The bones of grebes are not hollow, so they have a deeper seat in the water. There are no characteristic webbing between the toes, but there are leathery blades protruding from both sides of the legs. Therefore, grebes do not row under themselves, as ducks do, but work with their legs behind them, like a ship’s propeller. Another feature is the extremely unpleasant taste of meat. Hence the Russian name - toadstool.

Grebes swim and dive well, but their backward legs prevent them from moving well on the ground. Therefore, they lead an aquatic lifestyle, moving to land only for rest or nesting. In Russia, grebes are found in different climatic zones from the Kola Peninsula to the Aral Sea region.

Coraciiformes

This order includes small and medium-sized birds, with hard and predominantly bright plumage. They are thermophilic - most of which come from the tropics. Therefore, all 9 species that live in Russia migrate to southern countries closer to winter. The range covers the entire central part and southwest of Siberia. Many species are just migrating.

The order includes 5 species of kingfishers, roller, bee-eater and eastern broadmouth.

The most common bird in Russia is the roller. Up to 35 cm long and weighing up to 200 g. The general color is greenish-blue, the flight wings are sand-colored. Rollers fly low, but are almost impossible to see on the ground. The structure of the stocky and long legs makes moving on the surface uncomfortable. The main food is large insects, sometimes small rodents and reptiles.

Hoopioformes

The only species from this order in Russia is the hoopoe.

It is a small bird with bright striped plumage and an orange crest on its head. When landing on the ground, the crest spreads out like a fan.

Inhabits all of central Russia and part of Eastern Siberia in open areas with sparse thickets of bushes. They are representatives of warm regions and lead a sedentary lifestyle; from colder latitudes they migrate to Turkmenistan or Azerbaijan.

They mainly lead a terrestrial lifestyle, run very quickly, and in case of danger they press down to the ground, raising their crest upward. They feed on insects, larvae and small reptiles.

An interesting feature of hoopoes is the secretion of an oily liquid with an unpleasant odor from the coccygeal gland during incubation of eggs.

This is a specific protection of the masonry from terrestrial predators. But because of this feature, people consider the bird to be unclean.

Plover

This is a large order that includes about 170 species of aquatic and semi-aquatic birds. Representatives differ greatly in appearance and behavioral characteristics. But birds have common characteristics. All birds are attached to the sea or fresh water bodies and are adapted to cold climate conditions.

Endemic birds of Russia:

• sandpiper;
• little curlew;
• ash snail;
• Okhotsk snail

Most live in flocks, the number of which reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals. For example, seagulls - there are 36 species of them in Russia. Most of the gulls have settled near humans - they feed in garbage dumps, arable lands or near fishing boats.

The pink gull breeds in northern Russia and a small part of Greenland. It is unique in color - the chest and belly are pale pink, the back and wings are ash-colored, and there is a thin black collar on the neck.

Snipes are found in north-central Russia and Siberia. These are mainly migratory birds. The most famous species for us is the woodcock. It was repeatedly mentioned in literature by classics: A. P. Chekhov, I. S. Turgenev, L. N. Tolstoy. The woodcock is densely built and the size of a city pigeon. The color is camouflage: rusty-brown with black, gray, and red streaks, so it is difficult to notice against the background of old foliage. Woodcock is an object of sport hunting.

Another representative of the order is skuas.

All 5 Russian species live in polar regions.

They fly quickly, but move awkwardly on the ground and do not dive. They nest on rocky, sparsely inhabited islands. They feed on fish from the surface of the water, take prey from other birds, destroy nests and catch small rodents.

Auk family

This order also contains the family of auks. They have black and white plumage, stand upright when walking, and live in polar regions.

They are often compared to penguins. However, these are not related birds; the similarity was formed due to adaptation to the same conditions.

Unlike penguins, auks fly.

Sandgrouse

There are 3 species living in Russia - from this order.

In appearance they resemble pigeons - a small head, short beak, low legs, long wings and a wedge-shaped tail. They have thick plumage and thick skin to protect them from overheating. A characteristic feature is feathering on the legs. The color is varied: brownish-yellow, greenish, sandy, motley.

In Russia they live near the Caspian Sea and on the lower reaches of the Volga. They prefer sandy deserts and feed on plant seeds. In cases of danger, they press themselves to the ground and freeze. Due to their camouflage color, they become invisible to predators. For nesting they are divided into pairs. The chicks are fed food stuffed into the crop, and water is brought in on the wet belly feathers.

Owls

This order includes predatory representatives that are mainly nocturnal. All of them are distinguished by a large head, large eyes, sharp beak and claws, and camouflage color.

Anatomical features differ significantly from the structure of daytime predators, therefore owls are separated into a separate order.

The special skeleton allows owls to turn their heads 270°, fly silently, hear well, and cause the eyes to remain motionless.

The barn owl, which lives in the Kaliningrad region, has been identified as a separate genus. This is a medium-sized bird weighing up to 700 g. The color is reddish with transverse ash-silver stripes, the abdomen and facial disc are white. The difference from other owls is the heart-shaped facial disc.

There are 17 species of owls living in Russia.

The barn owl's reaction to humans is interesting. When approaching her, she rises and begins to sway in different directions on her legs, while various grimaces are depicted on her face.

The most famous representative of owls is the common eagle owl. Weight up to 3.2 kg and body length up to 75 cm.

Inhabits the entire territory of Russia, except for the Arctic zones.

It settles in a variety of places, but prefers secluded corners - forested hills, ravines, rocky slopes. It feeds on small animals and birds, rarely fish and reptiles. The eagle owl is not afraid of humans and sometimes settles in parks or farms.

All owl birds play a significant role in protecting rural areas and forestry from rodents.

Therefore, they are protected; many species are included in the Red Book. During the course of observations, it was proven that the tawny owl destroys up to 1000 mice and voles per year, which during the same period damage more than 500 kg of grain.

Falconiformes

The detachment consists of diurnal predators. 45 species live in Russia. All of them are distinguished by a strong physique with developed muscles, sharp eyesight and high flight speed. They mainly feed on meat, but some species eat insects and fish. For example, honey beetles and osprey.

Many unique species. The Steller's sea eagle is one of the largest eagles, its body weight can reach up to 9 kg. Inhabits Kamchatka, the lower reaches of the Amur River and along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Snake eater or karachun

The snake eagle or karachun is one of the most distrustful and timid birds of prey. They nest in impassable places remote from humans and are common in central Russia. Birds feed on snakes and other reptiles.

Peregrine Falcon

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds of up to 320 km or more.

Peregrine falcons are common throughout Russia; they nest on rocky shores of water bodies. However, some couples settle in close proximity to a person. Falcons lived on St. Isaac's Cathedral in Leningrad (1950), a Moscow high-rise (1960s), and the building of Moscow State University (2008).

This order includes vultures, eagles, hawks, harriers, eagles, and kites. Many species of birds are rare and are included in the Red Book of Russia and other countries.

Swift-shaped

The order includes 5 species of swifts, one of which accidentally flies from central Asia.

The birds are unique in that they spend most of their time outdoors, landing only to nest.

The structure of their legs does not allow swifts to move on the surface - they drink, eat and even sleep on the fly. These are one of the fastest birds in the world - they can reach speeds of up to 170 km/h.

This order includes the buffy hummingbird. The only species of the hummingbird family in Russia. The bird's habitat is Alaska and northern California, but hummingbirds are periodically observed in Russia. In 1976, the bird lived on Ratmanov Island, and is currently found on Chukotka and Wrangel Island.

Flamingoformes

The only species from this order that has been recorded in Russia is the common flamingo. Wild birds fly to Dagestan, Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, less often to Yakutia and Southern Siberia during migration.

This is an amazingly beautiful bird with a soft pink color and purple-red wings. The large beak, disproportionate to the head, is curved and pink in color with a black tip. The birds have very long bright pink legs, a strong body and a curved neck. Body weight reaches 3.5 -4 kg. Flamingo

Russia has a surprisingly large variety of birds.

We are accustomed to observing only the most common birds; we often do not suspect that unique species also live in the neighboring forest.

Each bird of Russia is interesting in its own way and is worth studying in detail its characteristics and way of life.

Birds have always fascinated people, because these graceful birds can do something that humanity could only dream of before... Flight! How wonderful it must be to rise into the air, feeling the gusts of a light breeze on your body. Or, having caught the air flow, surrender to its mercy and soar above the ground without making any effort.

It is not surprising that as soon as the camera turned from a luxury item available only to a few into the most common equipment that almost every family has, beautiful photographs of birds became the desired prey of any amateur photographer. Birds are photographed in flight and on the ground, in flocks and alone, with or without chicks.

There are simply countless options for photography, because each bird has its own character, habits and flight secrets. Take, for example, the peregrine falcon - the fastest of all living creatures on the planet. It is worth photographing it during a vertical dive, when it reaches speeds of up to 90 m/s, and you have a delightful photo of the bird. True, you need to have time to press the button.

Watching flightless birds can also yield many amazing photos. The numerous colonies of penguins alone are worth it! Yes, these birds will never rise into the air, but how graceful and fast they are under water!

In general, look at photos of birds, admire them and never tire of admiring them. After all, today there are slightly less than ten thousand species of birds living on earth. This is the largest and most diverse group of the superclass of tetrapods. About 657 species of birds nest in Russia alone, and in total more than 780 species of birds are found in the country. Interestingly, birds inhabit all possible ecosystems of the Earth from the North Pole to the South Pole.

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