Bird flight observation goal. Outline of a lesson on the surrounding world on the topic: Walk “Bird watching. How to take part in the project
Zoya Razumnaya
Summary of the walk “Bird watching”
Target: consolidate and generalize children's knowledge about migratory birds.
Tasks:
Educational: consolidate knowledge and give new ideas about migratory birds (appearance, habitat, nutrition, habits, migration);
consolidate children’s ability to distinguish, group, describe the appearance of birds, their features, behavior;
activate children's vocabulary (migratory, insectivorous, granivorous, predatory, waterfowl, songbirds, wedge, line, arc).
Educational: develop coherent speech, attention, observation, visual perception, and the ability to draw conclusions.
Educational: to cultivate in children an interest in the feathered inhabitants of wildlife and a caring attitude towards them.
Preliminary work: conversations about birds, bird watching, reading stories, fairy tales and poems about birds, looking at illustrations, watching films.
Progress of the walk.
Educator: guys, please name the characteristic signs of autumn. (the foliage turns yellow, it drizzles, the birds fly away).
Educator:Today on our walk we will observe and talk about birds.
Educator: What are the names of the birds that fly away to warmer climes and those that stay? (migratory and wintering).
Educator: name the migratory birds? (woodpecker, lark, swallow, rook, heron, crane, starling).
Educator: Children, please guess the riddles:
This is an old friend of ours:
He lives on the roof of the house -
Long-legged, long-nosed,
He flies to hunt
for frogs to the swamp. (stork)
Educator: That's right, the stork is a large white bird with a large beak, we could observe it on the territory of our site.
This bird will never
Doesn't build nests for chicks. (cuckoo)
Educator: The cuckoo is a small bird, but larger than the nightingale, has a variegated color, a long tail, and a small beak. The cuckoo, unlike other birds, never builds nests, but lays its eggs in other people’s nests, so birds are forced to hatch and raise cuckoo chicks
I'm making a nest under the roof
From lumps of clay.
For the chicks I put it on the bottom
Downy feather bed. (Martin)
Of all the migratory birds, I am the blackest, I walk importantly through thawed patches and look for worms. (rook)
This bird sings better than all the birds. (nightingale)
Educator: The nightingale is a small bird, has brown plumage, a small beak, tail and legs.
Educator: children, why do people like to listen to the nightingale singing? (he sings beautifully)
Educator: The nightingale has the most beautiful song: complex, with repetitions of syllables. The nightingale whistles, and clicks, and crackles. There is no voice in the world richer, more flexible and more beautiful than the voice of this little bird of ours.
Educator: who else knows the best singers? (in the forest - song thrushes, in the fields - larks)
This bird makes its nests in holes on the ground. People say that if her voice is not heard early in the morning, it means rain or bad weather. (lark).
What a small, black bird builds its nests of grass and clay under the roofs of houses. (martin)
He can imitate the singing of other birds, the barking of dogs, and the croaking of frogs. (starling)
Name one of the most useful birds that destroys flies and mosquitoes. When it walks on the ground, it shakes its long tail. (wagtail)
Educator: That's right, these birds are also migratory.
Educator: name the body parts of birds. (torso, head, tail, beak)
Educator: Guys, why do birds fly to warmer climes? (because it gets cold here, there are no insects in winter)
Dynamic pause “Guess and sit down”
Educator: Now I will name migratory and wintering birds, if you hear the name of a wintering bird, then sit down, and if the name is migratory, then wave your hands. Crow, nightingale, woodpecker, magpie, dove, swallow, tit, rook, starling, bullfinch, stork, crane, sparrow, heron, etc.
Educator: How do they find their way to the south and back here? (answers)
Educator: Some birds fly away at night, others during the day. But before the flight, they make test flights, eat more than usual, put on fat - there is nowhere for them to eat during the flight. In flight, they are guided by the stars, and if the sky is overcast and the stars are not visible, then they are guided by the magnetic oscillations of the Earth.
How many of you have noticed that some birds fly away in flocks, all together, some, for example, cranes, line up in a wedge in the form of a triangle, others line up in a chain, in one line. It probably depends on the habits of the birds: some birds need leaders who show the way.
Educator: Why are the birds that feed on insects the first to fly south in the fall? (insects are hiding and have nothing to eat)
Educator: Why do migratory birds fly back in spring? (birds need to hatch chicks)
Dynamic pause "The birds have flown"
The birds flew. They fly and flap their wings (children raise their arms up and down).
The wind has risen, making it increasingly difficult for the birds to fly.
The rain wet the wings, the wings became heavy (the children slowly raise their hands).
The wind died down. The sun came out. Tired birds fall to the ground. The flock settles down to rest (the children sit down).
Summarizing:
What did you like about the walk?
What migratory birds did we remember today?
What new things have you learned about the bird?
What migratory birds did you see?
How do birds find their way to warmer regions and back to us?
What do birds give to people? (joy)
Outdoor game “Say in one word”
Goal: to develop attention and intelligence.
The teacher throws the ball to the children, while asking questions, the children must answer and throw the ball back.
The swallow has sharp wings, it is... /sharp-winged/.
The stork has long legs, what is it like? ... /long-legged/.
The stork has a long beak, it is... /long-billed/.
The swallow has a long tail, it is... /long-tailed/.
The swallow loves warmth, she is ... /heat-loving/.
Ball game “Continue the sentence”
Goal: to develop children's speech.
Educator: I say the beginning of a sentence, throw the ball, and you finish it and return the ball back to me.
In autumn, birds fly south because (it’s cold and there’s nothing to eat)
The heron has long legs because (it walks through the swamp)
The eagle has a big nest because (he's a big bird)
The cuckoo throws eggs into other nests because (it does not build its own nest)
Dear friends, thank you for your attention and support!
Publications on the topic:
Summary of an autumn walk with middle school children SUMMARY OF AN OPEN WALK IN AUTUMN WITH SECONDARY GROUP CHILDREN Purpose: to form an idea of changes in nature; ecological, aesthetic.
Theme of the walk: “Bird watching in winter.” The purpose of the walk is to improve health, prevent fatigue, and physical and mental development.
Summary of the walk “Observing storks” Goal: to expand and enrich children’s ideas about migratory stork birds Objectives: Educational:.
Summary of the walk “Observing the flower garden” Purpose: developing ideas about seasonal changes in nature, knowledge about flowering plants.
Bird flight can be divided into two main categories: soaring, or passive, flight and flapping, or active, flight. When soaring, a bird moves in the air for a long time, without flapping its wings and using rising air currents that are formed due to uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun. The speed of these air currents determines the bird's flight altitude.
If the upward moving air flow rises at a speed equal to the speed of the bird's fall, then the bird can float at the same level; if the air rises at a speed exceeding the speed of the bird’s fall, then the latter rises upward. Using differences in the speed of two air flows, the uneven action of the wind - its strengthening and weakening, changes in wind direction, air pulsations - a soaring bird can not only stay in the air for hours without spending much effort, but also rise and fall. Land soaring species, such as carrion-eating vultures and others, usually use only rising air currents. Marine soaring forms - albatrosses, petrels, feeding on small invertebrates and often forced to descend to the water and rise - usually use the effect of the wind, differences in the speed of air flows, air pulsations and turbulence.
For soaring birds characterized by large size, long wings, long shoulder and forearm (great development of the supporting surface of the secondary flight feathers, the number of which in vultures reaches 19-20, and in albatrosses even 37), a rather short hand, relatively small heart sizes (since passive flight does not require increased muscle work). The wing can be either wide (terrestrial species) or narrow (marine species). Flapping flight is more complex and varied than soaring flight. It is worth comparing the flight of a swift, the flight of a crow slowly moving its wings, a kestrel fluttering in the air and a peregrine falcon swiftly rushing at its prey, a quickly flying duck and a pheasant heavily flapping its wings to be convinced of the validity of this remark. There are various and rather controversial attempts to classify the different types of flapping flight, which we will not dwell on here.
A bird usually does not use one type of flight, but combines them depending on the circumstances. It should also be borne in mind that flight movements consist of phases that successively replace one another. The flapping of the wings is followed by phases when the wing does not produce rowing movements: this is gliding flight, or soaring. This flight is used mainly by birds of medium and large sizes, with sufficient weight. Small birds usually work energetically with their wings all the time or at times can fold their wings, pressing them to the body. The latter is especially characteristic of finches. Acceleration in flight is achieved by the bird by increasing the weight load of the supporting surface, for which it is necessary to fold the wings slightly. The slow-flying bird has a fully unfurled tail and outstretched wings. As the movement accelerates, it slightly folds the flight feathers, and in all well-flying birds they form a continuous surface (in the falcon, gull, swift, swallow, etc.).
Wind is of great importance for the speed of movement of birds.. Generally speaking, a tailwind or somewhat crosswind is favorable for flight, but a headwind is favorable for takeoff and landing. A tailwind during flight helps to increase the bird's flight speed. This increase is quite significant: for example, based on observations of pelicans in California, it was established that an increase in air speed from actual calm to 90 km/h contributed to a change in the flight speed of pelicans from 25 to 40 km/h. However, a strong tailwind requires a lot of effort from the bird to maintain active flight control.
The duration and speed of flight of birds is very great, although exaggerated ideas are usually common in this regard. The very phenomenon of flights shows that birds can make long movements. European swallows, for example, winter in tropical Africa, and some waders nesting in North-Eastern Siberia fly to New Zealand and Australia for the winter. The speed and altitude of birds' flight are significant, although they have long been surpassed by modern flying machines. However, the flapping wing of a bird gives it many advantages, primarily in maneuverability, compared to modern aircraft.
Modern technical means (observations from aircraft, high-speed photography, radars, etc.) have made it possible to more accurately determine the flight speeds of birds. It turned out that when migrating birds, on average, they use higher speeds than when moving outside the migration season. When migrating, rooks move at a speed of 65 km/h. The average speed of their flight outside of migration time - during the nesting period and wintering - is approximately 48 km/h. During migration, starlings fly at a speed of 70-80 km/h, at other times 45-48 km/h. Based on observations from airplanes, it has been established that the average speed of movement of birds during migration ranges between 50 and 90 km/h. Thus, gray cranes, herring gulls, large sea gulls fly at a speed of 50 km/h, finches, siskins - 55 km/h, killer whale swallows - 55-60 km/h, wild geese (different species) - 70-90 km /hour, wigeons - 75-85 km/hour, waders (different species) - on average about 90 km/hour. The highest speed was observed for the black swift - 110-150 km/h. These figures refer to spring migrations, which are the most intense and probably reflect the highest flight speeds of birds. Autumn migrations proceed much more slowly, for example, the flight speed of storks during autumn migrations is hardly half the speed of their spring movement.
The question of the flight altitude of birds remained unclear for a long time. The old idea that bird movements usually take place at high altitudes (500-1600 m above sea level) was questionable. However, astronomical observations have shown that, in all likelihood, the maximum flight altitude of birds reaches 2000 and even 3000 m. To some extent, this has been confirmed by the use of radar. It turned out that migrations in spring take place at higher altitudes than in autumn, and that birds fly at higher altitudes at night than during the day. Passerine birds, such as finches, fly at altitudes somewhat lower than 1500 m; larger passerines, such as blackbirds, are at an altitude of 2000-2500 m. Waders fly at an altitude of about 1500 m. Although flight is the main and most characteristic method of movement for birds, they also have other very diverse methods of movement.
The well-known divisions of birds into aquatic, terrestrial, and arboreal indicate known differences between these groups in relation to movement.
The usual statement that birds fly north in the spring and south in the fall is a significant simplification, although it is almost as true as any brief generalization. A fairly well-known exception is the vertical migration of birds from ridges to valleys, and in tropical rainforests shorter movements associated with feeding conditions during rainy and dry periods are observed for each population.
Ocean bird migrations can occur in almost any direction. For example. The White-fronted Tern, which breeds in New Zealand, flies almost due west in autumn to spend the winter on the east and south-east coasts of Australia. The American red-headed pochard, which nests in the prairies along the shores of small lakes, flies for the winter almost directly to the east - to the Atlantic coast. The rosy starling, which winters in India, flies to nest in the northwest, in the steppes of Turkey and southern Russia.
In the Southern Hemisphere, quite understandably, the direction of flights is the opposite: in the fall, birds fly to the north and the tropics for the winter. Moreover, such migrations are undertaken by fewer land birds here than might be expected. This is partly explained by the fact that in the Southern Hemisphere the land area located in a temperate climate is much smaller than in the Northern Hemisphere. It should also be taken into account that the birds of the Southern Hemisphere have been studied much less well. Birds of the southern seas also make long-distance migrations, especially species that nest on the shores and coastal islands of Antarctica. Even penguins, which can only travel by swimming, migrate hundreds of kilometers south in the spring, to the Antarctic region, and return back to warmer waters in the winter. Perhaps the most well studied are the flights of the Wilson's fly. It is one of many species of petrels, approximately the size of the American wandering thrush. The sailors call her "Mother Carey's chicken." Usually these birds fly just above the waves, often moving their webbed feet across the water, as if aiding the flight. Although storm petrels appear weak and moth-like when viewed from a ship, they easily withstand ocean storms and spend most of their lives offshore. Wilson's storm petrel breeds on small islands between southern South America and adjacent areas of Antarctica, especially South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands and the South Orkney Islands. During March and April—the autumn months of the Southern Hemisphere—these storm petrels migrate north into the tropical waters of the South Atlantic. In June, there are a lot of them off the eastern coast of the United States, much more than the local northern storm petrels, which nest at this time on the islands off the coast of Maine and Nova Scotia. During the northern summer, they spread widely across the North Atlantic from New England and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Bay of Biscay and the northwestern coast of Africa. In October, Wilson's storm petrels begin to move south and are found from the tropical waters of the Atlantic, especially off the African coast, south to the sites of their nesting colonies. As the figure below shows, these birds, despite their small size and relatively slow flight, migrate almost as far as the Arctic Tern, whose exploits we have already spoken of with admiration.
Observations of Wilson's storm petrels in the North and South Atlantic. White circles indicate places where they were celebrated in January, and circles with a dot - in July.
Most migratory birds in the Northern Hemisphere generally move north or south, but their true flight paths may deviate 45-60° from the compass direction to the north during spring migrations or south in the fall. These deviations are not always explained by the direction of the coastline or river valley. along which birds fly. In Western Europe, many birds fly in the autumn from Scandinavia, England and northern Germany southwest to southern France or Spain. Other birds from the same breeding areas fly in the autumn in a south-easterly direction, to the Middle East. Many birds from these two groups stop at the Mediterranean coast, but no fewer birds of other species fly directly south to Africa. During the annual migrations of hundreds of bird species from Europe to Africa, their desire to fly not directly across the Mediterranean Sea, but to go around it from the east or from the west, through Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar, is noticeable. On the other hand, many species fly straight across the Mediterranean Sea, without deviating anywhere. A good example of the first group of birds flying in a circuitous way is the large, easily visible and well-known white stork. In Western Europe, thousands of these storks were ringed, and their repeated encounters along the entire flight route made it possible to fairly accurately indicate the path along which they travel (picture below). Approximately the same conclusions can be drawn about bird migrations in North America, you just need to “replace” the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps the biggest difference is that the powerful mountain ranges of the western United States and Central America somewhat isolate the birds of the Pacific coast from the inhabitants of the plains of the central United States and the east coast. But there are exceptions here, especially among waterfowl.
Autumn migration of the European white stork. Storks nesting in France and western Germany fly through Spain, while those nesting further east skirt the Mediterranean Sea on the eastern side.
Many North American bird species from extensive breeding areas in the eastern and central United States or southern Canada fly more or less due southeast to Florida, the Bahamas, or islands located in the eastern Caribbean. Some of them fly this route from the far north. This group also includes shorebirds that nest along the Arctic Ocean coast in northern Canada and reach the Atlantic near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Many of these shorebirds fly further southeast or south to South America. The wintering grounds of some species are located significantly south of the equator, such as the rice trumpet or the American brown-winged plover (figure below). Many migrants do not strictly adhere to any direction during the entire spring or autumn migration. Mapping of a large number of flyways clearly shows the presence of special “turning points” located at certain points along the route. For example, birds of Northern Europe that skirt the Mediterranean Sea from the southeast or southwest, upon reaching Morocco or Egypt, change direction and fly almost straight south.
Migration routes of adult American brown-winged plovers in autumn and spring. Young birds of this species fly south approximately along the routes of spring migrations of adult birds to the north. Thus, they find their way from breeding grounds in the Arctic, where they hatched, to wintering grounds in South America without the help of adult birds of their species.
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INTERNATIONAL PROJECT “SPRING IS COMING!”
Bird watching
Compiled by: , based on materials from the project “Spring is Coming” (www.)
© Laboratory of Ecology KODTSEOiT, March 2007
Bird migrations
One of the most amazing and interesting abilities of birds is flight or migration. Every year they gather in flocks and travel thousands of kilometers in order to wait out the winter in a warmer and more favorable climate.
The main reason for bird migrations is lack of food. In winter in European countries, it is difficult for birds to obtain sufficient quantities of insects, fruits or seeds, but on other continents, where the climate is more favorable, food can be found in abundance. Although some birds cannot withstand long flights and die, the majority survive, and migrations allow migratory birds to preserve their species.
In order to pass this test, the birds must be healthy at the start, with good fat reserves and new plumage. After the breeding season ends and before setting off, the birds undergo a “complete renewal.” Subcutaneous fat accumulates almost throughout the bird's body. During the flight, especially when there is no necessary food, subcutaneous fat will be the only source of energy. During this same period, the bird’s plumage completely changes and the so-called molting takes place. Feathers, which bear special responsibility, change: old worn ones fall out, and new ones grow in their place.
During migration, birds receive a lot of information from the environment. There are three main sources of information for them - the sun, stars and the earth's magnetic field. They help birds determine their location and choose the right direction. During their flight, birds observe the location of the sun and stars, and they detect changes in the earth's magnetic field using a special receptor located just behind the bird's beak. Young birds learn to navigate during their first flights.
How to take part in the project
Participate in the project "Spring is coming!" easy and interesting!
Project “Spring is Coming!” – this is the first step towards the emergence in our country of such a widespread phenomenon in Europe as “bed watchers” or bird watchers. Thanks to the help of children and adults, every year we can celebrate the arrival of spring. Participating in the project is easy and interesting. The most important thing is to celebrate your first sightings of migratory birds every year.
Thanks to your observations, employees of the international organization BirdLife and the Russian Bird Conservation Union will be able to annually analyze data on the first sightings of birds, receive information about spring phenomena and determine which week most people saw the first migratory birds. This improves our knowledge of bird migrations in Europe.
How to enter data?
Collecting and transmitting data is not difficult at all, especially by following the points below:
1) Study the species selected by the “Spring is Coming!” project – the common cuckoo, the barn swallow, the black swift and the white stork (for this, refer to the section “Birds” - “Get to know the species of birds”) - and find information about when they arrive in our country.
2) During this period, carefully observe the nature around you and, as soon as you see or hear one of them (the cuckoo is very difficult to see, and you should only be prepared to hear it), mark the date of observation. Remember, you only need to enter data on the first meeting of the species in the form!
3) Then take the form and carefully enter your data into it. To do this, you need to remember the date of the meeting and where you met the bird. After you fill out all the points of the form, send it to us.
4) Tell your friends about your participation in the “Spring is Coming!” project.
You make your observations near your home, near school or while walking on weekends.
All you need to do is watch the arrival of spring, listen carefully and peer into the surrounding nature, paying special attention to the four species of birds that we have chosen to observe the arrival of spring.
When you see or hear a bird of one of the species described, remember or write down the date and area where you saw it. There is no need to count birds.
You can make observations near your home, near school or on a weekend walk.
Bird watching is best outside the city, as three of the four species are rarely seen in the city. If you are a city dweller, you can focus your attention on swifts.
But what is really important is not to forget to enter your information in the proposed questionnaire.
What is the goal of the project?
The main goal of our project is to collect information about when migratory birds return to their nesting sites. Even fragmentary observations made by a large group of people provide valuable information about the migrations of birds, about what changes take place in their journeys from year to year. The main advantage of the project “Spring is Coming!” lies in the breadth of geographical coverage, and this is achieved thanks to the huge number of participants collecting information throughout Europe.
After a period of time, when enough data has been collected, it will be possible to detect changes in arrival dates, and perhaps determine how annual changes in arrival dates are influenced by climate changes.
How can I view the results?
The received questionnaires will be immediately sent to Moscow to the Coordination Center of the Russian Bird Conservation Union. There, your observations will be transferred to the website of the international project “Spring is Coming!” (website address: www.). On this site you can view the results in two ways: on a map or in tables. The picture of the arrival of spring, constantly updated with information from more and more new participants in the project, changes daily. The results shown in the tables are updated in real time. In them you can find the very first date of sighting of birds throughout Europe, and by selecting your country, you can see the date of the first arrival in our country or in your region. By entering the “Results” section and selecting “Tables”, you can see how many reports of sightings of these birds have already come from our country or your region.
Where and how are we going to use your data?
With the information you collect, BirdLife International can gain insight into the numbers of birds returning from their wintering grounds in Europe, their arrival dates and flight routes. We do not set ourselves the task of counting all birds (it is unsolvable), but counting part of the population of returning birds using the same method is realistic and possible.
The collected data can be used to analyze the timing of arrival and flight paths of birds. The results can be analyzed separately at different geographical scales: for Europe as a whole, for the European part of Russia or a separate region. In addition, annual mapping of individual bird species sightings will help build a detailed picture of their arrival.
Make a nesting house for the black swift
The main thing we can do to help birds is hanging nesting houses. They are usually called birdhouses, which is not entirely correct. In addition to houses for starlings, you can make houses for many other hollow nesters, even for black swifts. You have the opportunity to make such an artificial nest for the swift yourself. To make it you will need carpentry tools, a pencil, a ruler, nails and dry boards from any type of wood. Old boards are also quite suitable, as long as they are not rotten. First, according to the pictures and drawings given, prepare the main parts (walls, bottom, lid, attachment strip) of the house and only after that begin to put together the nesting box. The manufactured structures are suspended both on buildings and on trees (but also near human habitation) at a height of at least 7 meters above the ground (Fig.).
Try to unravel some of the mysteries of migratory birds
Please answer the questions asked of you.
It is not necessary to answer all questions. Select the questions that interest you most.
White stork
· How to distinguish a young bird from an adult?
· What do storks eat?
· White stork's nest (Where is it located? What building material does it consist of? Does everyone build a new nest or occupy an old one?)
· Where do white storks fly to winter?
Barn Swallow
· How to distinguish young birds from adults?
· What do swallows eat?
· Swallow's nest (Where is it located? What building material does it consist of? Every year they build a new nest or occupy an old one? How does the nest of a barn swallow differ from a city swallow?)
· Where do barn swallows fly to winter?
Common cuckoo
· What do cuckoos eat and what is its role in nature?
How is the cuckoo's nesting season?
Black swift
· What do swifts eat?
· Swift nest (Where is it located? What building material does it consist of? Where is the building material collected? Do they build a new nest every year or occupy the old one?)
· Where do cuckoos fly to winter?
Help the birds: questions and answers
DO YOU THINK THERE IS SOME DANGER FOR THE BIRDS SELECTED FOR THE “SPRING IS COMING!” PROJECT?
Although all the described species are birds common to Europe, and their populations are large and widespread, in some cases they may be endangered. For example, the white stork population experienced significant declines in the second half of the 20th century. The main reasons for this were the drainage of wetlands, the use of pesticides in agriculture and global climate change.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT ONE DAY ALL THESE BIRDS WILL DISAPPEAR FROM EUROPE?
If people do not take proper care of these easily recognizable and interesting birds and their habitats, they could one day disappear from our cities and towns. Expanding agricultural land, draining wetlands and climate change could also seriously impact Europe's widespread bird species. If we want to admire the beauty and uniqueness of wild birds in the future, they need to be protected and helped in the present.
CAN YOU HELP THESE BIRDS?
Each person, depending on his age and skills, can help the birds. You can take part in special programs aimed at preserving certain species of birds, you can build artificial nesting sites or feed birds during difficult periods of their lives.
Archive of news from the project “Spring is Coming!”
Results of the project "Spring is Coming!" for 2006
The first stage of the new project for Russia “Spring is Coming!” has been completed. During the period, children, as well as their parents and teachers throughout Europe and the European part of Russia, watched the arrival of migrating birds, and with them the arrival of spring in their countries. All four species chosen for the project, namely the white stork, cuckoo, swift and barn swallow, spend the winter months on the African continent and only return to Europe during the migration period. They were first met by the inhabitants of Spain and Portugal, and then the birds moving north and north were noted by the inhabitants of central and northern Europe and, finally, they were met by the inhabitants of Russia.
Of the 47 countries invited to participate in the project, the most active participants were the living states. Among them are Spain, Bulgaria, Turkey, Ireland, as well as our neighbors the Republic of Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia. From 150 to 300 or more messages came from these countries. We, the residents of Russia, are a little behind them. Nevertheless, the wide geographical coverage of the messages sent is encouraging. Residents from the Republic of Dagestan and the Bryansk region to the Murmansk region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug took part in observing the arrival of birds. Schoolchildren of the Republic of Karelia turned out to be very active.
As a result, we have the following. Regional regions, republics and autonomous districts of the European part of Russia took part in the census of migratory birds. In total, they sent about 170 messages, most of which were about the cuckoo and barn swallow, the most recognizable birds of our region.
Results of the project "Spring is Coming!" for 2007
This year, children and adults from 37 European countries met migratory birds. In total, they sent more than 4 times more messages than in the previous year. If in 2006 their number was 3987, then in 2007 their number reached 16277 messages. In Europe as a whole, the leaders in the number of messages sent were Ireland, Poland and Italy. For a long time, Russia occupied third place, but then we moved to fourth position. The first three countries accounted for the bulk of the messages - more than 11,000. More than half a thousand messages were sent by Russia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. The barn swallow accounted for the largest number of reports – 5,747 sightings. Weather conditions were very warm and the project found that on average across Europe birds arrived 13 days earlier than the previous year.
The total number of messages sent by Russian participants in the project this year reached 897, and 21 regions and republics of Russia took part in its implementation. The most active Russian participants in the project were residents of the Kaliningrad region, who sent 663 messages (or 74% of all Russian messages). It is pleasant to note the accession of such republics as Dagestan, Tatarstan, Mari-El, and Udmurtia to the project.
The earliest reports were of meetings of storks - in the Kaliningrad region they were first noted on March 1. Despite the seemingly universal recognition of the cuckoo by its voice, the swallow and the swift were the first in terms of the breadth of geographical coverage. In terms of the number of messages sent, the stork was in the lead, followed in descending order by the swallow, cuckoo and swift.
Project "Spring is coming!" opened the 2008 season
We are opening a new season of the “Spring is Coming!” project. Despite the fact that winter cold is still in most European countries, the first swallows have already been seen in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus. And this is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner! Let's meet her all together!
Get up close and personal with the views
White stork
The white stork is a tall black and white bird with a long neck, tall red legs and a large straight red beak. The white plumage of the head, neck and body contrasts with the black plumage of the wings, shimmering in red and green. Its brown eyes are surrounded by a black periorbital ring.
Storks are easy to spot by their very characteristic sound: a pair simultaneously knocks their beaks, as if knocking with two thick wooden sticks.
The easiest way to see these birds is on the nest, but they can also be found in wet meadows or recently harvested fields.
Stork nests are very large; they are built high above the ground, offering a good view of the surrounding area.
In the European part of Russia, as well as in Europe, storks can be seen from March to August. Individual birds can also be seen in October, but most often these are weakened birds.
Unfortunately, white storks cannot be seen in every European country. Over the past century, the number of birds returning from wintering has been decreasing year by year. The main reasons for this phenomenon are considered to be climate change and the reduction of wetlands - habitats of white storks.
Barn Swallow
The barn swallow is a small bird with a blue-black back, an ocher throat, a white belly and a long forked tail that resembles a two-pronged fork. Against the sky it looks almost completely black. But it is still easy to recognize by its forked tail and easy gliding flight.
Sitting on the wires, the swallows chirp, turning in different directions. In the early morning, their loud chirping may even wake you up. They return to the European continent in the spring to build a nest, hatch and feed their chicks. In Russia you can meet them from May to September.
How to distinguish a barn swallow from a swift?
The swift is larger than the swallow, its wings are narrower, but much longer and crescent-shaped. Unlike the swift, the swallow bends its wings when moving, and its tail has long braids. Remember that barn swallows are found mainly in rural areas, and swifts - in cities.
Although swallows are common birds and their numbers in Europe are stable, remember that damage to the environment and their habitats could lead to their disappearance from our continent.
Common cuckoo
The common cuckoo is a pigeon-sized bird with an ash-gray upperparts and an abdomen covered with off-white spots. They are very shy and secretive, and few manage to see them. If you are lucky and you meet a cuckoo in the forest, then most likely it will seem to you like a dark, streamlined bird flying quickly over a forest clearing. It is much easier to hear the cuckoo. And if you heard the characteristic “cuckoo, cuckoo”, this means that the male cuckoo is announcing his arrival and calling the female to join him.
The cuckoo is quite common everywhere: in the forest, in open spaces and on mountain slopes. Did you know that cuckoos do not build their own nests, but rather lay their eggs in the nests of other birds? Usually the cuckoo hatches first and throws the remaining eggs and chicks out of the nest.
The number of cuckoos in Europe is large, and their population is quite stable, however, it should be noted that the number of birds in Western European countries is declining, especially noticeably in France.
Black swift
The Black Swift is a dark brown bird, but against the sky it appears almost black. It has long sickle-shaped wings and a short forked tail. In flight, you may confuse it with a swallow, but a swift, unlike a swallow, never folds its wings in flight. He cannot be seen sitting. Swifts' nests are usually hidden under roofs, and they quickly fly in and out. Among all birds, swifts stand out both in their ability to survive in unfavorable conditions and in their life expectancy, they can live up to 21 years, which is a lot for small birds!
On a summer day, look high into the sky, there you can see groups of birds rapidly flying over the roofs of houses with a sharp cry - these are swifts. Unlike swallows, they never sit down to rest. Swifts fly magnificently and spend almost all their time in the air, they even sleep on the fly! They sit only near their nest.
The easiest way to observe swifts is in urban areas, where they build their nests in cracks and ventilation holes, and sometimes in nest boxes specially hung for them.
How to distinguish a swift from a swallow?
The swift is larger than the swallow, its wings are narrower, but much longer and crescent-shaped. Unlike the swallow, it never folds them in flight. The swift's tail is wider and shorter. Remember that it is easiest to see a swift in the city, and a swallow in the countryside.
The population of swifts in Europe is very large and stable.
Please send your report by May 5 to the Ecology Laboratory of KODTSEOiT(, office 18, Kaliningrad, 236006). You can get a consultation by phone/, email *****@***ru (, methodologist).
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Report on the project “Spring is Coming!”
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FEATURE ARTICLE
v What classes and how many people took part in the action? 2. What have you done to study and conserve migratory birds? * Please describe the activities carried out. For each event, indicate when it was held, for what purpose, who participated (including how many people?), and what was achieved? * Think about how you can make these actions even more effective. In addition to written observations, any creative results of propaganda (essays, leaflets, drawings, photographs, videos, etc.) are accepted. 1. What have you done to study the arrival of birds? v Where were the observations made? Please indicate your locality. v How long have you been watching the birds arrive (specify dates)? v What is your main conclusion and impressions from your observations? v Which species are the most common and numerous that you have encountered? What types of birds need help and why? Attach any creative results(essays, leaflets, drawings, photographs, videos, etc.). 2. What have you done to protect birds in the spring? v Please describe the activities carried out. For each event, indicate when it was held, for what purpose, who participated (including how many people?), and what was achieved? v Think about how you can make these actions even more effective. In your report, do not forget to thank those people who helped you. |
Please, ATTACH migratory bird observation questionnaires
Each scientific research has its own paths and methods, more or less numerous, which lead to the goal at different speeds. This equally depends on the experience accumulated in a given field of science and on the subject of research.
In the same way, in the science of bird migration, according to the variety of tasks facing it, there are different areas of research. If we consider each separately, then they seem to have little in common. But all of them can, nevertheless, be reduced to two main forms: observation and experiment, which are interconnected by various transitions.
We have already seen that the development of the science of bird migration went from random observations of phenomena to the systematic recording of observed facts and then grew into attempts to analyze faunal material. A big step forward was the introduction of ringing as an auxiliary method for studying aviphenology. Finally, physiological research methods began to be used, which were supposed to answer basic questions that had until then been considered only speculatively.
Such a historical change in directions of research, however, does not at all mean that one of them had to be replaced by another for the reason that it became outdated in the light of new knowledge. For the most part, it turned out to be necessary to use all these methods, which have not lost their importance to this day. Below we will explore the scope and significance of these methods, the issues they are used to solve, and their practical applications.
As a first research method, we will consider field observations of bird migration.
Field observations acquire significance as a method of scientific research only when they are carried out systematically and according to a well-thought-out plan. To do this, it is necessary to make accurate records of the species, provide at least approximate numbers of birds, establish the altitude and direction of flight, and characterize the weather. In addition, one should try to note the first appearance of migratory birds, the increase and decrease in the number of migratory birds, and the end of migration for individual species in a certain area. Based on these data, migration calendars are compiled for various bird species, from which averages can be calculated over the next few years. Such flight calendars in limited, ecologically closed areas under normal seasonal weather conditions accurately reflect the course of flight over time. Weigold (1930) developed an extensive migration calendar for the island of Heligoland in the form of graphic diagrams, covering a ten-year period and almost all bird species found there (Fig. 2). Similar calendars have also been compiled for other observation points, at least for certain bird species and for a shorter period of time (for example, for Rossitten and the Kursk Spit or Wassenaar in Holland). In any other area such data is much more difficult to obtain than in Heligoland. By comparing tables, curves or graphical diagrams, valuable conclusions can be drawn about the characteristics of flights due to geographic location, landscape features and weather. Further development of this line of work consists of combining observations of migration, carried out simultaneously in larger areas by specially trained ornithologists, who form a network of observers working under a single leadership. As already mentioned, Linnaeus organized such a network of observers back in 1750. Later, many scientists of the last century followed his example. As a result of these observations, a huge amount of material was accumulated, which, however, due to the unequal reliability of the persons participating in its collection, had limited significance and has so far barely been processed; far from complete data are presented in the “Communications of the Committee of Observation Stations of Germany”, “Ornithological Journal” (“Journalfur Ornithologie”) for 1875-1893. and in the magazine “Aquila” of the Hungarian Ornithological Center.
Undoubtedly, the greatest success in this regard was achieved by the Hungarian Ornithological Institute, which in 1875-1914. with the help of 120-150 trained observers, carried out valuable work and provided information on numerous issues of bird migration in Hungary. Thus, Schenk, who later became the head of this institute, compiled maps of the return of various migratory birds. Using these maps, you can trace the sequence of annual bird distribution depending on climatic conditions and landscape. Similar flight maps for some areas of Southwestern Germany and for Switzerland were compiled by Bretscher, who paid special attention to studying the influence of climatic conditions. Cook found that in North America the Canada goose's isopyptes approximately correspond to the 35°F isotherm. He connected this fact with improved nutritional conditions. Later, Southern (1938) compared the isopiptheses of the barn swallow and willow warbler with data on the distribution of heat in spring (Fig. 4), while Sliwinski (1938) limited himself to depicting the isopiptheses of some bird species. These aviphenological maps partly originate from Middendorff's work “Isopipthesis of Russia”, which we already mentioned above. At present, despite all kinds of difficulties, networks of observers are also being created, covering vast areas. Thus, Drost organized such a network for the autumn flight of 1930 throughout the North Sea region and received valuable information about the details of the flight at various points along the coast. In the autumn of 1929, a network of observers in a less extensive, but extremely important for bird migration area of the Kursk Bay was led by Schutz. At the same time, it was possible to establish a striking, but for this area, very characteristic distribution of flyways. Dutch observers also worked in the same direction in 1933, and were able to obtain valuable information about flights in the western part of the North Sea and in its individual areas.
Of course, not all areas are equally suitable for observing bird migration. In some of them it is barely noticeable, while other places are downright focal points for bird migration, and observations in these areas promise to yield very valuable results. These areas are usually distinguished by a special geographical location (mountain passes, mountains, places rich in lakes, sea coasts, river beds). Therefore, at such points, ornithologists from many countries organized permanent observation stations, which subsequently became centers for research work on the study of bird migrations. This applies primarily to Germany, where both ornithological stations, Helgoland and Rossitten, located in the center of the flyways, have played an extremely important role in the study of bird migration.
The first ornithological station in Germany was founded in 1901 in the small fishing village of Rossitten on the Kursk Spit, which stretches in a slightly convex arc from Klaipeda to the south towards the Zemland (Kaliningrad) Peninsula. Its length is 97 km, and the width is on average only a few hundred meters. Thieneman appreciated the importance of this narrow spit, located between the Baltic Sea and the Kursk Bay, for the migration of birds, and pointed out the unusually favorable opportunities of this place for observations and research. Then the German Ornithological Society began to monitor the activities of this ornithological station (which at first was simply an observation post) and appointed Tienemann as its head. In 1929 he was replaced by Heyiroth and his permanent deputy, Schutz. The latter remained in Rossitten almost until the end of the Second World War. Since 1923, the ornithological station was attached to the Society for the Patronage of Sciences of Emperor Wilhelm (Fig. 5) (It should be noted that there is a fundamental difference between the concepts of “ornithological station” (Vogelwarte) - a scientific station for the study of bird migrations - and “station for the protection of birds" (Vogelschutzwarte ) - an institution for the protection of birds - which are often confused).
How can we explain the importance of the Kursk Spit for bird migration? Let's answer this question using the attached diagram. In autumn, migratory birds from the vast areas east of the Baltic (all the way to Siberia) head in large numbers to the coast, which, starting from Estonia, stretches mainly in a southerly direction. All land birds avoid flying over the sea, which is why they first gather on the shore and then migrate south; on the way they are joined by birds flying from the north and east. Thus, this stream soon grows greatly until near Klaipeda it reaches the tip of the spit. The land here deviates slightly to the southeast, and the spit runs in the southwest direction, which is more consistent with the direction of flight of birds. Therefore, the majority of birds leave the shore at this point and continue their journey over the narrow spit, and here too they are joined from the interior regions of the Baltic by flocks of birds striving for the spit through the initially still narrow bay. The spit forms a kind of bridge dividing the water spaces (hence its popular name “bird migration bridge”), on which flocks of birds crowd together until they see the Zemland (Kaliningrad) peninsula far to the south, after which the birds disperse again (Fig. 6).
Special geographical conditions, combined with the advantages of a dune landscape with its mostly sparse vegetation (and correspondingly favorable opportunities for observation), made it possible to detect here such massive bird migrations as could not be observed in any other point in Europe. Here are some numbers for illustration: on some days favorable for migration, the number of birds flying here reached 500,000; in just three morning hours, from 6 to 9 o’clock, there were about 200,000 of them. On other days, these were 99% finches, which on this basis are considered especially typical representatives of mass flights. Closely related to this circumstance is the abundance of data obtained by the Rossitten ornithological station on many specific issues in the study of bird migration.
We see a completely different picture when considering the position and significance of the former Helgoland ornithological station (Fig. 8). It was founded in 1909 as a department of the State Biological Institute. With the exception of the First World War, it was led in an exemplary manner by Weigold, until he was replaced by Drost in 1924. The station became famous after the work of Goethke, who carried out observations on it for decades and first pointed out in his book “The Ornithological Station of Helgoland” (“Die Vogelwarte Helgoland”) the importance of the island for bird migration. Located more than 40 km from the nearest shore there is a steeply rising sandstone cliff with an area of only 0.5 km 2 is the only opportunity for rest for birds flying across the sea, which is especially used by poorly flying birds, and in foggy weather by other birds. But of particular importance to countless night travelers are the far-visible lights of the lighthouse; they serve both as a sign of the way and as a magnet, which in complete darkness magically attracts birds to itself, so that often huge masses of birds invade the island, which sometimes seems completely covered with them ( After the Heligoland lighthouse was turned off at the beginning of the Second World War, Drost still noted the still powerful night flight over the island) . It is unlikely that in any other place it is possible to trace so well the night flight of birds, which in general is difficult to observe. Of course, other lighthouses and fire ships provide similar opportunities for observation, since they also attract numerous birds that approach them with characteristic cries, and sometimes, blinded, fly into a bright strip of light and often die by hitting glass or buildings, but The Heligoland lighthouse was as incomparable in its influence as the night flight of birds around it was unimaginably powerful.
Sometimes, under special weather conditions in the eastern regions of the North Sea, such masses of birds rushed to Heligoland that in comparison with them the usual flights over the island seemed insignificant. Thus, days of mass overflights were observed in October 1940 and October 1942 due to cold weather spreading from the north and poor visibility conditions in the Heligoland Bay.
Such time-limited mass and night flights, characteristic of Heligoland, determined its importance as an ornithological station, while in Rossitten the regularity of flights was of particular value.
Migratory birds from Siberia, Greenland, North America and the Mediterranean region appeared not so rarely on Heligoland, which proves the heterogeneity of flight conditions in this place, which were largely determined by the location of the island and meteorological conditions throughout the North Sea region (Fig. 11).
The third German ornithological station, Hiddensee, located in front of the island of Rügen, was created in 1936. The tasks assigned to it were initially primarily of a faunistic and phenological nature, which corresponded to the location of the station. Its first leader, Stadi, emphasized, however, the physiological direction of the work, and his successor Schildmacher, apparently, intends to continue it (Work on the study of the physiological aspects of the phenomenon of bird migration is currently being carried out in Hiddensee by Prof. Schildmacher.- Note ed.).
In this regard, it is necessary to briefly dwell on the possibilities of determining bird flights at night. Observations near lighthouses and the death of birds near them have already been mentioned. The danger to birds increases even more if the beacons are connected to radio stations, since the thin wires of the antennas, like telegraph wires, are invisible at night. As a result, after a night flight, many dead or wounded birds are often found near lighthouses. In Denmark they have been recorded for many years and thus provide important information about bird migrations (see Hörring's reports "Fuglene ved de danske Fyr"). Weigold proposed lamps that also lightly illuminated the upper part of the lighthouse; Thus, birds were prevented from hitting them, which, being blinded by the searchlight, did not notice the top of the tower. These lamps proved their worth and were introduced everywhere on the German coast (Fig. 12).
In inland areas, the role of coastal lighthouses is performed by various bright light sources: searchlights, arc lamps, signal lights for aircraft, illuminated squares and houses, etc. Although they do not attract birds flying at night to the same extent as the uniform fire of strong lighthouse lamps , still often cause them to fly lower and make characteristic screams. These calls probably contribute to the unity of the flock, forming a kind of “sound contact”, but it is also possible that they only express the state of excitement that covers the birds at the sight of suddenly appearing lights. As a result, it becomes possible to identify flying birds by their voices. Until now, we have only talked about observations of bird migration in limited areas. If such observations are carried out over the entire distribution area of a bird species (which does not necessarily have to be done simultaneously and for which various literature data can be used), then it becomes possible to compile monographs of flights containing information about flight routes, flight speeds, wintering grounds and characteristics behavior during migration of representatives of this species. Only in recent years have phenological observations begun to be systematically used for this purpose. Hungarian ornithologists were the first to do this, then the German explorer Geir and North American scientists, and more recently Grote and Stresemann.
A step forward in the description of flights in monographs based on phenological observations is an attempt to use data from modern taxonomy. It divides many bird species into easily distinguishable geographical races, that is, different populations. If, for example, we find a British race clearly distinguishable from our White Wagtail, or a British form of Black-Whee, or a Greenland Wheatear, outside their breeding area, we can draw conclusions regarding their flyways and wintering grounds. Thus, Stresemann (1927-1934) was able to establish that often even closely related races of birds have different attitudes towards migration, migrate in different ways and winter far from each other, although there seems to be no reason forcing them to do this. Therefore, systematic studies, for example, measurements of size and weight, determination of the state of plumage, age and sex, also form part of the work on the study of bird migrations, and therefore are the task of ornithological stations.
