What birds do not fly away for the winter. Wildlife

In autumn, with the onset of cold weather, many birds leave their lands and fly to hotter countries. The main reason is lack of food. Birds feed on large and small insects. And, as you know, you won’t find them in winter.

The most famous migratory birds include ducks, cranes, rooks, swallows, blackbirds, swans, starlings, storks, herons, larks and others. In total, there are about sixty species of birds in Russia that fly to warm countries for the winter.

Already in September, cranes leave their native lands. This is due to the fact that cranes are herbivores. They feed on seeds and grasses. True, this does not apply to all cranes, but only to those who live in the northern part of Russia.

The first to fly away are the birds that fed on insects. They simply have nothing to eat, for example swallows or starlings.

Among the migratory birds that fly to the south and southern countries at the first frost:

• flycatcher,
• starling,
• Garden warbler,
• robin,
• martin,
• lark,
• shrike,
• kingfisher (although its name is winter, it also cannot withstand the cold and prefers warm cities).

Pritits have adapted in this way - to survive. After all, in winter the amount of food is limited, and if there are no reserves or the opportunity to obtain it (the same woodpecker finds worms and larvae in its lungs), it has no special competitors in this area of ​​nutrition.

Then you have to fly away, where the bird can easily find food.

Then in the spring the migration comes back to us, to their native places.

The first birds to fly south are the oriole, the cuckoo, starlings, swallows, nightingales, siskins, larks, and wagtails. A little later - cranes, kingfishers... Well, when bodies of water (lakes and rivers) freeze, geese and ducks take to their wings.

Migratory birds do not fly south all together and not at the same time. Flight to warmer climes lasts from late summer to late autumn.

Nightingales are among the first to fly away. Back in August, they are already preparing for ooting and fly away at the end of August.

Also, blackbirds, orioles, and cuckoos are among the first to fly away.

Storks and swallows fly away relatively early - around the beginning of September.

A little later the starlings fly away. They gather in huge flocks and fly through fields and gardens in search of food throughout the beginning of autumn. Vineyards are often damaged at this time.

Waterfowl are the last to fly away.

The first to fly south are the most heat-loving birds, such as swallows, rooks, starlings, siskins, buntings, thrushes, larks, large birds: herons, cranes, storks, ducks, swans, wild geese.

The reason why these birds leave our region is considered to be a lack of food: small cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals hibernate or die, too.

They are the first of all migratory birds to fly to the southern regions and the last to return.

People have been paying attention to the migrations of birds since ancient times, marveling at their ability to fly to warmer regions in the fall and return in the spring. With the arrival of cold weather, many birds that lived in cities, forests and fields hit the road. Moreover, some of them move to a new place of residence in late August-early September, when it is still warm.

The swifts fly away first, which is due to the fact that they fly high, where it is much cooler than below. It is at altitude that the insects on which they feed disappear first. But swallows They set off a little later, since they fly lower than the swifts and they feel the lack of flying food later.

After swifts and swallows, birds fly to warmer climes, feeding on plants. But for waterfowl geese and ducks There is no need to rush, because they find food in reservoirs right up to the formation of an ice crust on the water. Therefore, they are the last to leave for the south.



On the eve of cold weather, many birds intuitively fly to warmer regions.

In autumn you can say goodbye to such birds as

At the same time, these birds fly away very early in the fall. Following them they leave the cold lands:

Of course, the first to fly to the south will be those birds for which the cold is absolutely contraindicated, that is, those that are heat-loving by nature. And these birds include, first of all, songbirds such as nightingales and orioles, which at the end of summer are preparing to fly away. Cuckoos, swifts, and swallows are also early birds in this regard.

With the arrival of cold weather, many birds that delighted us with their beauty and their singing fly away to warmer climes.

Some migratory birds say goodbye to their habitat just before the frosts, and there are also those that fly south at the beginning of autumn or even at the very end of summer. The latter include songbirds: nightingales (end of August), cuckoo, and oriole. It is impossible not to mention swallows and swifts.

All birds are usually divided into migratory and wintering birds.



Moreover, all birds are warm-blooded. The main reason for the migration of some birds to the south is not temperature conditions at all, but rather the lack of food in winter. Wintering birds are able to get food for themselves in the cold season, while migratory birds rush to warmer areas in search of food.

The first to fly away are birds that feed on insects - swallows, starlings, rooks, larks, thrushes, wagtails.

After it is difficult to find seeds or fruits under a layer of snow or leaves, granivorous birds - siskins, buntings, finches - fly away.

Waterfowl ducks and geese are the last to fly away - when rivers and ponds begin to become covered with a crust of ice.

A children's song about autumn says:

Birds fly south
Geese, rooks, cranes.
This is the last flock
Flapping its wings in the distance.

Ducks, swans, swallows, starlings, larks, nightingales, cuckoos, wagtails and various other species also fly away, most of which are familiar to city residents only from pictures. But there are many who remain.

Why are frosts not terrible?

And what birds stay for the winter? Who is not afraid of harsh Russian frosts and deep snow? What birds can you see all year round in the city and in the forest?

Not only for warmth, but also for food. If there is something to feed in the cold, they do not fly away. Warm plumage, the ability to flock together, the ability to hide in various buildings and human help allow the birds to survive the winter. Although prolonged severe frosts can sharply reduce their numbers. Many fairy tales of northern peoples say: “It was so cold that the birds froze in flight.”

City dwellers

The question of which birds stay in the city for the winter is easy to answer. Pigeons wait in their usual places to feed. Every morning and evening they fly in flocks from their roosting sites in large trees in courtyards and parks outside the city and back. Magpie, common crow, and jay can be seen near houses.
The sound of a woodpecker knocking on an old tree in the park can be heard far in the frosty air. In winter, it is even easier to find it by the sound and crushed bark lying on the snow and to see it among the bare trees.

Increasingly, in large cities in the middle zone, you can see ducks and even swans fed by people on non-freezing reservoirs. Although until recently, these wintering birds, photos of which are widely presented in the specialized literature, were very rare. Reducing harmful emissions from enterprises helps to increase the number of bird species in the city, which is an indicator of the well-being of its ecology.

Old acquaintances

Wintering birds whose names are familiar from childhood are whistling merrily at the windows and balconies, where they have already been fed: sparrows, siskins, goldfinches, different types of tits - great and tufted, chickadee and tit, long-tailed, as well as nuthatch.

It is difficult to see tits in the city in summer, but by winter they migrate closer to human habitation and can fly to a familiar window for several years in a row.

Flocks of bright bullfinches and waxwings noisily fly from one rowan tree or small-fruited apple tree to another, leaving a lot of pecked berries on the snow. During a thaw, overripe berries can ferment, and then the birds, having eaten them, act like they are drunk. They become disorientated, hit walls and fall.

These are wintering birds, the names and photos of which are a symbol and decoration of the harsh season. The appearance of bullfinches and waxwings always attracts attention and pleases.

The Science of Kindness

Wintering birds become an object of study and care for children. Together with parents and teachers, they make and fill feeders, and see who flies to them. They observe how wintering birds behave if they have to share food. The kindergarten and playground with feeders attract sparrows, tits, and pigeons from all over the area. Grain, seeds, table scraps, pieces of lard are in great demand in these poultry canteens.

A heavy pigeon can overturn a hanging feeder, so we have to invent different designs for small birds.

It's always interesting to watch cheeky sparrows snatch crumbs and seeds from under the noses of important pigeons. Magpies chirp and jump, respectable crows walk. Such lessons in communicating with living nature are very memorable for children. Knowing which birds remain to spend the winter in the city, preparing for their appearance, and feeding them in harsh times is very important. This is the science of kindness for a child.

What birds stay in the forest for the winter?

The north is buried in snow even in winter, rivers and lakes freeze. They are waterfowl and fly south. But observant skiers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts know what birds winter in our forests.

In cold weather, you can hear and see tits, woodpeckers, crossbills, and nutcrackers in the forest. Some species of blackbirds fly away, but fieldfare and blackbird can remain for the winter at the latitude of the Leningrad region, especially when there is an abundant harvest of rowan. Most often, old males remain.

Large birds such as wood grouse, black grouse, partridges and hazel grouse easily find food and can hide in the snow from predators.

Predatory hawks, owls, owls, eagle owls, and owls winter in their nesting areas, although some species migrate from more northern regions. They can be found not only in the forest, but also in parks, gardens, cemeteries, and in holiday villages, where they hunt small birds and rodents.

Taiga game

If someone has seen and heard a flock of large birds take off noisily from under their feet, they are unlikely to ever forget the fear and surprise of such a meeting.

The smallest representatives of wild chickens, quails, winter in Africa and South Asia. But their relatives hazel grouse, black grouse, wood grouse and partridge have always been a desirable winter and spring prey for Russian hunters. Taiga game meat has a subtle resinous flavor and is highly valued.

Deep snow serves as a home and bed for these birds. In the evening, a flock of stones falls into a snowdrift from the trees and hides in it from the frost and wind. And in the morning it takes off to feed on pine needles and buds again. In severe frosts, a flock can remain in the snow all day.

But a snowdrift can also become a grave for birds if a hard crust forms on it, and hazel grouse or partridges do not have enough strength to break through it and get out.

And when the first thawed patches appear, the time comes for the mesmerizing display of wood grouse and black grouse. During mating songs they do not hear anything, which is why they got their names.

Thrifty nutcracker

The long winter forces some birds to make substantial reserves. Among Siberian fishermen there is an expression: “The nutcracker has dropped all its cones.” The point is that in a year when there are few pine nuts, this bird stores almost the entire harvest. Hearty, rich in tasty and healthy oil, nuts help to survive the harsh winter and raise chicks in the spring. The nutcracker makes tens of thousands of nuts, 10-20 pieces each, in secluded places and remembers them for several months! Some of the reserves, of course, are stolen by other inhabitants of the taiga, from chipmunks to bears; forgotten “treasures” sprout and give rise to new groves of Siberian pine.

Winter chicks

What other birds migrate to those places where a lot of coniferous tree seeds are born, and manage to fearlessly hatch their chicks in February?

The spruce crossbill lives in our country. Beautiful motley birds with tenacious paws and a crossed beak deftly extract and bite the seeds, then drop the cones to the ground.

In January-February they begin to build warm, two-layer nests. The male brings food to the female sitting on the nest, she incubates the eggs for a little more than two weeks, and then the parents feed the chicks for another three weeks. Sometimes crossbills postpone nesting until spring and hatch their chicks only in May.

Life doesn't stop

It is no secret to the curious observer that not only the familiar tits, pigeons and sparrows winter near us, but also tap dancers, buntings, bee-eaters, wrens and three to four dozen other species. During trips and walks, you can get acquainted with a wide variety of birds, learn to distinguish their voices and tracks in the snow. There are even mobile applications that allow you to identify birds by their voices in the field.

Hanging a feeder from a plastic bottle or pouring crumbs from the table onto the windowsill is not at all difficult, but it is so interesting to watch the birds and understand that life in nature does not stop even in winter.

For a long time, the first sign of the approaching autumn cold was considered to be a truly beautiful sight, when birds gathered in flocks and flew away to warmer climes. Why are they leaving us? And why do they always come back with the onset of warm spring days?

Migratory birds

Birds are warm-blooded creatures. Their body temperature is forty-one degrees. Thanks to this, they would feel great on frosty days. So why do they fly away? Birds cannot stay for the winter because during the cold seasons it is almost impossible for them to get food. Some fly away due to the cold weather. They migrate to warm regions to preserve most of the individuals.

Migratory birds, that is, those who leave our area in winter and fly south, include many species of birds. These include lapwing and swallow, wagtail and chaffinch, robin and oriole and redstart, tree pipit and lark, and chiffchaff.

When and how do birds fly away?

The moment when birds leave our region can be influenced by the weather. However, as a rule, this happens at the same time. The autumn flight begins only when the young birds become stronger.

Most birds gather in flocks. But there are also those who fly in groups. Some species fly away alone.

The cranes line up in a beautiful wedge in the sky. But crows are usually placed in a chain. There are species of birds in which the males fly away later than the females. In some birds, the young immediately leave the inhabited area. Older individuals follow them after some time.

Birds try to move during the day and rest at night. For some species, migration time is night.

Resident birds

Not all representatives of the feathered world leave their inhabited areas. Some stay for the winter and delight us with their songs on frosty days. They live in their homeland all year round, which is why they are called sedentary. The capercaillie does not leave its place. He eats pine needles and therefore does not have to look for food in winter. They eat hazel grouse and black grouse. They are also not going to fly anywhere in the fall. But is the jay a migratory bird or not? This species of birds is sedentary. The jay eats plant and animal food. She loves acorns. With its beak the bird easily splits the shell of these oak fruits. In autumn, jays store acorns in huge quantities. One bird, according to some sources, makes reserves weighing up to four kilograms.

Woodpeckers and titmice also belong to the sedentary species. But the crossbill even hatches its chicks in winter. At the same time, it feeds on spruce seeds.

Nomadic birds

There are species of birds that bark to another place if, for some reason, unfavorable conditions arise for them in their native area. These are, as a rule, birds that live in the highlands. With the onset of severe cold, they migrate to the valley.

Birds are amazing creatures. In some places they can live as sedentary animals, and in others they can be migratory.

Why do birds fly away

The cuckoos are the first to leave our region. Behind them are swallows, and a little later - swifts. From late August to September, several species change to a warmer climate.

What are the reasons for bird migration? Birds fly away with the onset of cold weather. However, the main reason for their migration is not the change of season. The decisive factor is the lack of food. Thus, a cuckoo eats up to a hundred caterpillars in one hour, and during cold weather the insects disappear. Most of them die, leaving a large supply of eggs from which offspring will hatch in the spring. Some insects hide in secluded warm places.

In summer the stork feeds on small fish and frogs. In winter, he is not able to get food for himself, which is under the crust of ice covering the reservoirs. Birds that cannot get food for themselves fly south. They don't have any problems with food there.

Annual cycle of birds

The life of birds, as well as other animals, on most of our planet is subject to changing seasons. The only exceptions are those areas where tropical forests are located.

The annual cycle of birds consists of four main stages. The first of these is the breeding season. Then comes molting, the seasonal migration of birds. The last stage is wintering.

As for seasonal migrations, they are not a continuous period for birds. There are flights in spring and autumn. At the same time, they are separated from each other by the wintering stage. The spring migration of birds can be considered as a phenomenon that is partially associated with preparation for the breeding stage. Autumn migrations are a search for food to preserve the species.

Migration routes

Where do birds fly in the fall? Ornithologists were able to answer this question in detail. By banding migratory individuals, they established wintering sites for various species. To which warm regions do birds fly? The suitability of a particular area for wintering is determined, of course, by its ecological situation. However, birds do not always fly to places that are located close to their nesting and have favorable conditions. To a greater extent, competition with other populations of a similar species, which strive to occupy the most convenient wintering areas, plays a role here. Thus, birds arriving from areas further north may be located in more southern latitudes.

From Europe, birds can fly not only in a southern direction. They also winter in the west. England gives shelter to many northern and central European birds. This country has favorable climatic conditions for birds, which are characterized by light snowfalls and mild winters. Lapwings and sparrows, woodcocks and other birds fly to England in the fall. However, more birds are attracted to the Mediterranean and southwestern regions of Europe.

Wintering places

To which warm regions do birds fly? A large concentration of birds is observed in winter in the Nile Valley. Some Arctic and Siberian birds fly to their African wintering grounds. Their numerous flocks are also located in the southern regions of China, India, and the islands of the Indo-Australian archipelago. Quails fly to the northern regions of Africa and the path of some bird species to wintering areas is very far. Thus, Icelandic sandpipers and East Siberian anemones reach the shores of New Zealand.

Research by ornithologists helps answer the question of where birds fly for the winter. Thus, by banding the birds, they established that our blackbirds and starlings rest in the south of France and Portugal. They settle in Spain and Italy. Ducks and cranes love to travel to the banks of the Nile. Hoopoes and nightingales winter in the African savannah.

Some species of waterfowl do not leave the territory of Russia. In cold seasons, they settle in nature reserves located in the Southern Caspian Sea. Mallard ducks can be found in winter in Transcaucasia. They rest on the Azov and Black Seas.

To what warm regions do birds living in the north of the American continent fly? Here their migration, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, goes only in a southerly direction. Thus, Arctic terns, which live in the north of America, settle for the winter in the south of the continent. Sometimes these birds migrate to Antarctica.

What wintering sites do birds choose?

As a rule, birds settle where the habitat is similar to that in which they live in their homeland. If birds choose forests for their nesting, then these are the areas they will look for in areas with a warm climate. Birds living in steppes, meadows or fields will look for familiar conditions for settlement. This will allow you to find their usual food. Thus, the birds fly away to those regions where living conditions differ little from what they are used to.

They find their way to wintering places thanks to a superbly developed navigation system. For some birds, major landmarks are mountains, sea coasts, and so on. There are species that calmly cross the water surfaces of the ocean that are not very diverse.

Those bird species that fly during the day, those birds that travel in the dark, rely only on their own navigation system.

The winter cold will recede, and the birds that have flown to warmer climes will return home again. They will announce the arrival of spring with cheerful trills and will prepare for the next stage of their lives.

Now you know to which warm regions birds fly. Good luck in your further study of birds!

In autumn, numerous wedges of migratory birds are visible in the sky, and their loud cry can be heard. However, with the onset of cold weather, not only ducks, geese, swans and cranes, the flocks of which we notice, fly south. Many smaller birds also strive for warmer climes.

Why do birds fly south?

The reason for this is that there is not enough food for them and the temperature is too low. Small birds cannot survive in winter. After all, at this time there are absolutely no insects that swallows and siskins feast on. The rivers and lakes where geese and swans swim and eat freeze. Small frogs and fish hide, which are eaten by storks and herons. The lush grass disappears and the delicious berries, the cranes’ favorite delicacy, freeze. All this forces birds to leave their cozy nests and fly to warmer climes. Despite the difficulty of such long flights, they hurry on their way, because there are always a lot of tasty insects and other food.

The first to fly south are small songbirds that feed on insects. The swift is the fastest to leave its nest, because it flies and catches insects quite high. There food disappears already at the beginning of September. The swift winters in southern India and Africa (flying almost the entire continent from north to south). Following him, small nimble swallows gather on their way.

Flying over the raging sea and the scorching Sahara Desert, they find shelter for the entire winter in the very south of Africa. The starling winters in northwest Africa or India. All these birds travel from 1 to 2 thousand kilometers on their way to warm countries. The same distance must be overcome by a nightingale flying to East Africa.
Following the insectivorous birds, herbivorous birds gather south. The most striking representative of this group is the crane. It is his piercing cry that is heard when the wedge of these birds flies over the ground. The cranes have chosen several places for their wintering grounds. One part of these birds flies to the south of Western Europe, another to North Africa, and some to India, China or Western Asia. At the same time, they cover several thousand kilometers. Such a long journey requires preparation.

Birds gather in large flocks in advance, rest and gain strength in safe areas of land where there is plenty of food. Storks do the same. They fly to Africa on two routes, bypassing vast expanses of sea. Storks living in the west fly to central Africa, closer to the rain forests. Their brothers from the east prefer East Africa (South Africa). Moreover, their path can be more than 10 thousand kilometers.
The last to leave their homeland are waterfowl: ducks, geese and swans. Their path is not easy and runs over water and land. They winter on the shores of the Caspian Sea and in the Mediterranean; some prefer to fly to Central and South Asia.
It doesn’t matter how far the birds fly, because in the spring they will definitely return. This is their nest, their home.

What birds do not fly to warmer climes?

Some birds do not leave their native lands even in the bitterest frosts. Such birds are called sedentary. Most of them feed on a variety of plant seeds and grains. These include tits, sparrows, crows, pigeons, jackdaws and some others. Most of them live close to people and depend on them.

But there are birds that try not to catch the eye of humans and also do not fly to warmer climes - these are predators. Eagle owl, tawny owl, owl, owl - they all feed on small animals (rodents), which can be found in winter. Such birds live in warm hollows and are not afraid of frost.
The crossbill, which remains in the forest in winter, deserves special attention. The most amazing thing is that it is during such a cold season that he gives birth to chicks, which he feeds with seeds from spruce and pine cones. Babies hatch from eggs most often in March, when everything around is still covered with snow.

With the onset of cold weather, some species of birds fly from Russia to warmer places. Birds are warm-blooded animals, with a body temperature of 41 degrees, but what then makes them fly south for the winter? According to statistics, more than 60 species of birds live on Russian territory, most of which migrate seasonally to southern countries. To recognize which birds are migratory, you need to pay attention to what they eat. In conditions of food shortage, birds tend to find food in other territories.

There are insectivorous, granivorous and carnivorous birds. Insectivorous winged birds fly away first, because with the onset of cold weather, insects either hide or disappear. The lack of food forces birds to fly to other countries for it, where insects are present all year round and the temperature is warm.

Birds living in the tundra or taiga almost all fly to where the climate is warmer. Among other migratory species of birds, ornithologists distinguish:

• finches;
• robins;
• rooks;
• jackdaw;
• garden warblers;
• kingfishers;
• lapwings;
• orioles;
• flycatchers;
• lark;
• cuckoos;
• swans;
• starlings;
• blackbirds;
• Solovyov and others.

Insectivores, carnivores and granivores

A striking example of this is the swallow, which feeds on cockchafers and dragonflies. Swallows prefer to find their food on Mediterranean coast. Carnivorous migratory birds include herons, which feed on fish and frogs. In winter, lakes and rivers freeze, making it impossible for these birds to feed.

Granivorous birds also suffer, as it is difficult for them to find seeds and herbs in the middle of the snow. Popular herbivorous birds are cranes, which prefer to prepare for departure in early autumn. Gathering in flocks, heat-loving cranes notify people of their departure. guttural scream. However, not all cranes leave their native lands, but only those who live in the northern regions of Russia.

Which birds spend the winter?

Sedentary bird species do not leave their habitats and do not fly to warmer regions for the winter. Having adapted to the living conditions of modern people and the temperature, the birds do not fly south, but remain, continuing to feed on food scraps collected from garbage cans and landfills.

Also, people themselves feed representatives of sedentary species using special feeders. Birds that do not leave their native land:

• tits;
• sparrows;
• woodpeckers;
• bullfinches;
• squints;
• crows;
• waxwings;
• nuthatches;
• pigeons

Which birds fly to warmer climes first?

Insectivorous winged species are the first to leave their native land. Swifts fly high, where it is much cooler and insects begin to disappear faster. Further, swallows fly south.

Singing wagtails feed only on dragonflies, which they skillfully intercept in flight. Dragonflies, in turn, either die with the onset of cold weather or hide in secluded places, depriving the wagtails of food. At the beginning of autumn, these birds gather in flocks and set off at dawn. They return home at the beginning of spring.

Who's the last one to fly away?

After the insectivorous species, the herbivores fly away. The last to leave are ducks, swans and geese, which can find food until the water will be covered with an ice crust. Only then will fishing cease to be possible.

Ducks winter on the Balkan Peninsula, swans fly to Greece and Great Britain, and cranes to Italy. A separate species of winged birds includes the so-called “nomadic” ones. These birds remain in their native lands in the fall and even during the warm winter. Waxwing, bullfinch, siskin, bee-eater, goldfinch and tit are representatives of nomadic species. They fly away only if the air temperature is extremely low.

The first cold nights in August are signals for birds to fly away. Every year there is migration to the Mediterranean and African countries. Cuckoos, flycatchers, and swallows travel to the African continent. Seagulls migrate to the shores of the Azov and Caspian seas. Starlings go to France.

Ornithologists are surprised by the Arctic long-tailed tern, which lives in the Siberian regions in summer and spring, and goes to Antarctica for the winter u. Scientists are trying to explain this phenomenon by the fact that terns eat fish and small crustaceans, i.e., creatures that live mainly in cold water.

What birds fly to warm regions and why they do this is written above. They have to fly away for natural reasons that people cannot change in any way, but you can try to make the life of the remaining birds easier: feed the birds in winter or build special feeders in the trees. This is unlikely to stop other birds from flying away, but it will definitely contribute to the development of the animal world.