On April 1, our country celebrates International Bird Day. Interestingly, Russia is the habitat of many of them, including very rare ones. In our country, the rarest birds are protected by the state and are listed in the Red Book. Some of them live in reserves and reserves. In this article, we consider 10 endangered bird species.
Owl
This is one of the largest owls in the world, with a wingspan of 190 centimeters. In recent years, its population in our country has been declining sharply.
These rare bird species are predators. Eagle owls hunt snails and small rodents at night. They can also hunt small birds, although they prefer prey still. It is noteworthy that each representative of this species has its own territory where he gets his own food.
Eagle owls are excellent hunting birds that are used to catch rabbits, partridges and even hares. But it’s a great luck for the hunter to find this bird. In addition, an owl can be dangerous for a person.
Small swan
These are very rare birds from the Red Book of Russia. The small swan lives only on the territory of our country, it is one of the rarest birds in the world. It settles on the islands of Kolguev, Vaigach, in the tundra, as well as on Novaya Zemlya. The bird has a wingspan of up to 195 cm. An amazing feature of the small swan is its black beak, as well as its white plumage. Birds feed on plants, eat grass, berries, and potato tubers. But sometimes they can catch small fish.
At 3 years old, swans form pairs that exist all their life. They build nests in the spring on dry small elevations, while some nests that remain after a pair can be used by other swans for several years.
Black stork
This is a very rare bird listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. He lives in forests in the Far East and the Urals. Most birds live in the Primorsky Territory of our country. Since this is a very secretive rare bird, it will fly to some other region from here or not, it is not known for sure - their lifestyle has been studied very poorly. The black stork prefers to settle near lakes and swamps on the plains. Birds eat fish, catching them in ponds, and during the wintering period they can also eat small rodents.
Surprisingly, they choose their partner for life. Begin to breed in three years. Nests are built on rocks or on tops of old trees, away from people. Storks feed their cubs 5 times a day. Chicks fly away from their nest for the third month.
Tangerine
This is a small duck, characterized by a characteristic orange color. She lives in the East Asian region, mainly in the Sakhalin region, on the Amur River, etc.
Mandarin ducks choose mountain rivers for life, because they keep well on the water and swim. Unlike other types of ducks, mandarin ducks do not like to dive and do this only if they are injured.
An interesting feature of birds is that they love to sit on rocky ledges and tree branches, while the rest of the ducks rest while in the water.
In our country, they are dying because of raccoon dogs, which often destroy their ducks, and also because of hunting, although today it is completely prohibited.
Steller's sea eagle
These rare birds are rarely found outside the borders of Russia, they fly only occasionally for wintering. Steller's sea eagle is one of the heaviest and largest species of eagles, the weight of which can reach nine kilograms. In our country, it lives on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
It got its name for its amazing coloring: the coverts of the middle wings of a white bird. The bird is a predator that feeds on fish, mainly salmon. In addition, the eagle can catch a polar fox, hare, seal, periodically feeds on carrion. Birds settle on the coasts of the seas, while nests are arranged on the tops of trees and in river valleys.
Steppe kestrel
These rare birds were included in the Red Book of our country. The steppe kestrel lives in the south-west of Russia, as well as in the south of Siberia. This is a predator that feeds on insects; periodically, scorpions also enter its diet. Birds hunt in packs in steppe open areas.
From time to time in the spring, the kestrel can hunt small rodents. In the 1st or 2nd year of life, birds form pairs that breed one season offspring, then they change partners. Arranges nests on the slopes of hills, in the recesses of rocks. Such a nest is a small depression, while the female does not use any materials to strengthen it, she simply digs a hole. After 28 days, the chicks hatch, and after another period of time they fly away from the nest.
Demoiselle Crane
These rare birds are the smallest crane species. Birds live in six regions of the world, including in Russia. With us, they mainly settle on the Black Sea coast. They live in open areas, which also distinguishes them from other types of cranes that inhabit the marshland. Pretty women form a pair for life, while if the offspring does not appear in the pair, it breaks up.
Right on the ground belladonna arrange a nest. To do this, they dig a hole, and then strengthen it with twigs. After 29 days, the chicks hatch.
Pink pelican
These rare birds live in the Volga delta, on the islands of the Sea of Azov. The pink pelican was listed in the Red Book as a threatened species.
This is a fairly large waterfowl, popularly known as a woman-bird. She feeds on fish, catching it with the help of her beak. Pelicans do not know how to dive and only plunge their beak into the river, catching their own food.
The main reason for the disappearance of pink pelicans in our country is the use of pesticides - they contaminate water bodies and soil. In addition, the area of resettlement of birds is reduced, as a person actively drains water bodies, and without them life of pelicans is impossible.
White seagull
White seagulls are rare birds (photos can be found in this article), which are listed in the Red Book of our country. They live mainly in the Arctic, on Victoria Island, and one nest was also found on the shores of Novaya Zemlya. The bird is threatened with extinction. Tracking their population is very difficult, as they often migrate and are few in number. White seagulls are nomadic birds. In the autumn, they sometimes migrate south, although they prefer to stay in the same areas of the North for wintering.
They form pairs for only one season in the spring. For nesting, they settle in whole colonies. Male and female incubate eggs one month at a time. The chicks are covered with fluff during the first year, only by the end of their plumage they begin to appear.
