Animals and birds of the north: how do they adapt to the cold? Birds of the Far North of Russia

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

To survive in conditions of constant cold, animals and birds warmed up, significantly decreased in size, and also significantly changed their lifestyle. In this article, we will briefly talk about all these devices. In addition, here you will find a list of the most famous birds of the north with their photos and names.

What is north? Geographical interpretation of the term

North, as we all know, is one of the four cardinal directions. But in the geographical and climatic sense, it is also a region, a part of the Earth's territory located north of the Arctic Circle. The climate here is extremely harsh: summers are short, and winters are long and frosty. There are four natural zones within the region: taiga, forest-tundra, tundra and arctic desert. Vegetation and fauna are noticeably poorer as we move north.

In Russia, the term "Far North" is also used. Its boundaries are conditional and very blurred. On the map below, territories belonging to the Far North are marked in dark blue. Within its borders are located such large cities as Severodvinsk, Kostomuksha, Vorkuta, Norilsk, Dudinka.

Animals and birds of the north: adaptation to the cold

How do the inhabitants of the north adapt to extremely low temperatures? Differently. There are several basic "tools" for animals to adapt to the cold, these are:

• thermoregulation;
• fur protection;
• body fat;
• winter sleep.

Seasonal decrease in air temperature is accompanied by an increase in the content of ascorbic acid in tissues, and glycogen in the liver. By winter, mammals actively accumulate nutrients in their fatty tissues, especially near vital organs. Pay attention to the squirrel: in the cold season, it noticeably rounds up and tries on a thicker fur coat.

If we talk about the birds of the north, they also have their own secrets of survival in cold climates. First of all, they have a thicker and more dense plumage. Birds carefully choose places for home improvement, insulating their nests with fluff and dry leaves. In winter, many birds often gather in groups to keep warm. In zoology, this is called crowding.

Crows, rooks and some other birds on especially frosty days prefer to move as little as possible so as not to waste precious calories. But as soon as the thaw period begins, they behave as actively as possible in search of food. Avoiding and minimizing unfavorable temperature effects is a method that is characteristic of almost all living organisms.

Northernavifauna: typical representatives

Northern avifauna, despite the seemingly unfavorable climatic conditions, is quite rich and diverse. Typical birds of the north include:

• loons;
• cleaners;
• little auks;
• dead ends;
• waders;
• white geese;
• petrels;
• burgomasters;
• polar gulls;
• snowy owls;
• partridges.

This list can be continued for a long time, because it is calculated by far more than one hundred species.

It is worth noting that some northern birds are migratory. That is, for the winter they fly south in search of warmer places. These include waders, ducks, goldeneyes, snipes, loons, starlings, wood pigeons and others.

Talking about the avifauna of the northern regions of the planet, one cannot fail to mention the so-called bird colonies. They are especially common in the Arctic, in areas that are influenced by warm ocean currents from the Atlantic. Sea water here, as a result of the collision of warm and cold water masses, is oversaturated with organic life, which attracts thousands of birds. In Russia, some bird colonies are taken under protection as a kind of ornithological monuments of nature.

Birds of the Far North of Russia

All feathered representatives of the Far North of Russia can be divided into three groups:

• Sedentary (these include crows, rooks, jackdaws, sparrows, magpies and others).
• Migratory (bean goose, geese, goldeneye, teal-whistles andothers).
• Nomadic (bullfinches, waxwings).

One of the most common birds in the north of the country are tits and sparrows. In the cold season, they switch to a low-calorie food of plant origin, so they can often be seen on viburnum bushes or rowan trees. In winter, these tiny birds tend to gather in small flocks, as group foraging significantly reduces their energy costs.

Among the birds of prey of the north of Russia, it is worth highlighting golden eagles and eagle owls. The first is distinguished by an impressive wingspan (up to two meters), the second - by excellent hearing and powerful legs. The golden eagle prefers to hunt during the day, and the eagle owl prefers to hunt at night.