April 1 is celebrated as International Bird Day in our country. 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 sanctuaries and reserves. In this article, we will look at 10 endangered bird species.
Owl
This is one of the largest owls in the world, with a wingspan of up to 190 centimeters. In recent years, its population in our country has been sharply declining.
These rare bird species are predators. Eagle owls hunt snails and small rodents at night. They can also prey on small birds, although they prefer stationary prey. It is noteworthy that each representative of this species has its own territory, where it gets its own food.
Owls are excellent hunting birds that are used to catch rabbits, partridges and even hares. But for the hunter it is a great success to find this bird. In addition, an owl can represent for the person himselfdanger.
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. He 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 the black beak, as well as white plumage. Birds feed on plants, eat grass, berries, and potato tubers. But sometimes they can also catch small fish.
At 3 years old, swans form lifelong pairs. They build nests in the spring on dry small hills, 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 the forests in the Far East and the Urals. Most of the birds live in the Primorsky Territory of our country. Since this is a very secretive rare bird, whether it will fly to some other region from here or not, it is not known for sure - their way of life is very poorly studied. The black stork prefers to settle near lakes and marshes on the plains. Birds eat fish, catching it in reservoirs, and during the wintering period they can also eat small rodents.
Surprisingly, they choose their partner for life. They start breeding at three years of age. Nests are built on rocks or tops of old trees, away from people. Storks feed their young 5 times a day. chicksin the third month they fly away from their nest.
Mandarin duck
This is a small duck with a characteristic orange coloration. She lives in the East Asian region, mainly in the Sakhalin region, on the Amur River, etc.
Mandarins choose mountain rivers for life, because they float well and swim. Unlike other types of ducks, mandarin ducks do not like to dive and do it only if they are injured.
An interesting feature of birds is also that they love to sit on rocky ledges and tree branches, while the rest of the ducks rest in the water.
In our country, they are dying out because of raccoon dogs, often ruining their ducks, and also because of hunting, although today it is completely prohibited.
Steller's Eagle
These rare birds are rarely seen outside of Russia, they fly out only occasionally for wintering. The Steller's Sea Eagle is one of the heaviest and largest species of eagles, weighing up to nine kilograms. In our country, it lives on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
It got its name for its amazing color: covering the middle wings of a white bird. The bird is a predator that feeds on fish, mainly salmon. In addition, the eagle can catch Arctic fox, hare, seal, and periodically feeds on carrion. Birds settle on the coasts of the seas, while nests are built on the tops of trees and in river valleys.
Steppekestrel
These rare birds were included in the Red Book of our country. The steppe kestrel lives in the southwest 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 flocks in open areas of the steppe.
Periodically in the spring, the kestrel can prey on small rodents. In the 1st or 2nd year of life, birds form pairs that grow offspring for one season, then they change partners. Arranges nests on slopes of hills, in deepenings 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 28 days they fly away from the nest.
Demon Crane
These rare birds are the smallest species of cranes. Birds live in six regions of the world, including Russia. In our country, they mainly settle on the territory of the Black Sea coast. They live in open areas, which also distinguishes them from other types of cranes that inhabit the swampy area. Demoiselles form a couple for life, and if the offspring does not appear in the pair, it breaks up.
Right on the ground belladonnas make a nest. To do this, they dig a hole, after which they strengthen it with branches. After 29 days, the chicks hatch.
Pink Pelican
These rare birds live in the Volga Delta, on the islands of the Sea of Azov. PinkThe pelican has been listed in the Red Book as an endangered species.
This is a fairly large waterfowl, popularly known as the baba bird. She feeds on fish, catching them with her beak. Pelicans do not know how to dive and only dip 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 are contaminated with water bodies and soil. In addition, the area of bird settlement is declining, since people are actively draining water bodies, and without them, the life of pelicans is impossible.
White Gull
White gulls are rare birds (see photos in this article) that 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 coast of Novaya Zemlya. The bird is in danger of extinction. Tracking their population is very difficult as they are often migratory and few in number. White gulls are nomadic birds. In autumn, they sometimes migrate south, although they prefer to stay in the same areas of the North for wintering.
They form pairs only for one season in the spring. For nesting, they settle in whole colonies. The male and female take turns incubating the eggs for a month. The chicks are covered with down during the first year, only by the end of it they begin to plumage.
Red-legged ibis
Such rare birds, the photos of which are presented in this article, live in the Far East. This species was included in the Red Book of our country as being endangered. The population of red-footed ibis was numerous in the 19th century, after which the species began to decline rapidly.
In Japan, this species was declared extinct, in our country a pair of ibis was last seen in 1990. Therefore, it is not known for sure whether this bird currently lives in Russia. But scientists are trying to find the remains of the population, in addition, to organize nature reserves.
