Greeting sun, gentle breeze, the first, barely awakened, flowers… Yes, this is everyone's favorite awakening of nature - spring. And the birds who returned from warm countries are the first to announce the onset of spring. They begin to diligently equip their nests in order to breed offspring. And if it is quite easy to distinguish spring birds from winter ones, then it is not easy to determine the owners by the nest.
The first heralds of spring
About the birds arriving in the spring, they tell at school. Spring birds arrive in small flocks, and finches are the first to appear. If you get closer to the chaffinch, you can see how beautiful the bird is: with what tones its feathers are cast! And green, and red, and brown, and a blue “hat” flaunts on his head. From a distance, the finch is noticeable by the white stripes on the wings and back.
After the finches, thrushes arrive, and in Russia, in the middle lane, rooks are considered the first birds. Then in the parks you can meet robins, redstarts and bluethroats. These birds are distinguished by the bright color of their feathers, for example, the bluethroat has a blue breast, and the robin has feathers of all colors - red, and blue, and greenish, and even red.
Every bird tries to return to its old nest. Swallows arriving in April are no exception. Russian people love swallows very much andrespects. Many signs are associated with them. For example, if a swallow flies low above the ground, it means that it will rain soon. People are trying to protect the swallow's nest until next spring.
Birds and their nests
An amazing fact, but birds are capable of building the most grandiose structures. But how much do we humans know which bird has which nest?
The places arranged by birds for laying eggs differ from each other, and sometimes very dramatically. But all types of bird nests can be divided by their location:
- Ground nests. They are built mainly from grass, leaves and small knots. In Russia, sandpipers, hazel grouse and seagulls live in ground-based "flats".
- Nests in the mountains. Found in rocky terrain and built by birds of prey such as falcons.
- On the trees. From everything that can be found, our spring birds build nests at low altitudes - finches and blackbirds. It is very interesting that the nests have a "cement" base of clay and sand.
- On the water/in hollows. Less common nests, but present in the life of some birds. So black terns live on the water, and owls and woodpeckers live in hollows.
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Sand holes. Some birds dig a hole in the sand with their beaks, and then bring straw or grass into it. This is what a gerbil swallow's nest looks like.
spring birds
How do you tell a swallow from other birds?
Swallows are very small in size, with a small head. The paws are short and thin. Male and female differ incoloration, although most often this difference is invisible to the naked eye. Swallows spend most of their time in the air, but if they descend to the ground, you can see how clumsy their gait is. Birds eat insects. It is noteworthy that they can only hunt in flight.
The main feature of the appearance of swallows is a forked tail resembling a slingshot.
Birds have a friendly character, so they do not conflict with other birds, and even settle nearby with individuals of their own species. If a swallow is attacked by a larger bird of prey, then it not only fights bravely, but will defend its nest to the last. If a cat or a person gets into the nest, then you can be sure: the little bird will selflessly defend its property.
Types of swallows
It is difficult to find a person in Russia who has never seen a swallow in his life. But not only can the swallow be found on the territory of the Russian Federation, but more than one species lives here. About 7 varieties of this bird live in our country:
- Rustic (killer whale) swallow. You can guess by the name: this bird is well known to the villagers. The swallow has a completely black back, and the neck and forehead are red-brown shades. The barn swallow's nest is made of straw, clay and, surprisingly, feathers and hair, which are one of the most durable materials for birds.
- Red-rumped swallow. It looks a bit like the swallow of the previous species, but above the tail it hasseveral long black feathers. Surprisingly, sometimes the dreary song of the red-rumped swallow resembles the meow of a cat or even a small kitten.
- Swallow. The shorebird is practically the smallest of all available species. The beak is rather short and hard, and the coloration is inconspicuous - gray-brown plumage.
- Small swallow. Outwardly, it very much resembles a shorebird, but the bird is smaller in size. Usually they fly away around the end of August, but the arrival of small swallows was recorded in late March - early April.
- Mountain swallow. It is also called rocky. It is similar in color to the brown but has an amazing patterned tail that is best seen in flight.
- Thread-tailed swallow. So this species is called because the males on the tail have two thin and long, thread-like feathers. The thread-tailed swallow also has a dazzling white breast and orange head.
- White-fronted swallow. The swallow has a black color with a blue-metallic sheen. Unfortunately, very few individuals of this species were recorded in Russia, so many ornithologists generally do not recognize the existence of these swallows in our country.
This is not all the existing species of swallows. But even from this small list, one can conclude about their diversity.
Spaces for swallows
The barn swallow is easy to meet in any corner of Russia. As for the sand martin, it is easier to name where it is impossible to meet it: in Australia and Antarctica. Red-tailed swallows live on the coast of Lake Baikal, as well as in southern Italy and Sicily. For the winter, they, like most swallows, fly to Africa and India.
The Rock Swallow lives in the highlands. In Russia, these are the territories of the Caucasus and Crimea. The White-fronted Swallow can be found in North America and winters in South America and Mexico.
Where do swallows nest?
Swallows are very attached to places arranged for laying eggs. When birds build nests, their location becomes the only place the swallow can remember. The instinct is so blind that if the swallow returns to feed the chicks, and the nest is not in the same place, then she will mistakenly start feeding strangers.
The barn swallow prefers not to fly outside the village or village, so her nest is usually there. Sometimes killer whales get used to people and nest right under the roofs of houses. There it is easier for them to get food, and there is also protection from wind and rain.
Swallows and Little Swallows nest near the water, digging holes in the sand with their beaks. They live in small groups, colonies.
The rock swallow prefers to build its nest in the mountains or rocks, away from people and noise. Although there are nests located in the walls of block houses and tunnels. Its cup-shaped nest is built from clay, saliva and grass.
Swallow mating season
The mating season for swallows lasts from May to August, and during this time the female lays two clutches of eggs. In one clutch - up to 7 eggs. After two weeks, the chicks appear. After 3 weeks spent in the nest, the chicks are able to fly, so they begin to feed on their own. Females choose their partners for a long period, and when choosing, they are guided by the length of the tail: the male with the longest tail wins.
Sometimes the males are alone for the season. Then, upon returning from wintering, they begin to help other couples in building a nest and even feed the chicks.
Swallow signs
One of the signs was mentioned above: if the swallow flies low, then it will rain. But there are others. For example, if a swallow builds a nest near the roof of a house, then good and kind people live in this house. But if you harm the swallow, then misfortunes and grief will haunt you for a long time. If you ruin a swallow's nest, then freckles will appear on your face - also a rather interesting sign. If the swallows arrive earlier than usual, then the year will be fruitful. And if you take a stone from a bird's nest, it will become a talisman and a talisman.
