How many birds are on earth? Variety of birds: names, descriptions, habitats How many species of birds are there on earth
On planet Earth, undoubtedly, the most intelligent creature is man. We know this with accuracy and, of course, we are accustomed to considering all other animals only our smaller brothers. Surely, many have heard that there are quite smart animals that, by their behavior, if you watch them, show ingenuity, intelligence, pity for their dead relative. Dolphins, elephants, monkeys, dogs and many others. But are there smart birds? Some skeptics will say something like "Yes, how many brains do they have there so that they can think." But this is far from true. Among the family of birds, there are species that behave quite interestingly in life. They think no worse than animals that are considered endowed with intelligence. Sometimes it even seems that these living beings are as intelligent as people.
If you make a list of the five most intelligent birds, then the crow will come first. An ordinary crow, to which we are so accustomed. A bird that can often be seen on the roofs of houses in cities, which does not fly to warmer climes, but winters near people's dwellings.
The crow is able to memorize up to 150 words and repeat them just like a parrot. This bird can distinguish colors. Can take food out of a package that is securely sealed. Understands and quickly retreats when something threatens her. For example, a weapon in the hands of a person. According to recent research, this bird can solve problems that are beyond the capacity of a four-year-old child. People, for example, saw how, having found a piece of stale bread on the street, a crow carried it into a puddle so that it softened and could be eaten. Also, when a bird fails to peck at a nut, it throws it on the asphalt from a great height. Or just leave it on the road, waiting for a car to pass and crush the thick crust. There are many such examples.
The second place in the list of the most intelligent birds rightfully belongs to the parrot. In nature, there are several hundred species. The most interesting thing is that when copying a person's speech, they understand the meaning of certain words, as they respond to the calls of the owner. Parrots can not only repeat words, they also copy the sounds of other animals and can hum melodies. There are cases when these birds warned their owners about the danger, thereby saving their lives.
In third place are owls. This bird is often depicted on emblems as a symbol of wisdom and intelligence, and this is not unreasonable. The owl is easy to train and easily recognizes its owner. If you watch how a bird hunts, tracks down its prey, it immediately becomes clear that its intelligence is at a high level.
Fourth place is occupied by turkeys. Many consider them stupid birds for the strange sounds they make and for their funny appearance. But that's not the case at all. Turkeys are pretty smart. For example, they recognize their owners, they have a good memory. Finding food somewhere, the turkey will never eat it alone, but will definitely share it with its relatives. Birds do not eat spoiled and bad food, unlike chickens. Oddly enough, but turkeys have their own character and their own quirks.
In fifth place in the ranking of the most intelligent birds is the falcon. The bird is often used for hunting, because it is easy to train. In Arab countries, sheikhs buy well-trained falcons for fabulous money. The bird has a good memory and easily remembers the farthest path. Falcons can be vindictive, trust only their master and do not let strangers near them. The training of the bird is carried out only by very experienced specialists who know their business, because the bird is a predatory bird and can react aggressively to any cry and noise, to the appearance of another animal.
Birds are considered one of the most interesting and peculiar groups of animals. Only they have a distinctive feature - plumage and a characteristic appearance. Birds are so diverse that it makes them attractive for ornithological research, and some collectors have made birds the object of their collections.
Most ornithologists believe that all living birds on our planet are represented by approximately 8700 species. They are divided into orders (of which there are 27) and families (170). However, it is difficult to say the exact figure, as scientists are constantly discovering new varieties. As already mentioned, different types of birds are divided into orders, of which there are a large number: cranes, woodpeckers, owls, ostriches, passerines, chickens, predators and others. It is believed that about 5000 species are songbirds, and 315-342 species are parrots. The existence of 149 species of swans, ducks and geese, and only 1 species of ostrich (African) has been scientifically proven. All birds have an increased metabolism, so their body temperature, on average, is 42 - 45 degrees.
There are more than 760 species of birds in Russia, and of the terrestrial birds, starlings and sparrows are the most common. To increase the population of a particular bird species, several components are necessary: food, reproduction and protection from dangers. In nature, the number of wild birds is regulated by natural selection. The stronger birds survive, while the weaker and sicker ones perish.
How many species of birds are listed in the Red Book?
Only in Russia there are about 126 species of endangered birds. This list includes some species of swans, cranes, most birds of prey and some others.
Along with the Red Book of Russia, each territory has its own list, which lists those bird species that disappear in this area or in this territory. To save endangered birds around the world, bird sanctuaries are being opened, where they are provided with any assistance in development, feeding and maintenance.
If a wild bird is found injured and incapable of further stay in the wild, then they are sent to special reserves where they are treated - there they can find a mate and give birth to new offspring, which they will later release into the wild to procreate. Due to the long and planned work of ornithologists with rare species of birds, in the future they are removed from the endangered section, and they delight us with their appearance in the wild.
Initially, naturalists claimed that there were between 9,000 and 10,000 species of birds on the planet. However, recent studies have doubled this number to about 18,000 species, with the possibility of more species appearing in the future. Birds are generally very mobile, migratory and live in many regions of the world. For this reason, bird researchers believe that there are more bird species yet to be discovered. The American Museum of Natural History has offered the latest number of bird species, urging researchers to work and document the "hidden" diversity of this animal class. According to the Museum, one of the reasons for the confusion is that there are species of birds that are very similar to each other and, if not carefully studied, they will be erroneously classified as members of the same species.
Why is the number of bird species doubling?
The number of species has increased due to miscounting, as well as the discovery of more new species. Scientists considered birds to be among the most studied organisms, with 95% of the described species. However, according to the American Museum of Natural History, scientists have used an incorrect checklist known as the "species concept" that limits the number of bird species that can interbreed. George Barrowkle, Associate Curator of the Museum, argues that this approach is obsolete as it is not even used in taxonomic classification outside of bird species. Burroucle advocates a more thorough study of birds through the lens of morphology, where physical properties such as color, plumage pattern, and other traits play a major role, which can reveal the evolutionary history of species. Using this method would probably double the number of known bird species.
Some bird species are endangered
owls
Owls are one of the most confusing and unimportant birds. There are over twenty species of owls, and there is a strong possibility that more will be discovered in the future. Here are examples of some species of owls: great horned owl, snowy owl and barn owl. Interestingly, in many Asian and African cultures, the mention of owls symbolizes a bad omen and is often associated with death.
During the day, owls skillfully merge with their own. Other species such as the wood owl ( Heteroglaux blewitti), which is shy and docile at first glance, can become aggressive when hungry and catch prey twice its size. Owls tend to be territorial birds and cannot abandon their homes even when faced with danger. This factor and the cultures of individual peoples are the main reasons for the decline of the owl population.
bearded bustard
Bearded bustard ( Hobaropsis bengalensis) is found in only two regions worldwide, in the Cambodian grasslands and forests at the foot of the Himalayas. There are less than 1,000 adults of this species, which is why the Cambodian government has created a special guard to protect the birds. Conservation efforts are also bringing farmers from nearby villages together to implement wildlife-based approaches.
Birds are the youngest in evolutionary terms, highly developed animals, which are characterized by walking on two legs, feather cover, wings and beak, warm-bloodedness with an intensive metabolism, a well-developed brain and complex behavior. All these features of birds allowed them to spread widely around the globe and occupy all habitats - land, water, air; they inhabit any territory from the high polar latitudes to the smallest oceanic islands.
The habitat was a selection factor in the evolution of birds (the structure of the body, wings, limbs, methods of movement, food production, features of breeding).
Birds are characterized by seasonal cycles, which are most noticeable in migratory birds and less pronounced in nomadic or sedentary birds within their zone. The greatest species diversity of birds is concentrated in the tropical zone. Almost every bird species can live in several different biogeocenoses.
The most numerous group of forest birds, among which are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. They nest in hollows, on branches, on the ground. Birds of open places - meadows, steppes, deserts - build nests on the ground; coastal birds nest on the rocks, forming bird colonies, where several species of birds not only live together, but also protect themselves from enemies.
Birds are characterized by a clearly defined dynamics of population change. Thus, the maximum of birds on Earth (up to 100 billion individuals) is observed after the emergence of young animals, the minimum - by the beginning of the next summer (a decrease in numbers up to 10 times). Human economic activity plays an important role in changing the number of birds. The areas of forests, swamps, meadows, natural reservoirs are reduced, some birds are simply exterminated.
The role of birds in food chains is great, since they represent the final links of many food chains.
Birds are of great importance in the distribution of fruits and seeds. In human economic activity, the importance of birds is mainly positive: they exterminate rodents, pests, seeds of weeds, which can be considered as biological protection of fields and gardens. Birds must be protected and protected, fed, especially in winter, not to destroy their nests. Without birds - such bright, mobile, sonorous - our forests, parks, meadows, reservoirs become bleak, dead.
The damage caused by birds is incomparably lower than their benefit. They devastate orchards and vineyards, peck out sown seeds, pull out seedlings, so they have to be scared away. Cases of collisions between birds and planes have become more frequent. Birds carry infectious diseases - influenza, encephalitis, salmonellosis, spread ticks, fleas.
A person is engaged in poultry farming, breeding poultry, as well as ornamental and songbirds.
80 species of birds are listed in the Red Book of the USSR.
There are about 8600 species of birds in the world fauna, of which approximately 750 species are found within the territory of our country. Birds are distributed on all continents of the globe with the exception of the interior of Antarctica; some of them spend most of their lives on the high seas. On land, different types of birds are found everywhere where there is plant or animal food for them - in forests, shrubs, parks, forest belts, meadows, swamps, deserts, mountains and tundra.
Class characteristic
Birds are very similar in structure to reptiles and represent their progressive branch, the evolution of which followed the path of adaptation to flight. Often, birds are combined with reptiles in the group of lizards (Sauropsida). Birds are bipedal amniotes whose forelimbs have evolved into wings; the body is covered with feathers, the body temperature is constant and high.
The organization of birds is adapted to the conditions of flight. The body is compact, the skeleton is extremely light. Spread wings and tail form an area much larger compared to the area of the body. In the structure of the body of birds, one can note not only features characteristic of birds, but also signs common with reptiles. So, in the skin of birds there are no glands, with the exception of the coccygeal gland above the root of the tail. Some birds also lack this gland.
body integuments. The skin is very thin. There are horny covers on the beak, horny scales on the limbs, and claws on the fingers. Skin derivatives are feathers phylogenetically related to scaly formations (this is indicated by the similarity in the development of feathers and scales in the early stages). Feathers cover the outside of the body of birds, help to keep warm (thermal insulation function), provide body streamlining, protect it from damage, form bearing planes in flight (wings, tail).
There are contour and down feathers.
contour feathers consist of a strong and elastic hollow horny trunk (rod) and a soft fan. The fan is formed by a dense network of thin horny plates - beards. Parallel to one another, barbs of the first order depart from the rod, on both sides of which, in turn, numerous thinner barbs of the second order depart, the latter interlocking with each other with small hooks. There are long and especially strong feathers - flight feathers - they form the plane of the wing; long and strong tail feathers form the plane of the tail, the remaining integumentary contour feathers provide a streamlined body shape. 9-10 primary flight feathers are attached to the rear edge of the hand skeleton; during the flight they form a thrust that carries the bird forward, to a lesser extent - lift. Secondary flight feathers are attached to the forearm, they form the main bearing surface of the wing. On the front edge of the latter there is a small wing with several short feathers that make it easier for the bird to land. The tail feathers are involved in flight control and braking.
down feathers they have a thin short stem and a soft fan with thinner and fluffy beards, without hooks (i.e., not connected to each other). Down feathers increase thermal insulation and help reduce heat transfer.
Birds periodically (once or twice a year) molt, in place of old feathers they grow new ones.
Skeleton. The bones of the skeleton are filled with air (pneumatic) and are lightweight. The thickness of the bones is small, the tubular bones are hollow inside, except for air, they are partially filled with bone marrow. Many bones fuse together. Thanks to these features, the bird's skeleton is light and strong. There are five sections in the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and caudal. The cervical vertebrae (from 11 to 25) are movably connected to each other. The vertebrae of other departments are fused together and motionless, which is necessary during the flight. The thoracic vertebrae are almost immobile, ribs are attached to them. The ribs have hook-shaped processes that overlap the adjacent posterior ribs. The thoracic vertebrae, ribs, and broad sternum, or sternum, form the ribcage. The sternum has a high crest below - the keel. A powerful musculature is attached to it and the sternum, moving the wing.
All lumbar and sacral (two of them) vertebrae fuse with each other and with the iliac bones; several caudal vertebrae join them, forming a complex sacrum characteristic of birds. It serves as a support for a pair of hind limbs that carry the entire weight of the body. There are 5-9 free caudal vertebrae; the terminal caudal vertebrae fuse into the coccygeal bone, to which the tail feathers are attached.
The girdle of the forelimbs consists of three paired bones: coracoids, shoulder blades and clavicles. The skeleton of the forelimb, which has turned into a wing, is significantly modified. The wing skeleton consists of one humerus, two bones of the forearm (ulna and radius), several bones of the hand (most of them merged to form one bone) and three fingers. The skeleton of the fingers is sharply reduced.
When moving on land, the entire weight of the body is transferred to the pelvic girdle and hind limbs, in connection with this they are also transformed. The hind limb girdle consists of three pairs of bones that fuse to form the pelvis. In the midline of the body, the pelvic bones do not fuse; this is the so-called open pelvis, which allows birds to lay large eggs. The skeleton of the hind limb is formed by long and strong tubular bones. The total length of the legs exceeds the length of the body. The skeleton of the hind limb consists of one femur, fused bones of the lower leg and foot bones, which form the tarsus, and four fingers.
The skull is characterized by complete fusion of all bones up to the disappearance of sutures, extreme lightness and large eye sockets close to each other. The jaws of birds are represented by a light beak, devoid of teeth.
musculature well developed, its relative mass is greater than that of reptiles. At the same time, the abdominal muscles are weaker than the pectoral muscles, which make up 10-25% of the total mass of the bird, i.e., approximately the same as all other muscles combined. This is due to the fact that the paired pectoralis major and minor muscles, starting on the sternum and its keel, lower and raise the wings during flight. In addition to the pectoral muscles, the complex work of the wing in flight is controlled by several dozen small muscles attached to the trunk and forelimbs. The muscles of the neck and legs are very complex. Many birds have a special device on the tendon of the deep toe flexor muscle that automatically locks the toes in a compressed state when the bird wraps them around a branch. Therefore, birds can sleep sitting on branches.
Digestive system. The digestive organs are characterized by the complete absence of teeth in modern birds, which greatly facilitates the body for flight. In granivorous birds, they are replaced by a muscular stomach, which serves for the mechanical grinding of food, while the glandular stomach serves for enzymatic action.
The digestive organs begin with a beak - this is the main organ for capturing food. The beak consists of an upper part (upper beak) and a lower part (mandible). The shape and structural features of the beak in different birds are different and depend on the method of feeding. The tongue is attached to the bottom of the oral cavity, its shape and structural features depend on the nature of the food. The ducts of the salivary glands open into the oral cavity. Some birds have the enzyme amylase in their saliva and digestion of food begins in the mouth. Swallows and some swifts use sticky saliva to build nests, while woodpeckers have insects sticking to a long tongue moistened with sticky saliva. Food moistened with saliva is easily swallowed and enters the esophagus, the lower part of which in many birds forms an extension - goiter (food is soaked and partially digested in it). Further along the esophagus, food enters the thin-walled glandular stomach, in which numerous glands secrete digestive enzymes. The food processed by enzymes passes into a muscular stomach. Strong muscles are well developed in the walls of the latter, due to the reduction of which the food is ground. The grated food enters the duodenum, into which the ducts of the pancreas and gallbladder flow (birds have a bilobed liver). Then the food enters the small intestine and further to the posterior intestine, which is not differentiated into the large and rectum and is significantly shortened. Through the posterior intestine, undigested food residues are excreted into the cloaca.
Birds are characterized by a high intensity of digestion. For example, sparrows digest caterpillars in 15-20 minutes, beetles - about 1 hour, grain - 3-4 hours.
Respiratory system. The respiratory organs begin with nostrils located at the base of the mandible. From the mouth, the laryngeal fissure leads to the larynx, and from it to the trachea. In the lower part of the trachea and the initial sections of the bronchi is the vocal apparatus of birds - the lower larynx. The source of sounds is the membranes vibrating during the passage of air between the last cartilaginous rings of the trachea and the half-rings of the bronchi. The bronchi enter the lungs, branch into small tubes - bronchioles - and very thin air capillaries that form an air network in the lungs. Blood capillaries are closely intertwined with it, gas exchange occurs through the walls of the latter. Part of the bronchial branches is not divided into bronchioles, goes beyond the lungs, forming thin-walled air sacs located between the internal organs, muscles, under the skin and even inside the hollow bones. The volume of the air sacs is almost 10 times the volume of the lungs. Paired lungs are small, are densely spongy bodies, not bags, as in reptiles, and are not very extensible; they grow to the ribs on the sides of the spine.
In a calm state and during movement on the ground, the act of breathing is carried out due to the movement of the chest. The sternum descends when inhaling, moving away from the spine, and when exhaling it rises, approaching it. During flight, the sternum is immobile. When the wings are raised, inhalation occurs due to the fact that the air sacs are stretched and air is sucked into the lungs and sacs. When the wings are lowered, exhalation occurs, oxygen-rich air enters the lungs from the air sacs, where gas exchange takes place. Thus, oxygenated air passes through the lungs during both inhalation and exhalation (the so-called double breathing). Air sacs prevent the body from overheating, as excess heat is removed with the air.
excretory system. The excretory organs are represented by two large kidneys, which make up 1-2% of body weight, they lie deep in the pelvis on both sides of the spine. There is no bladder. Through two ureters, uric acid in the form of a white mushy mass flows into the cloaca and is excreted outward along with excrement without lingering in the body. This reduces the body weight of the bird and is relevant when flying.
Circulatory system. The heart of birds is relatively large, its mass is 1-2% of body weight. The intensity of the heart is also high: the pulse at rest is 200-300 beats per 1 min, and in flight - up to 400-500 (for birds of medium size). A large volume of the heart and a frequent pulse ensure rapid blood circulation in the body, an intensive supply of oxygen to tissues and organs, and the removal of metabolic products.
In the structure of the heart, attention is drawn to the complete division of the heart by a longitudinal solid partition into the right venous and left arterial halves. Of the two aortic arches, only the right aortic arch is preserved, originating from the left ventricle. Large and small circles of blood circulation are completely separated. The systemic circulation begins in the left ventricle and ends in the right atrium; arterial blood is carried through the arteries throughout the body (all organs are supplied only with arterial blood), venous blood through the veins enters the right atrium, and from it into the right ventricle. The pulmonary circulation begins in the right ventricle and ends in the left atrium. Venous blood through the pulmonary arteries enters the lungs, is oxidized there, and arterial blood through the pulmonary veins enters the left atrium, and from it into the left ventricle and into the systemic circulation. As a result of the fact that arterial and venous blood does not mix, the organs receive arterial blood. This enhances metabolism, increases the vital activity of the organism, and causes a very high and constant body temperature of birds (42-45 ° C). The constancy of body temperature and its independence from the ambient temperature is an important progressive sign of birds and mammals in comparison with the previous classes of animals.
Nervous system. The brain has relatively large hemispheres and visual lobes, a well-developed cerebellum, and very small olfactory lobes. This is due to more complex and varied behavior and ability to fly. All 12 pairs of cranial nerves originate from the brain.
Of the sense organs, vision is the most developed. The eyeballs are large, which provides large images with sharp details on the retina. There are three eyelids on the eye - the upper, lower and transparent inner, or nictitating membrane. Accommodation (focusing the eye) is carried out by changing the shape of the lens and a simultaneous change in the distance between the lens and the retina, as well as some change in the curvature of the cornea. All birds have color vision. The visual acuity of birds is several times higher than that of humans. This property is associated with the great importance of vision during flight.
The hearing organ is anatomically similar to the hearing organ of reptiles, it consists of the inner and middle ear. In the inner ear, the cochlea is better developed, the number of sensitive cells is increased in it. The cavity of the middle ear is large, the only auditory bone - the stirrup - is of a more complex shape, it is more mobile during fluctuations of the domed tympanic membrane. The tympanic membrane is located deeper than the surface of the skin, a canal leads to it - the external auditory meatus. The hearing of birds is very acute.
Compared to reptiles, birds have an increased surface area of the nasal cavity and olfactory epithelium. In some birds (ducks, waders, predators that feed on carrion, etc.), the sense of smell is well developed and is used when searching for food. In other birds, the sense of smell is poorly developed.
Taste organs are represented by taste buds in the oral mucosa, on the tongue and at its base. Many birds distinguish between salty, sweet and bitter.
Reproductive organs. The male has two testes, the vas deferens form a small expansion in the lower part - the seminal vesicle - and flow into the cloaca. The female has only one left ovary and the left oviduct, which flows into the left part of the cloaca. Fertilization is internal and occurs in the initial part of the oviduct. Due to the contraction of the walls of the oviduct, the fertilized egg moves towards the cloaca. In the oviduct there are protein glands and glands that form on the egg a two-layer leathery shell membrane, a porous calcareous shell and a thin shell membrane. The latter protects the egg from microorganisms.
The egg moves along the oviduct for 12-48 hours and is successively covered with a thick protein coat, subshell, shell and suprashell membranes. At this time, the development of the embryo occurs. At the time of egg laying, it looks like a germinal disk, which is located on the surface of the yolk. Two twisted protein cords - chalase - go from the inner shell membrane to the yolk and support the yolk so that the germinal disc is on top, closer to the body of the bird that incubates the egg. Egg development requires a temperature of 38-39.5 °C. For different birds, the duration of incubation is different: from 12-14 days for small passerines to 44-45 days for golden eagles and almost two months for large penguins, albatrosses, and vultures. In different species of birds, the eggs are incubated by the female, the male, or both alternately. Some birds do not incubate eggs: the oystercatcher in Turkmenistan buries its eggs in hot sand, weed (or large-legged) chickens of Australia and the Malay Archipelago lay them in heaps of sand and rotting plants, during decay, the heat necessary for the development of the embryo is formed.
Most birds incubate their eggs in the nest. Most often, birds build or weave nests from twigs, grass, moss, often fastening them with some additional material (hairs, wool, clay, mud, etc.). The nest usually has raised edges and a recessed interior - a tray that contains eggs and chicks. Thrushes, finches, goldfinches strengthen their nests in the forks of branches on shrubs and trees. In the wren and the long-tailed tit, the nest looks like a dense ball with thick walls and a side entrance, fortified in the fork of the branches. Larks, wagtails make nests on the soil, in a hole lined with grass. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, tits, flycatchers, wrynecks nest in hollows, kingfishers, bee-eaters, sand martins nest in burrows along river banks. Many swallows build their nests from lumps of clay and mud held together by sticky saliva. Rooks, crows, storks, many diurnal predators build nests from large knots and branches. Gulls, guillemots, loons lay their eggs in the sand, depressions on the ledges of rocks. Female ducks, geese, eiders pluck out fluff on their abdomen and line their nests. Temperature fluctuations in nests are much less than in the environment; this improves the incubation conditions.
According to the degree of physiological maturity of the chicks at the time of hatching, all birds are divided into two groups - brood and chicks. In brood birds, chicks immediately after hatching are covered with down, sighted, can move around and find food on their own. Adult birds protect the brood, periodically warm the chicks (this is especially important in the first days of life), and help in the search for food. This group includes chickens (black grouse, hazel grouse, pheasants, partridges, quails, chickens), anseriformes (geese, ducks, swans, eiders), cranes, bustards, ostriches. In nestling birds, the chicks are initially blind, deaf, naked or slightly pubescent, cannot move, and remain in the nest for a long time (in passerines - 10-12 days, in some birds - up to 2 months). All this time, their parents feed and warm them. This group includes pigeons, parrots, passerines, woodpeckers and many others. First, the parents feed the chicks soft nutritious food (for example, tits feed the chicks with spiders in the first days). The chicks leave the nest feathered, almost reaching the size of adult birds, but with uncertain flight. For 1-2 weeks after departure, the parents continue to feed them. At the same time, the chicks learn to search for food. Due to various forms of care for offspring, the fecundity of birds is much lower than the fecundity of reptiles, amphibians and fish.
Extinct forms and phylogeny. All the features of birds that distinguish them from reptiles are predominantly adaptive to flight. It is natural to think that birds evolved from reptiles. Birds originate from the most ancient reptiles - pseudosuchians, in which the hind limbs were built in the same way as in birds. The transitional form - Archeopteryx - in the form of fossil remains (imprints) was found in the Upper Jurassic deposits. Along with the features characteristic of reptiles, they have signs of the structure of birds.
Systematics. Modern forms of birds are divided into three groups: keelless (South American, African, Australian ostriches and kiwis), penguins and keels; the latter combine a huge number of species. About 30 orders belong to keeled birds. Of these, the most important are passerines, chickens, diurnal predators, anseriformes, pigeons, etc.
flights
Sedentary birds live in certain areas throughout the year, such as sparrows, tits, magpies, jays, crows. Migratory birds after the breeding season make migrations hundreds of kilometers long, but do not leave the boundaries of a certain natural zone, for example, waxwings, bullfinches, tap dances, crossbills, and many owls. Migratory birds regularly migrate thousands of kilometers from their nesting sites for their wintering grounds along well-defined flyways to other natural areas.
Flights are a seasonal phenomenon in the life of birds, which arose in the process of evolution under the influence of periodic changes in weather conditions associated with the change of seasons, intense mountain building processes over vast territories and sharp cooling in the Quaternary period. The long northern day and a large amount of animal and vegetable food contribute to the feeding of offspring. In the second half of summer in the northern regions, the daylight hours are reduced, the amount of animal food (especially insects) is reduced, the conditions for its production worsen, the nature of metabolism in birds changes, which, with increased nutrition, leads to the accumulation of fat reserves (in American tree warblers, before flying over sea fat reserves are up to 35% of the mass of birds). Many birds begin to unite in flocks and migrate to wintering places. During migrations, birds fly at normal speeds, small passerines move 50-100 km per day, ducks - 100-500 km. Migrations of most birds take place at an altitude of 450-750 m. In the mountains, flocks of flying cranes, waders, and geese were observed at an altitude of 6-9 km.
Flights in some species occur during the day, in others at night. The flight alternates with stops for rest and feeding. Migratory birds are capable of celestial navigation, i.e. to the choice of the desired flight direction according to the position of the sun, moon and stars. The selected correct general direction of flight is corrected according to visual landmarks: during flights, birds adhere to riverbeds, forests, etc. The direction and speed of migrations, wintering grounds and a number of other features of birds are studied using their mass banding. Every year about 1 million birds are ringed in the world, including about 100 thousand in the USSR. A light metal ring is put on the bird's leg with the number and symbol of the institution that performed the ringing. When a ringed bird is caught, the ring is removed and sent to Moscow to the Ringing Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
The meaning of birds
Birds are of great economic importance, as they are a source of meat, eggs, down, and feathers. They destroy pests of fields, forests, orchards and orchards. Many species of domestic and wild birds suffer from psittacosis - viral diseases that humans can also become infected with. Birds living in the taiga, along with mammals, are a natural reservoir of the taiga encephalitis virus. Birds living in Central Asia, along with mammals and reptiles, can be a natural reservoir of tick-borne relapsing fever pathogens.
However, no bird can be considered only useful or only harmful, it all depends on the circumstances and the season. For example, sparrows and some granivorous birds feed on seeds of cultivated plants, they can peck juicy fruits (cherries, cherries, mulberries) in gardens, but they feed their chicks with insects. For feeding chicks, especially a lot of food is needed. The great tit brings food to chicks up to 400 times a day, while destroying up to 6 thousand insects. Pied flycatcher for feeding six chicks for 15 days collects 1-1.5 kg of insects, preferably small caterpillars. The blackbird during the autumn migration destroys a lot of bugs of the harmful turtle in the forest belts and thickets of bushes: the bugs of the harmful turtle during this period account for up to 74% of the total number of insects in the stomachs of thrushes. Especially many harmful insects on crops and in forest plantations are destroyed by tits, flycatchers, nightingales, swallows, nuthatches, swifts, shrikes, starlings, rooks, woodpeckers, etc. Insectivorous birds eat a lot of mosquitoes, midges, flies that carry pathogens. Many birds (larks, pigeons, tap dances, goldfinches, partridges, quails, bullfinches, etc.) feed on weed seeds, clearing the fields of them. Birds of prey - eagles, buzzards, falcons (falcons, saker falcons, kestrels), some harriers, and owls destroy a large number of mouse-like rodents, some feed on carrion and, thus, are of great sanitary importance.
Under certain conditions, some species of birds can be harmful. In particular, the bee-eater feeds on bees near apiaries, but in other places it destroys many harmful insects. The gray crow eats eggs and chicks of small birds, but also feeds on insects, rodents, and carrion. The goshawk, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier destroy a large number of birds, in particular, marsh harrier - chicks of waterfowl. One rook eats more than 8 thousand larvae of May beetles, click beetles, beet weevils per season, but in spring rooks pull out seedlings of corn and some other crops, so crops have to be protected from them.
Bird strikes sometimes lead to serious accidents in jet and propeller-driven aircraft. In airfield areas, birds have to be scared away (in particular, by broadcasting recorded distress calls or alarms).
By making transcontinental flights, birds contribute to the spread of pathogens of certain viral diseases (for example, influenza, psittacosis, encephalitis, etc.). However, most birds can be considered useful. Many birds serve as objects of sport or commercial hunting. Spring and autumn hunting is allowed for hazel grouse, capercaillie, black grouse, pheasants, partridges, ducks and other birds. On the islands and coasts of the Arctic Ocean, light and warm eider down is collected, with which the eiders line their nests. Down is used to warm the clothes of pilots and polar explorers.
poultry farming
Poultry farming is an important branch of agriculture that is developing rapidly. In poultry farms and poultry farms, chickens are bred (egg-laying breeds - leghorns, Russian whites, Oryol; egg-meat - Zagorsky, Leningrad, Moscow), geese, ducks, turkeys. Tens of thousands of eggs are laid in incubators at the same time. Feeding, collecting eggs, maintaining the required temperature and light, cleaning processes, etc. mechanized and automated.
bird protection
To increase the number of useful birds, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for their nesting, for example, mixed forest plantations with a variety of shrub undergrowth, planting bushes in parks and gardens. Hanging artificial nesting sites (birdhouses, nest boxes, etc.) can increase the number of tits, flycatchers, starlings and other birds by 10-25 times. In winter, it is recommended to feed sedentary birds by placing feeders on window sills, in front gardens, gardens, and parks. Birds should not be disturbed during the nesting period, destroy nests and collect eggs. During the hatching of chicks, hunting for birds is prohibited. Birds should also be protected in their wintering areas. Of great importance in the protection of birds are state reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. For some rare and endangered species of birds (for example, the white crane, etc.), measures are being developed for artificial keeping and breeding in nature reserves.
Wherever we are - in the forest or in the field, in a big city or on a deserted sea coast, we will definitely meet birds. Well, if you ask any of you: how many species of birds do you know? How many varieties can you confidently distinguish in nature and correctly name? You can be sure in advance that this number will not exceed, at best, one or two dozen.
Meanwhile, more than 700 species of birds live on the territory of our Motherland! Surely many do not even know the names of the birds that will be discussed. Most of them are useful for humans. Some destroy pests - insects and rodents, others give us meat, fluff, eggs, others decorate forests, enliven parks, fill the world with songs, and this is also very important!
Imagine a spring forest in deathly silence, and you will understand that these are not empty words. Birds are our national wealth, our heritage, they need to be protected and loved. And for this, first of all, you need to know the birds, be able to distinguish them from each other, know where and how they live.
Here we will try to help you with this.
In the category “Birds by orders”, we will divide all the feathered inhabitants of Russia into groups - this way it will be more convenient to perceive information about a particular bird, its description, structure, size, habitat, nesting and breeding features.
To begin with, general information about birds: the body temperature averages 42.3 degrees Celsius (the maximum is 45.5 for the smallest birds). The mass of birds has very wide limits - from a few grams, like a hummingbird, to almost 100 kilograms - these are ostriches. Due to the high level of metabolism necessary for survival (especially northern birds), they can absorb food per day with a total mass of up to 30% of their weight, and some eat food of the same weight as themselves.
They eat both plant and animal food. They reproduce by laying eggs. They have plumage and are mostly capable of flight. But there are exceptions (penguins, ostriches), but this is already a secondary phenomenon.
To date, there are more than 8,400 species of birds in nature, divided into forty orders. Almost 730 species of birds from 24 orders live, nest and settle on migrations in Russia.
Based on the reference book edited by Professor G.P. Dementieva.
- - warbler
- - finches
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