The “Mospriroda” told what migratory birds can be found in summer in Moscow

About 270 species of birds are found in the natural areas of Moscow during the year, 100 of which are present in the city only in summer. About what kind of birds these are and where they can be found, “Mospriroda” specialists told.

“In summer, in our latitudes and to the north, there is much more food than in the south. This is especially true of small passerine birds that feed their offspring with insects. To raise chicks — and each pair of birds has six, seven, eight mouths, sometimes even more, they need places richer in food, and this is a reason to fly away.

In addition, in our latitudes in summer, daylight hours are much longer, even than on the Black Sea coast. In addition, birds try to return exactly to the places where they themselves were born,” explained Svetlana Podvintseva, an employee of the “Mospriroda” State Environmental Budgetary Institution.

The smallest and most inconspicuous migratory birds of the capital are the warbler, wren and kinglet. They weigh less than 10 grams and prefer to hide in dense thickets.

In addition to them, in the large green areas of Moscow in the summer you can find several species of warblers, including reed and thrush, which are listed in the Red Book of the city.

“Mospriroda” noted that this year a rare small plover settled in the Zelenogradsky nature reserve, which does not come to the capital every summer. The bird can be recognized by the yellow rim around the eyes and the dark stripe of feathers across the head.

In the “Zelenogradsky” reserve and Bitsevsky forest, you can also meet ibises, recognizable by their long crest.

Svetlana Podvintseva emphasized that usually the range of migratory species is not limited to only one green area or one specific water body. Therefore, you can find feathered travelers in various parts of Moscow.

A few years ago, waders-carriers were again seen in Moscow, which had not appeared here for five years. The press service of the Metropolitan Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection noted that the appearance of these birds indicates an improvement in the ecological situation in the city.

Another bird from the waders — woodcocks — appear in Moscow every year. However, meeting them in the city, however, can be difficult. The fact is that they migrate at night, and during the day they move in small groups and short flights. Unfortunately, despite the fact that they arrive in the city every six months, these birds are unaccustomed to its conditions and often die, crashing their beaks into shop windows and the mirror surfaces of buildings.

Specialists of the rehabilitation center for birds “Ornitary” in Sokolniki recommend that when meeting with a wounded bird, do not try to help it yourself. It is worth calling, for example, their center so that the birds can get the right care.

Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons