Where do wild swans live?
Swans live on the continent of Eurasia, Australia, South America and North America. They live near bodies of water. Moreover, the size of the reservoir does not matter much. They can live both on small lakes and on the shores of seas and estuaries.
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Bird categories
Depending on the species, these birds can be migratory, partially migratory, or remain in their habitat for the entire winter season.
Therefore, they can be divided into the following categories:
- Migratory group - trumpeters with white plumage, tundra analogues, American, black subspecies, South American birds of this type fly south.
- Partially migratory birds are whoopers and mute birds with white feathers.
- Birds that winter in their habitats are Australian birds of this species.
The last group can also include birds of this class that have received an injury that does not allow them to migrate and swans that remained in their main habitat due to mild climatic conditions in winter.
Swan habitat
White individuals prefer to settle in areas where the climate is temperate and in tropical areas. They belong to waterfowl, and therefore live mainly in various types of water bodies. They feed there, in shallow water, on various mollusks, small crustaceans, fish and vegetation.
Most bird species live in the northern hemisphere, the black species lives in Australia and New Zealand. The black-necked swan, or as it is otherwise called the South American swan, is found in fresh waters in the south of South America, where it nested.
Black-necked birds do not live in the following countries:
- Asia;
- Central America;
- Northern regions of South America;
- Africa.
Zoologists note that the whooper species lives on the Eurasian continent, mainly in its northern part. In countries such as Iceland, Scotland, a number of Scandinavian countries, also in the territory from Kamchatka to eastern Sakhalin, on the Black, White and Baltic seas.
The whooper occupies territory mainly on the water. Prefers large lakes that are overgrown with grass, reeds and reeds along the edges of the banks, or on remote lakes in the forest. It happens that they are located on the sea coast in areas overgrown with reeds.
They settle in bodies of water near places where people live. If swans live close to people, they should not be disturbed.
The mute lives further south than the whooper swan. Occupies the southern and central European zone, as well as most of Asia. Mute swans, like other types of swans, are located in remote estuaries and overgrown lakes. Swans are also spotted in the swamps.
Migration Features
Spring migration
Regardless of where birds fly in winter, what species they belong to and where they nest, spring migration is usually very intense, and in a short time the birds return to their nesting places. Each pair strives to occupy the best site and larger territory, and begin to build a nest earlier. Swans are more aggressive in the spring - tired from a tiring flight, they often fight with their neighbors for their territory and nest.
The most pronounced and intense migration is observed in the northern regions, since the summer there is very short and the time for hatching chicks is limited. Another reason is the rapid growth of plants and the ability to spend a lot of time searching for food. This is facilitated by the long northern daylight hours.
The peak of spring migration occurs in late February and early March.
Autumn migration
In autumn, migration occurs less noticeably. Birds are more reluctant to fly, form flocks and spend more time traveling to their wintering grounds. Birds make more stops to feed and rest. The answer is simple: in autumn flocks there are many young birds that cannot handle long flights. The only exceptions are small swans. They tend to quickly leave cold nesting regions. Before the autumn migration, birds spend a lot of time in training flights so that the young become stronger and learn to use air currents. The training flight distance is several tens of kilometers. Most often, birds describe a circle above the resting and parking area of the entire flock.
Sources:
https://yes-dacha.ru/1391-razbiraemsya-lebed-pereletnaya-ptitsa-ili-net-i-vyyasnyaem-puti-ego-migratsii.html https://mnogo-krolikov.ru/pticy/lebed-ego -vidy-perelyotnaya-eto-ptica-ili-net.html https://nalugah.ru/pticevodstvo/lebedi/perelyotnaya-li-ptica-lebed-gde-zimuyut-i-kuda-uletayut.html
Swan: its species, is it a migratory bird or not?
You cannot remain indifferent when you see a flock of swan flying high in the sky; it has some special appeal.
These are very beautiful birds, and the red beak and black paws make them especially elegant, emphasizing the whiteness of the feathers. With such a bright appearance, it is not easy for them to hide from prying eyes. Yes, they don’t need that. It is not without reason that the swan has been the most popular bird among artists, poets and singers since mythology. Swans (Latin name CYGNUS)
Family - Anatidae (ANATIDAE)
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A very important condition for keeping swans in winter is the air temperature. Both cold and too high temperatures can have a negative impact on the health of swans. It is very important to determine the optimal relative humidity. High humidity can cause loss of appetite in swans and also lead to illness. Too dry air will lead to poor heat transfer, the bird will always feel thirsty.
The poultry house must have good ventilation. Otherwise, the air will be very polluted, appetite will decrease, and various respiratory diseases are possible. You also need to follow the recommended planting density - plant 1 adult swan per 1 square meter of floor area. The space for one bird should be fenced off with a net, thus creating unique sections.
There should be a pen located directly next to the premises. In warm weather, swans are walked in it. The poultry house for keeping swans in the winter must have dry and clean bedding. You can use peat, straw, shavings, sawdust, and husks as it. Slaked lime is laid under the bedding, based on the calculation of 0.5-1 kilogram per 1 square meter.
Sensational discovery!
However, on May 21, 1822, a sensation spread around the world! Near Mecklenburg , an 80-centimeter arrow was found in the body of a dead stork, piercing the bird’s neck. The arrow was not from here and belonged to one of the African tribes . A desperate brave man with an arrow in his throat managed to overcome the entire migration route, returning home from the equatorial wintering grounds.
This story shed light on the mysterious disappearance of birds in winter. A stuffed specimen of the famous arrow stork can still be seen in the zoological collection of the University of Rostock.
Repeated reports of white storks with African arrows in their bodies helped make the discovery: European birds winter in equatorial Africa. However, ringing, which naturalists began to carry out since the 90s of the 19th century, made it possible to accurately determine the places where birds fly to for the winter.
Airspeed
The flight speed of birds during migration is relatively low. One of the slowest is the quail - it flies at a speed of approximately 40 km/h ; the black swift is among the fastest (160 km/h). But during the flight, birds can spend a lot of time on stops, and in general, their long journeys - for example, to Africa - can last for 2 - 4 months. The speed of spring migration when migrating species return is higher - in spring birds return home faster than in winter they fly to wintering grounds.
Sources:
https://nalugah.ru/pticevodstvo/lebedi/perelyotnaya-li-ptica-lebed-gde-zimuyut-i-kuda-uletayut.html https://pustunchik.ua/online-school/biology/zoology/kudy-vidlitaiut -ptakhy-na-zymu-i-yak-povertaiutsya-nazad https://zoolog.guru/pticy/kuda-uletayut-pticy-na-zimu-i-mesta-kuda-oni-letyat-do-vesny.html
Migration routes
Despite the fact that swans are large birds, they are quite graceful in flight, but this is only at first glance. Despite all the beauty of flight, soaring skyward is not always easy. After all, only the wingspan can reach 2 meters. Only thanks to well-developed muscles are they able to fly long distances without getting tired for a long time.
The most famous species of swans is Whoopers. While in flight, they make loud sounds, which explains their name. They migrate in a certain way, forming a wedge led by a leader. The leader is the strongest bird, thanks to which a special aerodynamic force is created. This allows his comrades flying behind him to spend less energy flapping their wings.
When the leader gets tired, another bird replaces him. Occasionally they make short stops and continue on their way. Whoopers prefer to spend the winter on the coasts of the Black and Baltic Seas; they can often be found on the shores of Scandinavia. They choose secluded places with a lot of aquatic vegetation.
Black swans are the least likely to be seen. In addition, they spend summer and winter in Australia. You can only meet them in Europe or Russia in a zoo. Representatives of Black-necked Swans spend the summer in South America. But for the winter they can either fly away or stay in the same place.
The American swan goes to the Pacific coast of California or Florida for the winter, and when it gets warmer it returns to the tundra of North America. The mute swan, so named for the hissing sounds it makes, is rare. But if it can be found, it is only in the southern latitudes of Europe and Asia.
As soon as calendar spring arrives, migratory swans return home. But winter is not always in a hurry to leave, so more often the birds arrive, but the ice has not yet melted. They have to try hard to find a secluded place. More often they live in pairs, so they often begin to quarrel with newly arrived families.
While exploring the territory in search of food, birds do not forget about building a nest. Swans do not like to change their location often, so they approach construction thoroughly, piling up nests with branches, dry grass, and moss. To make the nest stable, swans choose places in shallow waters. As summer approaches, the couple has chicks that can take care of themselves literally from the first days. And with the onset of cold weather, the whole family goes to warm countries.
Where do cranes winter?
The wintering grounds of gray cranes lie in the south of Western Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, India and China. Cranes living in the north of the European part, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries fly to France, Spain, Egypt and Sudan for the winter.
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Where do birds go for the winter? Funny myths from the past
Just some 200 years ago, people could not even imagine that birds would travel thousands of kilometers to spend the winter in warmth and comfort. What kind of inventions did ornithology (the science of birds) know?
Aristotle himself believed that many birds, including swallows and kites, hibernate during the winter, and some even transform into another species. According to the philosopher, the redstart, which he observed only in the summer, in the fall turns into a robin, which the scientist had to see only in the winter.
Many scientists listened to the fantastic versions of Aristotle, who lived before our era. Even a couple of centuries ago, they were sure that swallows and swifts hibernate at the bottom of lakes, immersed in silt. There were also those who considered the birds too fragile to cross seas and oceans, so they “sent” them to the moon to spend the winter! Europeans and North Americans believed that small birds traveled on the backs of large ones.
Where do birds fly for the winter?
The founder of ringing is believed to have been the Danish science teacher Hans Mortensen . The man hung light aluminum rings on the swallows that were hanging around the school. A year has passed and the birds are back! This was the first attempt to mark birds.
By studying the migration of swallows using banding, scientists have determined that these little daredevils reach South Africa. Transcarpathian swallows , for example, cross the Sahara and spend the winter in Central Africa. It was also chosen by Ukrainian nightingales . These are complete migrants.
How do birds find their way when migrating?
There is still no clear answer to this. Scientists believe that the behavior of birds is guided primarily by instinct . To test this hypothesis, the Dutch scientist A. Perdek conducted an experiment with starlings.
Having ringed several thousand birds, he transported them from the Netherlands to Switzerland and released them into the wild. Young birds, migrating for the first time in their lives, went to the southwest. Thanks to instinct, the starlings managed to choose the right direction. But in the end they deviated from the course and ended up significantly south of the wintering place. The young birds had no choice but to spend the winter in Spain and the south of France. And adult starlings, who had experience of seasonal flights, showed that they have sniper navigation and are perfectly oriented in space. The birds immediately laid out a new route to the west and northwest, easily reaching their usual wintering place - Great Britain.
, the key reference point for birds is the Sun. Birds are able to see polarized light, so they can easily find their way even during bad weather.
Gustav Kramer, who observed starlings in captivity in the 1950s, decided to test the orientation of birds by the Sun. With the onset of spring, the birds flocked to the northeast. Even when their cells were rotated in different directions, the direction did not change. Then the scientist changed the location of the mirror system so that the sun's rays fell from the opposite side. And - a miracle! — the starlings changed direction to the opposite.
However, Kramer's new experiments, when the artificial star did not move, showed that in the fall the birds are still restless and tend towards their usual wintering places. This proved that birds have an internal clock , by which they determine the time of day and year.
Of course, when migrating, birds are also guided by ground landmarks - the location of mountains, valleys, river beds. This is how they find familiar places for food and rest.
At night, birds look for their way by the stars . This hypothesis was first tested by Franz and Eleanor Sauer. When scientists brought the birds to the planetarium and turned on a star map of the autumn sky, the birds flew to the southwest. And when the star map was changed to spring, the birds quickly turned to the northeast. While you are surfing the Internet at home, the birds, while still in the nest, are studying a map of the starry sky!
What if the sky is covered with clouds at night? Another landmark for winged travelers is magnetic fields . The Earth is a giant magnet with magnetic field lines stretching between the South and North Poles. The bird's brain contains a special organ that is capable of recording these fields. Iron particles in the beak also help the bird determine its location relative to the Earth's magnetic field.
A large number of birds (geese, swans) learn the route of seasonal flights, migrating with experienced relatives. But the cuckoo has to find its way on its own, thanks to its innate instincts.
At what altitude do birds migrate?
Most songbirds migrate at altitudes of 500–2000 meters. And this is the height of 2-4 Eiffel Towers. Some winged birds rise almost 7 kilometers above the ground. Swans were observed at a distance of 8 kilometers from the ground, and bar-headed geese were observed at an altitude of 9 kilometers above the ground .
Small birds can fly continuously for 70–90 hours, flying four thousand kilometers. Their flight speed is 30 km/h. Large birds migrate at a speed of 80 km/h.
