Which birds are omnivores. Omnivorous birds. By place of nesting

"The most important orders of birds" - Orders of birds. living synonyms. Pheasant. Owl. Diurnal birds of prey. Wingspan. A large number of mouse-like rodents. Variety of birds of prey. Owl squad. Vulture. Squad of chickens. Consolidation of what has been learned.

"Fairytale birds" - Which ecological group do these birds belong to according to the way of feeding. Ecological groups of birds. The child smiled. Blue bird. Firebird. The inhabitants were engaged in handicrafts made of wood. The old people said. Paradise birds. Birds of happiness made of wood. Birds that catch insects in the air have beaks. Unusually colorful plumage.

"Bird Species" - Middle Spotted Woodpecker. Common nandu. It also lives in Asia Minor and Central Asia. The current of nandu males is somewhat similar to the current of ostriches. Legs are short and yellow. Black kite. The tail of a brownish female reaches 45 cm with a total body length of 75 cm.

"Animals and birds in winter" - Most wintering birds approach human habitation. Mouse. Common dove. Birds and animals in winter. Feed the birds in winter. Footprints in the snow. Forest nurses. Life of birds and animals in winter. The course of the tour. Topic. Winter meetings. Completing assignments and reporting. In the fight against bad weather. Our region is rich in rodents, especially mouse-like ones.

"Variety of birds" - Chicken order. Storks Crane Heron. Squad of ankles. Variety of birds. Cassowary. African ostriches. Order of ostriches. Oriole Bullfinch Jay. Order of nocturnal predators. Cassowary emu. Order of cassowaries. Eagle Hawk Falcon. Pheasant Quail Teterev. Detachment of anseriformes. Owl Owl Sych. Order of diurnal birds of prey.

"Family of birds" - Songbird of the thrush family. Cranes family Height from 90 to 155 cm. Songbird of Oriole family. Subfamily of tit birds. 18 kinds. Small birds the size of a sparrow (body length 9.5-19 cm). Bird of the finch family. Birds. a family of passerine birds. The family of birds of the order of ankle-footed 18 species.

There are 15 presentations in total in the topic

To environmental groups by habitat (Fig. 180) unite birds that have the most characteristic adaptations (adaptations) to life in certain conditions, for example, in the forest, in open spaces, reservoirs, their coasts, swamps. This takes into account not only the structure, but also the behavior.

Often the ecological groups of birds determine by nesting sites : crown-nesting, shrubby, ground-nesting, hollow-nesting, norniks.

Ecological groups of birds are distinguished and by type of food : herbivorous (including granivorous), insectivorous, carnivorous, omnivorous, scavengers.

Birds from different, sometimes distant from each other, systematic groups often fall into the same ecological group, since taxonomy is based on genetic proximity, degree of relationship, and common origin.

Birds of the forest. Most modern birds are associated with the forest. Everyone knows our forest birds: tits, woodpeckers, thrushes, hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie well adapted to life in forests. They have short, rounded wings and long tails. This allows the birds to take off quickly and tack between trees.

Among forest birds there are herbivorous (granivorous), insectivorous, predatory and omnivorous (Fig. 181).

Depending on the nature of the food, beaks and limbs are differently developed in birds. So, insectivores tits, pikas, kinglets, warblers they have thin pointed beaks that allow them to get insects from the crevices of the bark, grab them from the leaves, and get them out of the scales of the cones. Sharp claws and long fingers allow these birds to hold on to branches.

Granivorous birds – greenfinches, schury, grosbeaks. They have a powerful beak, which splits the dense shells of fruits. So grosbeak successfully breaks the strong fruits of bird cherry and cherry. The sharp ends of the crossed beak crossbills allow them to deftly extract seeds from pine and spruce cones.

Large forest birds hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie- Spend a lot of time on the ground. With strong legs, armed with large claws, they rake the forest floor, select the seeds of plants, insects, and earthworms. Strong beaks bite buds, young shoots of trees and shrubs, feed on juicy blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries.

They have a typical appearance for forest birds. magpie and goshawk(Fig. 182): relatively short rounded wings and a long tail. These birds perfectly maneuver among forest trees, have a nimble flight. However, due to the use of different food, their legs and beaks are developed differently. Hawk - predator: its prey are various small birds. With strong legs, armed with powerful claws, the hawk grabs the prey, dismembers it with a bent predatory beak. The magpie has a small cone-shaped beak, which helps it eat a variety of foods (be omnivore ): collect fruits and seeds from the ground, grab insects, worms, a large beetle, and even catch a small mouse.

Birds of open spaces live in meadows, steppes, deserts. They spend a lot of time on the ground looking for food among plants. They have strong legs and a long neck, allowing them to detect the enemy at a great distance. One of the typical representatives of the steppe regions of our country - bustard(see fig. 179, 6 ). This is a large bird weighing 15-16 kg, it feeds mainly on plant foods. Possessing a protective coloration, it often hides among the vegetation, becoming completely invisible. The nest is arranged on the ground, in areas of the virgin steppe. Brood type chicks. In connection with the plowing of virgin steppes, the number of bustards has sharply decreased, and it is included in the Red Book of Russia.

Typical birds of open spaces are ostriches.

waterfowl swim well, many dive. They have a flattened, boat-shaped body, webbed feet, and their legs are set far back. On the ground they move, awkwardly waddling, with a duck's gait. The plumage is dense, with water-repellent properties: the feathers are prevented from getting wet by the secretion of the coccygeal gland, with which the birds carefully lubricate the plumage. Representatives of waterfowl - ducks, geese(Fig. 183) , swans.

A typical representative of waterfowl - mallard duck(see fig. 179, 9 ) that feed in shallow water. Along the edges of its flattened wide beak are horny teeth . With incomplete closing of the jaws through the lattice formed by the teeth, the ducks filter the water, leaving food objects in the mouth: crustaceans, insect larvae, small fish, vegetative parts of plants. The mallard feeds at shallow depths. Sometimes, lowering her head into the water, turning over and exposing the back of her body from the water, she collects food from the bottom and strains it. Mallards make nests on the ground among plants. The lining for the nest is its own downy feathers, plucked from the chest and belly. Clutch 8-14 eggs. Brood type chicks.

Birds of the coasts of reservoirs and swamps live on the banks of water bodies and in swamps, have many common structural features. They have long, thin legs and a neck, a large beak (see Fig. 179, 5, 10 ). In swampy places, their body, raised high above the ground, does not get wet. They feed on frogs, fish, insects, worms, and mollusks. Moving through swamps and coastal shallows, they seize prey with their beak, like with tweezers. These are storks, herons, waders. Many of them nest on the banks, not far from the water, others make their nests in trees. Storks have long lived next to humans. People take care of them, arranging platforms for nests.

sea ​​birds - guillemots, puffins, seagulls- form bird colonies on steep cliffs. They are adapted for hovering over the sea surface (Fig. 184).

Ecological groups of birds according to the ways of feeding. A peculiar group of birds foraging in the air - swallows and swifts(Fig. 185 and 180, 1 ). They spend almost their entire lives in the air, hunting insects from morning to evening. They have long sickle-curved wings. The beak is small, and the slit of the mouth is huge, the corners of the mouth go behind the eyes. With a wide open mouth, they catch flying insects, while the size of the mouth funnel is increased by bristles located at the corners of the mouth. In good dry weather, insects rise high above the ground, and when the humidity of the air rises, the wings of insects get wet, they fly low above the ground. Swallows and swifts follow them, so the flight of swallows and swifts predicts the approach of rain.

Common features possess predators (Fig. 186 and 180, 3 ). They have large strong legs, armed with sharp claws, and a hook-shaped beak. Such features are diurnal predatory birds, owls and even shrikes pertaining to songbirds. The prey of many predators are small animals, which they look out for from a great height, flying over the fields. Other predators catch small birds, feed on fish, large insects. Birds of prey fly beautifully, among them there are long soaring ones, for example buzzards, eagles and vultures. Falcons pursue prey in the air, and then, diving at it, can reach speeds of up to 300 km / h. They have sharp sickle-curved wings that enable them to fly quickly.

Ecological groups of birds

The environmental group unites different types organisms that have similar adaptations to certain environmental conditions or lifestyles. Ecological groups of birds are distinguished on the following grounds: by the nature of their diet, by habitat, by the nature of nesting, and some other features.

Birds from different, sometimes distant from each other, systematic groups often fall into the same ecological group, since taxonomy is based on genetic proximity, degree of relationship, and common origin.

Ecological groups of birds by habitat

• forest birds differ from other groups in that they have rather small legs, as well as a medium-sized head. Their necks are not visible, their eyes are on the sides.
• has a very long neck and long legs. They need them in order to get food in the swamps.
• Birds of open spaces adapted to migration therefore have very strong wings. Their bones weigh less than the bones of other types of birds.
• The last group are waterfowl who live near or in bodies of water. These birds are distinguished by a fairly powerful beak, which helps them eat fish.

Birds of the forest. Most modern birds are associated with the forest. Everyone knows our forest birds: tits, woodpeckers, thrushes grouse, black grouse, wood grouse, well adapted to life in forests. They have short, rounded wings and long tails. This allows the birds to take off quickly and tack between trees.

Among forest birds there are herbivorous (granivorous), insectivorous, predatory and omnivorous. Depending on the nature of the food, beaks and limbs are differently developed in birds.

Large forest birds hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie - Spend a lot of time on the ground. With strong legs, armed with large claws, they rake the forest floor, select the seeds of plants, insects, and earthworms. Strong beaks bite buds, young shoots of trees and shrubs, feed on juicy blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries.

They have a typical appearance for forest birds. magpie and goshawk : Relatively short rounded wings and long tail. These birds perfectly maneuver among forest trees, have a nimble flight. However, due to the use of different food, their legs and beaks are developed differently. Hawk - predator: its prey are various small birds. With strong legs, armed with powerful claws, the hawk grabs the prey, dismembers it with a bent predatory beak. The magpie has a small cone-shaped beak, which helps it eat a variety of foods (be omnivore ): collect fruits and seeds from the ground, grab insects, worms, a large beetle, and even catch a small mouse.

Birds of open spaces live in meadows, steppes, deserts. They spend a lot of time on the ground looking for food among plants. They have strong legs and a long neck, allowing them to detect the enemy at a great distance. One of the typical representatives of the steppe regions of our country - bustard. This is a large bird weighing 15-16 kg, it feeds mainly on plant foods. Possessing a protective coloration, it often hides among the vegetation, becoming completely invisible. The nest is arranged on the ground, in areas of the virgin steppe. Brood type chicks. In connection with the plowing of virgin steppes, the number of bustards has sharply decreased, and it is included in the Red Book of Russia.

Typical birds of open spaces are ostriches.

waterfowl swim well, many dive. They have a flattened, boat-shaped body, webbed feet, and their legs are set far back. On the ground they move, awkwardly waddling, with a duck's gait. The plumage is dense, with water-repellent properties: the feathers are prevented from getting wet by the secretion of the coccygeal gland, with which the birds carefully lubricate the plumage. Representatives of waterfowl - ducks,geese, swans .

A typical representative of waterfowl - mallard duck feeding in shallow water. Along the edges of its flattened wide beak are horny teeth . With incomplete closing of the jaws through the lattice formed by the teeth, the ducks filter the water, leaving food objects in the mouth: crustaceans, insect larvae, small fish, vegetative parts of plants. The mallard feeds at shallow depths. Sometimes, lowering her head into the water, turning over and exposing the back of her body from the water, she collects food from the bottom and strains it. Mallards make nests on the ground among plants. The lining for the nest is its own downy feathers, plucked from the chest and belly. Clutch 8-14 eggs. Brood type chicks.

Birds of the coasts of reservoirs and swamps live on the banks of water bodies and in swamps, have many common structural features. They have long, thin legs and neck, and a large beak. In swampy places, their body, raised high above the ground, does not get wet. They feed on frogs, fish, insects, worms, and mollusks. Moving through swamps and coastal shallows, they seize prey with their beak, like with tweezers. These are storks, herons, waders . Many of them nest on the banks, not far from the water, others make their nests in trees. Storks have long lived next to humans. People take care of them, arranging platforms for nests.

sea ​​birds - guillemots, puffins, seagulls - form bird markets on steep cliffs. They are adapted to hover over the sea surface.

Ecological groups of birds by nesting sites

There are five groups of birds in total. nesting sites . The main difference is only in the form of a nest in which these birds live:

• crown nesting birds build their nests, as the name implies, in the crown of trees ( orioles, glare).
• bush birds place their nests near or in the bushes themselves ( wren, robin ).
• ground-nesting decide to place their nest right on the ground ( larks, skates, buntings, sandpipers ).
• Hollow nesting birds live right in the hollows ( woodpeckers, tits, pikas, flycatchers ).
• And the last group of birds, norniki (sand martins, bee-eaters, kingfishers) live in burrows underground.

Ecological groups of birdsby type of food

On this basis, four groups are distinguished. Representatives of each of them eat a certain type of food:

• insectivorous birds (for example tits or pikas) have thin, pointed beaks, thanks to which they can pull their prey from leaves or take it out of thin cracks.
• herbivorous birds , including granivorous (for example greenfinches) have a powerful beak, thanks to which they can break through the dense shells of fruits. And the sharp ends of the beak help me to pull out the seeds from the cones of various trees.
• Predator birds (for example eagle) feed on a variety of small birds. They have strong legs with powerful claws, thanks to which they grab prey.
• Omnivorous birds (for example magpie) have a cone-shaped beak that helps them feed on various types of food.

Insectivorestits, pikas, kinglets, warblers they have thin pointed beaks that allow them to get insects from the crevices of the bark, grab them from the leaves, and get them out of the scales of the cones. Sharp claws and long fingers allow these birds to hold on to branches.

A peculiar group of birds foraging in the air - swallows and swifts. They spend almost their entire lives in the air, hunting insects from morning to evening. They have long sickle-curved wings. The beak is small, and the slit of the mouth is huge, the corners of the mouth go behind the eyes. With a wide open mouth, they catch flying insects, while the size of the mouth funnel is increased by bristles located at the corners of the mouth. In good dry weather, insects rise high above the ground, and when the humidity of the air rises, the wings of insects get wet, they fly low above the ground. Swallows and swifts follow them, so the flight of swallows and swifts predicts the approach of rain.

Granivorous birds - greenfinches, schury, grosbeak . They have a powerful beak, which splits the dense shells of fruits. So grosbeak successfully breaks the strong fruits of bird cherry and cherry. The sharp ends of the crossed beak crossbills allow them to deftly extract seeds from pine and spruce cones.

They have common features predators. They have large strong legs, armed with sharp claws, and a hook-shaped beak. Such features are diurnal predatory birds, owls and even shrikes pertaining to songbirds. The prey of many predators are small animals, which they look out for from a great height, flying over the fields. Other predators catch small birds, feed on fish, large insects. Birds of prey fly beautifully, among them there are long soaring ones, for example buzzards,eagles and vultures. Falcons pursue prey in the air, and then, diving at it, can reach speeds of up to 300 km / h. They have sharp sickle-curved wings that enable them to fly quickly.

The size of the bird, its strengths and abilities, as well as the abundance of food, needs and competitors.

Most bird species can be divided into 3 categories based on their diet:

Carnivores or birds of prey

This group includes birds whose diet consists mainly of meat, insects, other birds, and. Birds of prey may hunt for their prey or eat dead carcasses. Some carnivorous birds include hawks, falcons, eagles, ospreys, vultures, owls, etc.

This is a general term used to describe an animal meat diet, however there is a more specialized diet that calls for the consumption of certain types of meat by birds, including:

Fish-eating or ichthyophagous

The diet of ichthyophages consists mainly of fish, but may also include aquatic insects, and. Many birds in this category have specialized beaks and strong claws to help them capture their prey. Some bird species that are classified as piscivorous include ospreys, terns, cormorants, and albatrosses. Herons, pelicans, and gulls are also considered partially piscivorous.

Insectivores

Insectivores are different kinds birds whose diet primarily consists of insects such as aquatic insects, flying insects, grasshoppers, caterpillars, dragonflies, butterflies and many others. These insects are an important source of protein for most birds and especially for young chicks.

There are many birds that are considered insectivorous, although they do not only eat insects, as these birds predominate in their diet. Some species choose to feed exclusively on insects at certain times of the year when no other food is available. Birds that are predominantly insectivorous throughout their lives include azure birds, flycatchers, swallows, warblers, woodpeckers, and wrens.

tarantulas

The diet of tarantulas consists mainly of the meat of small birds. Both small birds of prey can eat other birds. They are agile fliers with strong legs and claws that are able to catch and hold their prey. Examples of such birds are peregrine falcons and hawks.

Molluscivores

The diet of these birds consists of eating a large amount of shellfish such as snails, oysters, mussels and slugs. Many mollusk-eaters have sharp beaks and strong jaws that help them locate and capture prey and crack open hard shells. Birds that feed on shellfish include oystercatchers and kites, and occasionally ducks, coots, dippers, and spoonbills.

serpentine

The diet of serpent-eaters consists mainly of snakes. Such birds have quick reflexes and sharp claws for catching snakes. Serpent-eating birds include: secretary bird, black serpent eagle, heron and representatives of the crow family.

herbivores

Unlike carnivores, the diet of birds consists of plant products, including vegetables, fruits, berries, seeds, grains, nectar, etc. Based on food preferences, herbivorous birds can be divided into the following groups:

frugivorous

Their diet consists mainly of fruits such as bananas, apples, pears, oranges, as well as berries. Fruit-eating birds often have special beaks that help cut fruit and remove the skin efficiently. This group includes waxwings, thrushes, starlings and many other birds that feed exclusively on fruits.

Granivores

Grain eaters feed mainly on seeds and grains. These include large birds with thick, strong beaks capable of splitting hard shells, and smaller birds with thin beaks for extracting seeds from pine cones and flowers. Many granivorous birds can also consume insects as an additional source of protein. Examples of granivorous are: chickens, passerines and finches.

Nectarivores

The diet of nectar-eating birds consists mainly of nectar. They may also consume small amounts of fruits, insects, and juice. These birds have specialized beaks that give access to flower nectar. The best-known nectar-eating birds are hummingbirds, colored troupials and honey-eating tanagers.

omnivores

Birds eat plants and animals. Preferred food sources include insects, fish, lizards, crustaceans, rodents, seeds, grains, grasses, nectar, and fruits. The diet may vary depending on the season and the abundance of products. Most species of hummingbirds, ducks, woodpeckers, and eagles are examples of omnivorous birds.

Most often in living corners there are birds of the passerine order. Conventionally, they are divided into two ecological groups - herbivorous and insectivorous.

Herbivorous birds are convenient for keeping in that they are not picky about food - they feed on the fruits and seeds of plants, waste from the table, and relatively easily get used to captivity. Thanks to these properties, amateurs willingly keep even those who do not differ in good singing.

Sparrow we have two species: a field sparrow, or village sparrow, and a house sparrow, or city sparrow. These birds, perhaps, are interesting not so much for their biology as for their history and relationships with humans. The fact is that these birds, the most common for us today, used to be inhabitants of the tropics. Thanks to their easy adaptability to new natural conditions, they settled all over the world. They belong to the weaver family. The family got its name for a peculiar feature of weaving spherical nests from auxiliary plant and other material, in which eggs or chicks are reliably protected from tropical downpours and scorching heat. Tab. 11.1.

In clutches of sparrows, of which there are usually two during the year, there are 3-8 eggs each. Incubation lasts 11-12 days, and feeding the chicks before departure - 12-20 days. But even after that, caring parents do not leave the young that have begun to fly, but willingly feed them and teach them to search for food on their own.

In captivity, sparrows quickly get used to a person, behave at ease, and are active throughout the day. Adult birds are undemanding to feed, and chicks should be fed with insects or minced meat.

Chizh, undoubtedly, occupies the first place in terms of breadth of distribution of the captive-bred native bird species. It is a common inhabitant of predominantly coniferous forests. Among the family of finches, the siskin is the smallest, agile and brightly colored bird. The male is greenish-yellow in color, with a yellow uppertail and black top of the head, with a small black spot on the throat. The wings are black with two yellow transverse stripes. The goiter and abdomen are yellow, brightening downwards. Female, or, as the birders call her, chizhovka, without a black cap on her head, mostly greenish-gray, with dark centers of feathers; the bottom and sides are white with wide longitudinal streaks. Tab. 11.2.

During autumn migrations, flocks of siskins often appear settlements including major cities. Basically, this time, they are caught. The singing of a siskin is not an example of perfection, but it does not have sounds that are unpleasant to the ear. He chirps his song in a patter and hastily, and, having brought out the final knee "tsvi-tsvi", ends it with a drawn out hoarse "keeeee". Sometimes he imitates the singing of other birds, inserting fragments of their melodies into his song.

Siskins are not afraid of humans, they are quickly tamed, have a cheerful, sociable character. According to many ornithologists, this most charming, graceful and intelligent creature will decorate living corners, especially aviaries. In the latter, they can breed in the presence of branches of Christmas trees, among which the birds themselves build a nest from coniferous twigs and moss, lining it with fluff and partly with hair. The necessary "building material" should be placed in the enclosures in advance. The clutch of siskin consists of 5-6 bluish or greenish eggs with brownish spots.

Goldfinch due to its color and good adaptability to indoor conditions, it is familiar to many people and deservedly popular. The name itself speaks of its "dapperness", elegant coloring. Bright eyes immediately catch yellow spots on the wings, a red border around the beak, two light brown spots on the chest, black feathers on the tail, wings and crown. Color variations are possible. Tab. 11.3.

Goldfinches are very energetic restless creatures that lead a flock of life throughout the year, excluding the breeding season. Therefore, they most often sing in chorus. The song is a set of sonorous varied trills with elements from the songs of other birds.

Despite the flock of life, carduelis are quite pronounced individualists. As soon as one of them clings to a burdock cone in order to feast on its seeds, the other, with a screech that can be conveyed by the sound "re-re-re-re", rushes at him in an attack. He cannot indifferently watch how his companion in the flock eats his favorite food.

In spring, flocks of goldfinches break into pairs. Each makes its nest on the thin side branches of trees, where neither a cat nor another predator can climb. Although the goldfinch itself is a rather small bird weighing about 20 g, its nests seem miniature compared to its body weight. They are arranged very skillfully - from the outside they seem to be inlaid with lichens, mosses, small stems, birch bark, and from the inside they are lined with willow and poplar fluff.

Due to their cocky disposition, goldfinches do not get along well in aviaries with other birds. Therefore, it is better to keep them in cages one by one. Nevertheless, for its beauty, cheerful character, easy tameability, the goldfinch, along with siskins, Muscovites and linnets, is one of the most common inhabitants of living corners.

Finch- the most common or, as ornithologists say, the background bird of our forests and parks. Often found in places where no other birds nest, for example, in pure pine parks in cities, in mossy old forests without undergrowth, where, it would seem, there is neither shelter nor food. It is the finches that set the tone in the daytime forest choir, moreover, their song is quite melodic and beautiful. It begins with repeated whistles - "loose" and "clatter", and ends with a pleasant trill - "peal". Often, usually in inclement weather or before sunset, the nature of the singing changes - they begin to "rumble", make monotonous repeating sounds "ryu-ryu-ryu-ryu".

In captivity, finches look depressed and lethargic, but with good care they are quite active and sing relatively briskly. Nevertheless, lovers are attracted by the beautiful colors and sociable nature of the birds.

The finches are painted modestly and pleasantly. The abdomen of the male is reddish-brown, the top of the head is bluish-gray, the back and wings are reddish-brown-green, the wings have a wide white strip with a yellowish border, the tail is black. In the female, reddish tones are replaced by greenish and gray. Tab. 12.1.

Nests are arranged in various parts of trees and large bushes at least two meters above the ground. The nest is dense, hemispherical, "encrusted" with lichens and pieces of birch bark on the outside.

These are migratory birds, but in Belarus they are occasionally found in winter. In early spring, the males are the first to arrive and, having fluffed up, sit for a long time in flocks in the trees of parks and forest edges - they “chill in the wind”.

common oatmeal prefers wet meadows with islands of bushes, lives in fields and on the edges of forests, sometimes in clearings, along railroads and highways lined with trees and bushes. In Belarus it occurs all year round, but migrates to settlements in winter.

In males, the head and abdomen are bright yellow, the back has an orange-brown tint, with dark brown spots, the tail and wings are black-brown with yellowish edges of the outer tail and flight feathers. The female is colored in the same way, but less brightly. Tab. 12.2.

Usually, buntings sit on top of a bush, a tree, a telephone pole and indefatigably bring out their song, ringing like a stream, in the notes of which one can feel the metallic tide of a small bell. It can be translated approximately like this: "zin-zin-zin-qi-i-i!" In fact, the oatmeal song does not differ in complexity or pretentiousness, but in terms of skill and passion of performance, the bird occupies one of the first places among feathered soloists. Her singing is highly regarded by amateurs.

Taming is associated with many troubles. At first they have to for a long time keep in kuteyka, that is, in cages, curtained on all sides with some kind of matter, so that the birds do not break when trying to take off. In addition, wings are tied to them for the same purpose. Cages with already tamed oatmeal are hung above human height. For feeding and caring for birds, you have to approach very carefully. But even under all these conditions, the birds look timid, take food carefully and immediately bounce away from the feeder. However, this is a natural caution, characteristic of them in the wild.

In addition to ordinary oatmeal, a number of species of this family are found in our country - garden, reed, mountain, snow bunting and others.

Lentils- one of the most brightly colored and at the same time beautifully singing birds. It lives in floodplains of rivers, near the shores of lakes, overgrown with shrubs and low alder. Sitting on the top or in the crown of a tree, he sings for a long time his simple, but sonorous and pleasant whistling songs, which can be expressed in words like this: "did you see lentils?" or "Vi-ityu-seen?", and also as "tiyu-ti-tu".

The color of the male is almost entirely bright red, in some places with shades of this color: the back is velvety crimson, the wings and tail are brownish-red, the abdomen is red-gray. Tab. 12.3.

Nests are arranged rather carelessly, loosely and located in the middle part of bushes and small trees. The clutch consists of 3-6 bluish-green eggs with brownish speckles.

He gets used to captivity quickly, easily, and after ten days he already begins to sing. Sings from May to August. It is very peaceful, calm, does not show fear in front of a person and is unpretentious to feed.

Bullfinch, although it is a typical inhabitant of the taiga, it hardly needs a special introduction, it is so familiar to us from the pictures of the winter landscape. True, in the summer in the middle lane it does not occur or is very rare. In Belarus, only a few cases of bullfinch nesting have been recorded. Usually these birds appear with us with snowfall.

The color of the bullfinch uniquely combines red, silver-gray, black and white. The neck, chest, front of the abdomen of the male and the sides of the head are cinnabar-red, the rump and back of the abdomen are snow-white, the chin, the upper and front parts of the head, as well as the wings and tail are black, the back and shoulders are silver-gray. Tab. 12.4.

Bullfinches are almost not afraid of humans and often gnaw on rowan branches right in front of visitors to city squares and parks. At the same time, they quietly and, as it were, sadly call to each other with melodic whistles, inviting new companions to their flocks. Fans are attracted by the original colors, sociable disposition, peacefulness, the fact that the birds are unpretentious to feed, quickly get used to the owner. Only the first 2-3 days they are wild and frightened, as they rarely see people in summer. But soon fear is replaced by affection.

waxwing flies to us together with bullfinches, approximately in the middle of October-November. This is also a very beautifully colored bird, in which black with red horny scales and white ends stand out against the prevailing grayish-brown background with a pink tint. The tail, gray at the base, turns into a black and yellow transverse stripe. On the head there is a brown-brown crest, the throat is black. Tab. 12.5.

Waxwings are almost not afraid of humans. They perch on the trees in large flocks and for a long time sing a simple but pleasant song in a thin tone; the impression is that a mass of small silver bells are ringing at the same time.

Caught waxwings seem phlegmatic, indifferent to an unexpected change of scenery. They do not fight even in large cages and immediately greedily eat rowan berries, just have time to serve. Due to this external greed, waxwings alone are not very attractive in cages or aviaries. But with a group content, their appetite is not so noticeable and their bright plumage and calm disposition come to the fore. Therefore, they are welcome guests in any living corner.

Greenfinch- a common migrant and partly wintering bird in the middle lane. It is distinguished by a dense physique, a massive beak, with which it easily splits seeds, fruits and frozen buds. The color corresponds to the name: yellowish-olive-greenish. The nature of the greenfinch is calm, peaceful, she never attacks weaker birds when kept in groups. Therefore, it is very convenient for keeping in enclosures along with other species. Tab. 13.2.

Sings in early spring sonorously and at the same time gently. Onomatopoeia her song can be rendered as "re-eli-y". Tame with difficulty.

Dubonos massiveness of physique and beak surpasses even greenfinches. It is painted in a very peculiar way: the head of the male is yellowish-brown, the neck is smoky-gray, the throat and feathers around the beak are black, the chest and underside of the body are wine-red, the back is chocolate-brown, the wings are bluish-black, the tail is black-brown with a light border on top. . Tab. 13.1.

It is an inhabitant of deciduous forests. In a nest of dry branches lined with lichen on the outside, it lays from 3 to 7 eggs. With a thick beak, it is able to split the bones of cherries, plums, sweet cherries. Its song is very primitive, but the bird is attractive with its peculiar appearance and coloring. In the study of biology, it is a typical example of the relationship between the structure of the beak and the nature of nutrition.

Spruce crossbill- a typical inhabitant of the taiga zone. It differs from other birds in its scissor-shaped beak, the upper and lower halves of which cross. In addition, it is notable for its bright red-cherry coloration, only the wings and tail are brownish-gray. Tab. 13.3.

And one more interesting feature of the crossbill is winter reproduction in the wild. He incubates his bluish eggs in the dead of winter, among the snow-covered paws of fir trees. He needs to hatch the chicks until the cones open and the seeds crumble from the spring contrasts of day and night temperatures. Crossbills feed their chicks with seeds of conifers. Therefore, it is necessary to bring them out and feed them at all costs until the spring crusts.

The song of crossbills is not devoid of beauty. Birds are painted marvelously, they deal with cones in an interesting way, they get used to captivity easily. All this makes them attractive objects for keeping in living corners. But there are a number of difficulties: they do not tolerate monotonous food and can die. After molting, they often lose the brightness of their outfit. And, finally, in our conditions it is a rare bird, it is difficult to get it.