Sandpiper with red beak. sandpiper bird

Kulik is a common bird. This is a large suborder, isolated from the order Charadriiformes. Many families belong to waders, but ornithologists cannot decide on a common opinion and make a final classification. Let's talk about these differences and the lifestyle of waders from different families.

Ornithologists controversy

Scientists call waders by the sonorous Latin term Charadrii. Some use the synonym Limicolae. Until recently, the suborder of aquatic and semi-aquatic waders (order Charadriiformes) consisted of the following families:

• types of plovers;
• 4 subfamilies of oystercatchers;
• waders from the Tirkushkov family;
• sickle-billed birds;
• avocet family;
• snipe;
• colored snipes;
• jacana.

Now, more and more sound arguments are being voiced that two groups of birds are falsely classified as waders:

• the first includes plovers, avocets and oystercatchers;

to the second - snipe birds, colored snipes and the Yakan family.

There are active disputes that representatives of the second group formed an independent branch of evolution. However, until a final decision is made, both groups continue to be regarded as waders.

Description of varieties. oystercatcher

The wader, which we will begin with the smallest representative, can have various sizes and a varied appearance. The hero of this section is the oystercatcher. The mass of this bird rarely reaches 30 g. The baby has ten-centimeter narrow wings, a short and straight beak, legs of medium length with small fingers. Keel, sides, goiter, neck, neck and cheeks are reddish-buffy with brown mottled. The tummy of the oystercatcher is white, and the flight feathers on the wings are black-brown. In winter, the color brightens a little.

This sandpiper is a bird of the cold tundra. She settles in the Norwegian forests and in Siberia. Occurs up to the lower reaches of the Lena. The oystercatcher winters in Africa or South Asia.

The mating games of the oystercatcher-sparrow. Breeding

Oystercatchers begin mating mating, having returned from their wintering places to their native lands. To attract the attention of the female, the male takes off and raises his wings in flight. Instead of smooth movements of the wings, it performs twitches, making invocative trills that resemble the "song" of a grasshopper.

The couple builds a nest under the bushes. Lines it with foliage and lays 4 eggs. The color of the egg shell is olive-brown. The eggs differ in color from each other. Laying occurs at the end of June, and chicks appear at the end of July. Within a month, the initial fluff is replaced by a full-fledged plumage, but the kids are not yet ready to fly. In August-September, young animals unite in flocks, learn to fly and prepare for the flight.

Black Sandpiper

This species of waders is in the snipe family, which means that it may soon be brought into a separate evolutionary branch. The black oystercatcher is much larger than the oystercatcher. The weight of many individuals reaches 80 g. The body of the blackie can be up to 25 cm long, and the wingspan of the bird is slightly less than 50 cm. The belly of the blackie is white, the tail is also white below, and its tip is black.

The black snipe nests in the coniferous forests of the Scandinavian countries and Siberia. It chooses swampy places, the couple stays in the nest for about two months, after the appearance of chicks, the black oystercatcher leaves the nest. For the winter, it flies to the temperate latitudes of Central Africa and South Asia.

oystercatchers

These are beautiful birds with strong legs and a straight elongated beak. The color scheme of the plumage is contrasting, black and white. Sometimes there are brown and brown shades. Oystercatchers are 4 subfamilies united by one name. The most common is the common oystercatcher. This bird is about the size of an average pigeon. The long strong beak is sometimes raised upwards, but not often. In all common oystercatchers, the beak is slightly flattened from the sides.

Adult birds have a black head, neck and upper back. Part of the wings and the tip of the tail are also black, but the belly, the lower part of the wings and the tail are white. The northern subfamilies of oystercatchers have more white pigment in plumage. And one of the subfamilies is completely black. The weight of the oystercatcher is slightly less than 500 g, the wingspan is about 50 cm.

This sandpiper is the easiest bird to photograph along the banks of river basins in Eastern Europe. However, they live only near those rivers whose currents are directed to the south. In addition, the oystercatcher can be found on the coast of the White and Barents Seas. The population of Kamchatka, Northern and Western parts of Europe, as well as America, Africa and even Australia are familiar with these birds. Birds winter in Asia and Africa.

Nesting "forty" begins at different times. It depends on the geographic location. In the Moscow region it is April, in the Kandalaksha Bay - May, on the coast of the Barents Sea - June. Nests are built on wide shallows or on rocky shores. In the inland territories, these are river and lake shores. The structure of the nest is the most primitive (a hole with a lining). Clutch contains 5-6 large eggs. Incubation lasts up to 28 days. Oystercatchers are caring parents. They feed their offspring for a long time, because they cannot get their own food.

marsh sandpiper

On the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, you can often meet the marsh sandpiper. This bird is a desirable hunting trophy because it has tender tasty meat. In various sources, the names "gowtail", "nettigel" and "snail" are found. They are all the same bird. From the name of the family it is clear that this sandpiper is a marsh bird.

The size of this species of waders is comparable to that of a pigeon. However, his beak is thin and long, and his legs are also much longer than those of a pigeon. The plumage has a yellowish-reddish color with streaks. The female is somewhat brighter, and the male is more red. Return to native swamps from wintering falls around April.

Pairs of marsh waders care so fiercely for their offspring that they often give away the nesting site. They try to scare away predators and hunters by drawing attention to the chicks. Hunters massively exterminate birds, knocking out entire generations.

What do waders eat

It is necessary to consider another important aspect, without which the shorebird will not survive - nutrition. All families have a similar diet. It includes small invertebrates, various insects, larvae, crustaceans, worms, mollusks, spiders. Plant foods are often present, mostly berries. Larger species may prey on small fish and lizards.

In the framework of this article, we have considered only a few families from a large suborder of waders. Some of them are modest and inconspicuous, some are bright and contrasting. The sandpiper is an interesting bird, the suborder contains such different representatives that you may want to get acquainted with other families.

Latin name– Haematopus ostralegus

English name- Eurasian (Common pied) oystercatcher

Order Charadriiformes

Oystercatcher family

This sandpiper got its Russian name for its black and white coloration, really similar to the coloration of magpies. Yes, and his behavior is somewhat reminiscent of a magpie: just as noisy and noisy. And the English name translates as "shell catcher", which is associated with its feeding behavior.

The center of origin of the oystercatcher family is probably the New World, since the earliest fossil remains of these birds were found in North America.

conservation status

Oystercatcher is widely distributed, and its population in many parts of its range is quite stable and high. Therefore, the species as a whole does not need special protection. However, 2 of its subspecies - the Far East and the mainland are listed in the Red Book of Russia.

View and person

The oystercatcher is not of hunting interest to humans, so it can get shot either by accident or because of its very annoying cry, which can infuriate hunters for other animals. When choosing a nesting site, it sometimes settles near human buildings, and there are cases when oystercatchers nested on fields and roofs of buildings.

However, some populations of these waders are suffering from the loss of nesting sites due to economic activity man: erection of dams, regulation of river flow and other land reclamation works.

In the Faroe Islands, the oystercatcher has been declared the national bird.

Spreading

It inhabits the sea coasts of Europe from Scandinavia and Iceland to the Mediterranean, as well as the coasts of the Far East and the Yellow Sea. Several subspecies of oystercatchers adhere to the interior regions of Eurasia, occupying pebbly and sandy shoals along the banks of rivers in the forest and forest-steppe zones, and in Central Asia even deserts.

In our country, it breeds along the shores of the Barents, White and Baltic Seas, on some rivers of the European part and Western Siberia, as well as on the Amur and on the coast of Kamchatka and Primorye.

Throughout most of its range, oystercatchers are migratory birds. However, in the north-west of Europe, some birds remain in winter at their nesting sites, forming mixed flocks with waders that arrived from Iceland, Scandinavia and north-west Russia. Another part of the oystercatchers moves south to the shores of the Iberian Peninsula and Southern Europe, and some cross the Mediterranean Sea and reach North Africa. Populations from the central regions of Eurasia are long-distance migrants and fly to East Africa for the winter.

Due to the fact that the range of the species is very extensive, the birds living in different parts of it differ in appearance(color, length of the beak, wing and paws), therefore, about 17 subspecies are currently distinguished. Of these, oystercatchers from Kamchatka are the longest (beak up to 10 cm), and the European marine subspecies has the shortest (8 cm) and high beak.

Appearance

Compared to other waders, the oystercatcher is a fairly large bird, about the size of a crow or slightly smaller. Body length 40-47 cm, weight in different populations from 420 to 820 g, wingspan 80-86 cm. The general color of the plumage is contrasting - black and white. The eyes are orange-red, the beak and paws are bright red. Hence the Latin name of the genus - "bloody-footed".

Adults in autumn feathers and juveniles are more dull in color.

Females are slightly larger than males and have longer beaks.

Oystercatchers fly well, run fast and swim very well.

Feeding and feeding behavior

They feed on molluscs, crustaceans, marine polychaete worms (they are called polychaetes), aquatic or semi-aquatic insects. They get food by wandering along the coast or shallow water, examining and turning over each stone, looking into the cracks between them, often probing the soft muddy soil, looking for edible objects by touch. Oyster-magpies deftly open the shells of bivalve mollusks by sticking their beak, compressed from the sides, between the shells and cutting the mollusk's closing muscle with it. As a result of these manipulations, the beak noticeably grinds down, but with the seasonal transition of birds to other foods, it grows again.

Oystercatchers can fish, but they do it reluctantly, only in the absence of more familiar food.

Activity

Oystercatchers are diurnal birds, their active life activity takes place during daylight hours (although the northern populations live in the conditions of a round-the-clock polar day in summer).

Vocalization

The voice of the oystercatcher is loud, sharp, sometimes reminiscent of the cry of a large motley woodpecker. The oystercatcher actively guards not only its territory, but also warns other birds of danger, therefore, during the nesting period, its calls are heard quite often on the coast.

Reproduction and parenting behavior

Oystercatcher starts nesting shortly after returning from winter quarters, in April-May. Each pair (and the pairs of these waders are permanent and persist for life) occupies its last year's site, and even the place of the nest often remains the same. Pairs break up very rarely, mainly due to competition for nesting sites or in the event of the death of one of the partners.

Courtship games or mating in oystercatchers are well expressed. Males walk on the ground or fly in circles with their beak down and neck outstretched, and they call loudly.

The nest is usually located in a shallow hole among pebbles, sometimes under a hummock, sometimes completely open, close to water. The nest tray is lined with a small amount of dry grass, pebbles, fragments of shells. The clutch contains from 2 to 4, but most often 3 eggs, which have a protective color (dark spots on a light background). The interval between the laying of each egg is at least a day, i.e. from 1 to 3 eggs takes 2-3 days. Incubation begins with the laying of the first egg, but the chicks hatch only a few hours apart, suggesting that the last eggs take less time to develop than the first. In general, incubation lasts 26-27 days. Both parents incubate, often replacing each other. In case of loss of clutch (from predators or high tides), the birds lay a second one.

Hatched chicks are covered with grayish fluff with dark spots, which makes them completely invisible against the background of the shore. Their beak and paws are not red, but grayish, their eyes are dark. The entire brood keeps together in its nesting area, adults still protect it, and the chicks hide in danger. Adults feed the chicks by passing food from beak to beak or by dropping it on the ground in front of them. The oystercatcher is the only oystercatcher that can carry food in its beak. Oystercatcher chicks can not only swim well, but also dive well. According to some reports, they can swim several meters under water. The process of feeding the young lasts about 1.5 months, after which the chicks fledge.

Mortality among oystercatcher chicks is quite high, often up to 2/3 of chicks die in the first days.

Lifespan.

According to ringing in nature, oystercatchers live up to 40 years.

life in the zoo

In our zoo, oystercatchers live in the inner enclosures of the Bird House along with other oystercatchers. On the day they receive about 220 g of food, both vegetable and animal. As with all waders, animal feed predominates in the diet - 175 g; these are meat, fish, squid, flour worm, hamarus crustaceans.

The well-known saying “each wader has its own swamp” reflects the indestructible connection of birds with a characteristic reservoir. There are approximately 75 species of waders in the numerous order of marsh birds in Russia alone.

Due to their wide distribution in all regions, birds have become the most famous trophy of hunters.

Description and features

Kuliks are included in the order Charadriiformes, which unites 6 families. According to the habitat of birds, they are divided into groups of forest, marsh, mountain, sand. Despite the diversity, waders are united by distinctive features clearly identified by ornithologists.

Most birds are interconnected with water, live along the banks of rivers, lakes, swamps, although among the waders there are representatives of the desert - Avdotka, forest thickets - woodcocks.

On the photo is a forest sandpiper

The general appearance of the sandpiper resembles the outline of a dove on long legs for walking in shallow water, viscous soil. But there are also short-legged representatives (lapwings,).

There are three toes on the feet, the development of the fourth is weak. If a bird, then the bases are connected by membranes. The body is dense. The tail is short and never looks up. Some birds shake them when walking.

Kulik in the photo maybe in different outfits. The color of the majority is modest, inconspicuous. White, red, black, gray colors predominate. There are exceptions - bright in contrasting plumage and legs of yellow, red color, for example, oystercatchers, turukhtans. The outfits of males and females practically do not differ. Kulik changes plumage twice a year.

Kulik - marsh bird. A long beak and an excellent sense of touch help to extract food from the furnace mass. Good vision, hearing contribute to the activity of birds at night.

The method of extracting food is associated with the shape of the beak bend - down, up or sideways. Many receptors help to get food. With its main tool, the bird is able to move a stone to search for a mollusk, the weight of which is not inferior to its own. The wings are usually long and sharp.

The shape and size of the waders vary considerably. The length of the birds varies in the range of 15-62 cm, weight can be from 200 g to 1.3 kg. All waders are excellent runners, most birds can swim well. The adaptation of birds to different climatic conditions contributed to the widespread settlement in various parts of the land, except for.

The main enemies of waders in nature - predator birds. The approach of a falcon creates panic, which manifests itself in loud screams and diving. There is no salvation for waders in shallow water. Chicks often become prey for crows, buzzards, martens, arctic foxes. Skuas steal eggs from nests.

In some species of oystercatcher, females have different plumage than males.

Kinds

Ornithologists distinguish 214 species of waders from 13 families. Despite the diversity, many varieties are listed in the Red, slender-billed curlew, lapwing, are in the category of endangered species.

The main reason is human activity: drainage of shallows, development of coastal areas. Breeding birds in captivity is problematic. Only certain species are known for expanding their area of ​​​​distribution (stilt and some others).

Among the variety of waders, the following species are most famous:

Spines. Large cautious birds of graceful appearance. Long legs, beak help to feel confident on the muddy coasts, steppe swamps, in damp meadows. Peacefully coexist with other birds. They are great at flying, running and swimming. The motley attire includes black and white plumage with red patches.

Curlews. Large-sized birds with a remarkable sickle-shaped beak. Description of the sandpiper necessarily contains this detail, by which the bird is immediately recognized. The length of the beak reaches 140 mm. The color is earthy gray, the tail is decorated with a white stripe.

Curlews are a hunting species, but in some parts of the range it is not subject to shooting. Inhabits swamps, floodplains. Swims well. The flight of the bird is strong, fast, with sharp turns. During migration, birds fly in a wedge, which is not typical for waders.

Sandboxers. Small waders of graceful forms live in the tundra zone. The birds have a small beak, relatively short black legs. The size is larger, the addition is dense. Small eyes give a blind look.

They keep in tight flocks. Similarity with a sparrow is observed in certain varieties: white-tailed sandpiper, oystercatcher. At night, sandpipers are active.

snipes. Small birds have very long beaks. It is difficult to confuse with other snipe relatives. He likes areas with high humidity: coasts, swamps, swamps. Excellent swimmers and divers.

They spend a lot of time on the ground, but they fly well. In case of danger, they even carry the chicks in their paws to a new place.

Zuiki. Birds of medium size with a small head, short beak. They run on low legs with mincing steps. The tail of the birds is long, the wingspan is 45 cm. The feathers are black, white, reddish-brown shades create a variegated color, which differs in different species: sea, turnstone, lapwing.

Snails. The inhabitants of the middle latitudes are painted in gray tones, sometimes with black and white speckles. This is special wader bird who bows with her whole body. A long beak, high legs and a medium-sized body are inherent in all snails. There are large individuals, weighing up to 400 g.

Plovers. Less than other waders are tied to water. The inhabitants of the tundra are the size of a dove. High legs, small beak, black-grayish-white color. Prefers large spaces, through which it moves in short flights and dashes.

Turukhtan. A bird related to the sandpiper stands out with bright colors, which is not inherent in the whole genus. Males in mating season sparkle with green, blue, yellow, reddish hues.

Another important difference is the fighting qualities of birds. Cock-like fights are common among these original waders. Fluffy collars, rapier beaks, throws at the enemy and wing beats express the fighting characters of birds.

Fights do not prevent subsequent peaceful rest in the neighborhood of a recent enemy.

Lifestyle and habitat

Omnipresent waders live on the territory of all continents except Antarctica. These are flocking birds, gathering up to several thousand individuals. Most waders are nomadic, although there are also sedentary representatives.

About, which birds are migratory or not, says their habitat and wintering. A decrease in temperature, a lack of familiar food causes waders to leave their usual places. Almost all of them migrate long distances from their native places.

Waders can cover a distance of up to 11,000 km without stopping, flying over mountains, deserts, and bodies of water. The inhabitants of Siberia fly to Australia for the winter, from Alaska they fly to southern Argentina.

During migrations, flocks of waders form mass concentrations on separate sections of the coasts. There the birds find food to gain strength for distant wanderings.

In Russia different types waders are found everywhere. Small plovers, woodcocks, and lapwings live in the Far East. In Primorye - a nesting place for godwit, the coast of mountain rivers - the birthplace of the Ussuri plover.

Sandpipers not only fly well, but also run on the ground, swim, dive. Many types of waders can be tamed. Active and sociable, in captivity they take root well, get used to homemade food.

They adapt to a new environment, are not afraid of a person, feel and respond to care. Attempts to preserve rare waders listed in the Red Book are complicated by the difficulty of their breeding.

Nutrition

Kulik is a bird reservoirs. The diet of birds consists of aquatic, terrestrial invertebrate organisms - these are worms, crustaceans, molluscs, and various insects. Birds of prey eat mice and frogs, lizards; in the summer, locusts become a delicacy of birds, which are consumed in large quantities.

Waterfowl anglers even dive for their prey. Some waders are vegetarians; their diet is based on grains, seeds, and berries. A special delicacy is blueberries.

Reproduction and lifespan

mating season kulikov opens in April. Drawing occurs both singly and in large groups. The ritual of attracting a partner varies among different groups of waders.

For example, sea plovers rush in the air with trills, and on the ground they spread their tail like a fan and pursue females. In lapwings, attracting attention is expressed in a sharp change in the flight path. Curlews fly high in a circle and sing melodiously.

The marital relations of waders are diverse, manifested in the following forms:

• monogamy - the formation of a pair for the season, the joint incubation of eggs and the care of offspring. The most common type of marriage;
• polygyny - the mating of a male with different females during the season, the elimination of participation in incubation and care of the brood;
• polyandry - mating females with different males, laying eggs in several nests. Incubation and care are carried out by males;
• double nesting - laying eggs in two nests. In the first, the female hatches the chicks herself, in the second, the male takes care. Help for newborn waders is also provided separately.

Sandpipers nest on the ground, eggs lie in holes without bedding. Some species of birds take over other people's nests in trees.

Chicks are born sighted, body with thick down. Although babies are able to feed themselves from birth, parents worry about their offspring: they warm, protect, lead to feeding areas. In case of danger, sandpipers desperately defend the nest and attack the enemy.

By the age of two, the young are ready to mate. The average life expectancy reaches 20 years.

Drainage of territories and mass development deprives birds of their usual places, threatens to reduce populations. Neighborhood with a person is detrimental to birds, but only a person can create conditions for saving rare species of waders.

Oystercatcher, mainland subspecies- Haematopus ostralegus (longipes) Buturlin, 1910

Spreading: The type specimen is described from the headwaters of the Ob (Aley River). The area occupies the center and south of the European part of Russia, Zap. and, in part, Central Siberia. Sev. the border runs in the upper reaches of the Volga, captures the lake. Kubenskoe, rr. Sukhona, Vaga, the middle course of the Northern Dvina, the middle course of the Pechora and the upper reaches of the Ilych, in the West. Siberia along the Ob reaches Salekhard. To the east distributed to the lower reaches of the Abakan, on the Yenisei only vagrants are noted. South the border of the range in the Asian part goes beyond Russia, in the European part it captures the Volga delta, the Caspian coast, the river. Terek, coasts of the Black and Azov seas. Zap. the border of the range passes outside Russia. Within the range, especially in the European part, it occurs sporadically: in the bass. Dona nests in places on the Upper and Middle Don and large tributaries, Dono-Tsimlyansky Sands. Widely distributed along the Volga and its main tributaries, absent from most of the Volga reservoirs. Breeds in the upper and middle reaches of the Northern Dvina, Pechora and their tributaries. The Ob inhabits from Barnaul to Salekhard, nests on the Irtysh, Ishim, Tobol and the lower reaches of their main tributaries. Nesting has been noted on the lake. Chany, r. Chulym, rivers Yuzh. Ural, Saratov Trans-Volga, the middle course of the Desna.

Habitat: The oystercatcher is a narrow stenobiont that nests mainly along sea coasts, in well-developed valleys of large and medium-sized rivers, along the coastline of fresh and salt lakes in areas with sandy-pebble shallows, spits, and islands that are poorly fixed by vegetation. Avoids swampy and wooded banks, rivers with narrow deeply incised valleys. Occasionally nests in floodplain meadows, choosing areas with low herbage (abandoned roads, fire pits, drifts, etc.). Cases of nesting in potato fields and on dumps and alluvial sand pits have been noted. It starts breeding at the age of 47-59 months, the life expectancy established for the nominative subspecies is 35 years. A significant proportion of birds do not breed annually, remaining in the nesting area. Breeds in single pairs, in some cases together with lesser and lesser terns. Clutch 2-4, usually 3 eggs. One clutch per season. The ease of access to nests determines high level death of clutches - up to 38%. Refers to distant migrants, winters on the coasts of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, India, East. Africa, Mediterranean. It feeds on sea beaches, on sandy and rocky littoral, on mudflats that become free at low tide, along the banks of lower rivers. Coasts that go steeply into the water and with narrow beaches are unsuitable for nesting and feeding. It feeds on invertebrates (crustaceans, mollusks, insects).

Number: On the sowing the European part of Russia as a whole is not numerous, in the central and south. rare parts. In bass. Sea of ​​Azov, the largest nesting groups are known on the Taman Peninsula (60 pairs) and Dono-Tsimlyansky Sands (100-150 pairs), in other districts it nests in single pairs. Not numerous along the Volga in the delta, more common in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain. Before the creation of reservoirs, it was common throughout the entire Middle Volga, currently it breeds only in scattered small groups or single pairs, the number, for example, in the Kuibyshev Reservoir region, has sharply decreased. On the Upper Volga and most of its tributaries rare, the number is low. In Bashkortostan it is rare with a constant tendency to decrease in numbers. Separate very rare pairs are found on large and medium rivers (Dema, Sakmara, etc.). For most areas of the Central Russia is a rare or very rare subspecies, reducing the number. Up to 4 pairs / 10 km of the Oka riverbed nested in the region of the Oksky Reserve, on the river. Sura in the Penza region. nests 8-10 pairs, in the Ulyanovsk region. 50-60 pairs. In the Molozhsky spur of the Rybinsk Reservoir. in 1967-1971 counted 0.5 individuals/10 km of the coast. More common in Vyatka, where the number is only in the Kirov region. 700-800 breeding pairs. Rare on the Pechora and its tributaries - 0.02-0.18 individuals / 10 km of the riverbed. In general, in the European part of Russia, the number of breeding pairs is 2-4 thousand. The state of the population in the Asian part of the range of the mainland subspecies is relatively safe - in the bass. Ob, south Trans-Urals. In the subzone sowing. taiga in the Ob floodplain, the population density in nesting habitats reaches 21 individuals/km2. To the south, the number decreases sharply, amounting to 2-3 individuals/km2 in the middle taiga. In the south taiga is common on small rivers of the Ob floodplain, rare on the Irtysh and rivers of the subtaiga zone. In bass. Yenisei in the Minusinsk basin is very rare and the number is declining. The main limiting factors are the natural limitation of nesting stations, low breeding rates, sensitivity to the disturbance factor. The decline in numbers was facilitated by the reduction in the area of ​​nesting habitats (due to the construction of reservoirs), their degradation as a result of increased recreational use, and the increased pressure of predators in floodplain lands, incl. corvidae.

Security: Listed in the Appendix of the agreement concluded by Russia with India on the protection of migratory birds. An insignificant part of the population is protected in Astrakhan, Darwin and some other reserves and national parks. On the territory of Russia, special protection measures are necessary for the European part of the range of the mainland subspecies. It is necessary to identify the main places of concentration on nesting and include them in the composition of specially protected or natural areas with limited economic and recreational use during the nesting period.

Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) is a fairly large bird (body length 40-47 cm, weight 420-820 g). This is a common inhabitant of the Arctic, which belongs to the order Charadriiformes. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands, located in the north of the Atlantic Ocean, have made this bird their symbol.

Ornithologists distinguish three populations of oystercatchers, depending on their habitat. Each of them forms a separate subspecies, which differ in size, beak length and plumage color.

They call it Magpie because of its black and white plumage.

The northern oystercatcher lives on the coast of the Russian Arctic up to the Pechora River in the east. In the west of our country, there are mainland oystercatchers, which can be seen on such rivers as the Don, Volga, Northern Dvina, Ob, Irtysh, Tobol.

And, finally, the Far Eastern oystercatchers chose Primorye and the Kamchatka peninsula as their habitat. These birds prefer to nest on islands, sea coasts, banks of rivers and lakes. Numerous flocks of birds can be seen on the exposed areas of the bottom during low tide, where waders gather food.

This medium-sized bird is easily recognizable by its memorable appearance. The fact is that the sandpiper has a long bright orange beak and contrasting black and white plumage. The iris of the eyes to match the beak is red-orange. But the short legs are pink. Adult females and males are almost indistinguishable from each other.

But the color of feathers in young individuals is slightly different: instead of black plumage, they have brown, legs are light gray, and the beak is mostly dark gray, only orange at the base.

Oystercatcher is a fussy and noisy bird. The main cry, made both on the ground and in the air, is the far audible trill “quirrrrrr”. While incubating, it emits a sharp, repeated “quiek-quiek-quiek”, usually with the beak lowered. The last song, often speeding up and turning into a trill, sometimes comes from both members of the pair at the same time, or from a small compact group of birds.

These birds feed mainly on various invertebrates: insects, crustaceans, mollusks, earthworms. The diet of birds living on the sea coasts is supplemented with bivalve mollusks, for example, mussels, Baltic poppies and others. Oystercatchers also sometimes eat fish. In search of food with their long beaks, the birds stir up pebbles or wet sand.

Gathering in huge flocks on the sea coasts, waders are very noisy and hostile towards each other. Between the birds, fights are often tied for feeding places.

Oystercatcher can live up to 36 years

Oystercatchers arrive at nesting areas in mid-spring. Although their character is not easy, these birds are devoted and gentle towards their soulmate. Once formed, the couple is preserved, as a rule, for life. The nest for waders is a small shallow hole dug in sand, pebbles or short grass.

These birds do not bother themselves with creating special comfort: there is not even any litter at the bottom of the nest. The main conditions - it should be located on a small hill, so that the surroundings are clearly visible, and closer to the water.

Both parents incubate the chicks. As soon as they are born, downy chicks leave the nest on the very first day, but at first they are unable to follow their parents and get their own food. They stay close to the nest while the parents bring them food in their beaks, often from afar.

Grown up chicks swim well and in case of danger they dive, swimming several meters under water. The feeding period is about 1.5 months, all this time the chicks spend the night in the nest.