Nature comes to life in spring, everything blooms. Trills, chirping and birdsong can be heard. They enjoy the warmth and sunshine. With the onset of spring, migratory birds return to their native lands. They begin to build nests and hatch chicks.
Tell the children about migratory birds in the spring. On walks, on the road to kindergarten, school, listen to birdsong, have a conversation, tell the children about their way of life, what they eat. You can even play outside word games which will help develop the child’s speech and enrich his vocabulary.
Birds are warm-blooded creatures. Their average body temperature is 41 degrees. In order for them to stay through the winter and be active, they need a lot of food. But there is no food for insectivorous birds in winter. So they fly away to warmer climes in the fall.
The main reason for the flight of birds is cold and lack of food.
In the spring, insects appear, the snow melts, seeds of last year's plants can already be found, beetle larvae and birds return home.
Birds that fly to warmer regions in the fall and return to their native lands in the spring are called migratory.
Migratory birds in spring. Children about birds
Rooks. E The snow has not yet completely melted, but the rooks have already returned and are walking importantly through the fields.
The rook is similar to the crow, but its beak is thinner and straighter. The plumage is black, with a purple tint.
Rooks are omnivorous. They collect cereals, fruits and plant seeds in the fields; they can eat earthworms and small rodents. They nest in colonies, building nests high in trees.
Destroying beetles and their larvae, bedbugs, caterpillars, rooks bring great benefit gardeners and gardeners.
Starlings and larks fly after the rooks.
Starlings- small birds, similar in appearance to thrushes, but unlike them, they walk on the ground and do not jump. The starling has a sharp black beak. During the breeding season, the beak color changes to yellow. The plumage is black, both in males and females, with a purple, green tint. In winter, white specks appear on the feathers. The starling's tail and wings are short.
Starlings are omnivores: they feed on both plant and animal foods. In early spring, insect larvae are collected and earthworms are eaten. In summer they catch grasshoppers, spiders, caterpillars and worms.
Starlings sing interestingly, they can imitate the sounds of other birds and animals: they make creaking, rattling noises, they can bleat like sheep and bark like dogs.
Both parents build the nest. The female lays 4-6 bluish eggs.
When starlings fly home, they begin to look for a nesting place: a hollow, an old birdhouse.
In schools, children often make birdhouses for starlings in the spring and hang them on trees.
Lark. Arrives early in spring.
The skylark is slightly larger than the sparrow. Its back is brownish-yellow, with variegated speckles, its belly plumage is white, its chest is brown, and the lark has a small crest on its head. The coloring helps the lark to successfully camouflage itself in the grass and on the ground.
The lark lives in fields and meadows. The nest is built directly on the ground, in a hole, among the grass. To build a nest, it uses grass, plant roots, stems, and lines the nest with down. The lark camouflages its nest well.
The bird feeds on grass seeds and cereal plants. In summer - beetles, spiders, butterfly pupae.
Finch. A very beautiful bird and sings well.
Arrives at the end of March. “The finch has arrived, bringing spring on its tail.”
The male has bright plumage (especially in spring). The head is blue-brown, the chest is brownish-red, and there are white spots on the wings.
The finch feeds on insects. Breeds in forests and parks. Adult birds take care of the chicks, feed them and warn each other about danger with an alarm call.
In April, other migratory birds also arrive: blackbirds, swans, kites, geese, ducks, herons, cranes, and warblers.
In May: swallows, flycatchers, nightingales, swifts, orioles.
Martin. A beautiful small bird. Forages for food in the air and catches insects in flight. Swallows live 4-5 years.
They have a slender body, narrow and long wings, a small beak, short legs, and a long tail.
Swallows build their nests from clay, sand and mud, wetting the lumps with their saliva. The inside of the nest is lined with soft bedding. Often nests are made near human habitation, under the roofs of houses, in barns, on river banks. I remember when I was a child we had a swallow’s nest in the barn. She returned every spring and hatched her chicks.
Swallows lay 4-6 eggs in a nest and both parents take turns incubating and feeding the chicks.
Nightingale. A small, songbird.
“The nightingale flew in and sang, which means spring has blossomed.”
The nightingale's plumage is brownish and its tail is reddish. He winters in Africa. Inhabits damp bushes and river valleys. It makes a nest on the ground or in bushes.
Feeds on spiders and insects. The nightingale sings very beautifully. It’s not for nothing that they call him a singer; they sing songs about him.
Thrush, insectivorous birds.
A large bird, beautiful, with yellow plumage. The oriole sings very beautifully, like a flute.
Swans. Graceful bird. Large.
They fly to Africa in the fall and return in the spring. A symbol of purity, beauty and nobility. They say that swans cannot live without each other. There are white, gray and black.
Heron. D a long-legged bird with a sharp beak. They stand by the water and look for prey.
In Tiraspol, near the cathedral, there is a lake where swans live.
Insectivorous birds are the first to fly to warm regions, then granivorous birds and geese are the last to fly when the water bodies freeze.
Cuckoo. Famous bird. Restless, does not like to communicate with other birds.
The cuckoo feeds mainly on insects and their larvae. Favorite dish- furry caterpillars. By destroying them, the cuckoo helps nature.
The cuckoo is an example of the wrong attitude of parents towards their children. She does not build nests for herself and does not hatch chicks. The cuckoo places its eggs in other people's nests. The cuckoo's eggs are similar in size and color to the eggs of the birds into whose nests it places them. The cuckoo throws eggs into the nests of different birds: buntings, wagtails, warblers, and wrens.
When a cuckoo chick appears, it may throw eggs or other chicks out of the nest. He is then fed alone adoptive parents to satisfy the voracious foundling.
Migratory birds. Games and tasks
After introducing children to migratory birds, you can play games to consolidate knowledge and names of birds. I offer games that will help develop a child’s speech.
"Name the chick"
Rook - rook
Duck-... (duckling)
Goose - ... (gosling)
Starling-...(little starling)
Cuckoo - ... (cuckoo).
"One is many"
Swan - swans
Starling -…
Feather - …
Beak - ...
» Fourth wheel"
Crow, parrot, dove, sparrow (parrot).
Swallow, turkey, nightingale, crow (turkey).
Rooster, goose, duck, swift (swift).
Duck, goose, tit, swan (tit).
You can come up with more words for games.
"Call me affectionately"
Chick - chick
Feather -... (feather)
Head-... (head)
Nightingale -... (nightingale)
Wing-... (wing)
Nest-... (nest).
Didactic game ‘ ‘It flies away, it doesn’t fly away.’
Name migratory and wintering birds.
Just like that, when communicating with children, you can introduce them to migratory birds and tell children about birds, learn the names, and recognize birds in nature.
To consolidate knowledge, ask children questions:
Why are birds called migratory?
Why do they fly to warmer climes?
Name the waterfowl.
What benefits do birds bring?
What do they eat?
In conclusion, I suggest you watch a good old cartoon.
I wish you a good spring mood. Listen to birds singing, teach children to recognize birds by their voices, by their plumage. Nature gives us so much joy. Do not miss the opportunity to introduce children to nature, teach them to be kind, take care of birds and animals.
Write your comments. Tell us how you introduce your babies and toddlers school age with migratory birds.
Best regards, Olga.
IN wildlife There are two types of birds: non-migratory birds and migratory birds. The latter commit seasonal migrations from one place to another due to environmental or feeding changes. Also, the reason for flights to warm or cold regions is a characteristic feature of reproduction. Moreover, if one part of the animals prefers an area with high temperatures air, the other remains in cold regions and does not feel any discomfort from this lifestyle.
All representatives of migratory birds are considered very hardy and mobile creatures that are capable of flying thousands of kilometers, independently finding a course to warm countries, and also return home without outside help.
Today we'll talk about the main species of migratory birds, their external characteristics, life cycle and interesting features.
Famous migratory birds
The class of migratory birds includes only those species that migrate to warm regions with the arrival of winter cold weather. This is explained by the fact that they are warm-blooded, and their average body temperature is 41 degrees Celsius, regardless of external temperature indicators. Due to this the bird can tolerate the cold, but it becomes very difficult to obtain food to restore normal internal temperature on the frozen ground cover, which is why it flies to a more comfortable area. It is for this reason that birds say goodbye to their homeland and fly thousands of kilometers to foreign countries with a satisfactory climate.
Among the most famous species of migratory birds are:
- swallow;
- lapwing;
- song thrush;
- lark;
- robin;
- oriole;
- forest pipit, etc.
In addition to the group discussed above, sedentary ones are also found in our regions. Its representatives remain for the winter in their native lands, and the main reasons for possible migrations are related to the lack of food supply or breeding characteristics.
When do birds make their seasonal migrations?
It is important to pay attention to the fact that birds fly away to warmer regions gradually. First thing native land leaving those species that feed on insects and are distinguished by excellent singing abilities. After doing a lot of research and ornithological expeditions were able to determine an interesting pattern: the migratory season is opened by such birds as:
- swift;
- martin.
After them, wild waterfowl, including swans, leave their native lands. This is not strange, because with the advent of frost, water bodies are densely covered with an ice curtain, and the natural habitat of such animals is significantly reduced. When September comes, cranes and then rooks prepare for migration.
Seasonal migration is closed to warm regions geese and ducks. The latter fly away later than everyone else. In addition, there were cases when this waterfowl did not leave its home and remained to winter in the reservoir. True, this happened very rarely, when in winter the reservoirs remained open and did not freeze. For this reason, people began to say that ducks carry the frosty winter and blizzard on their tails.
Nomadic and migratory birds - what are the differences?
Representatives migratory group will leave their native area regardless of environmental circumstances. At the gene level They have an instinct of self-preservation, which implies a seasonal change of home. Whatever one may say, you can’t disturb nature.
Migratory birds include:
- capercaillie;
- pika;
- woodpecker;
- hazel grouse;
- crossbill;
- jay;
- titmouse, etc.
When removed from migratory individuals, nomads leave their natural place of residence only after self-assessment situations. Before making a decision They study weather and food supply. If winter does not foretell severe frosts, siskins, pike-perch and bullfinches do not refuse the opportunity to spend the winter at home. But if birds feel the approach of severe cold weather, they will leave their homeland without hesitation and move to warm countries.
The rapid development of ornithology and science in general has made it possible to identify a lot amazing facts about the flights of birds. Now we know how birds can navigate in the air and form flocks of thousands for such long journeys.
Absolute navigation of the above-mentioned creatures is ensured magnetic field our land. Eg, the starling finds his way out southern regions to the north only due to the innate understanding of the direction of the north magnetic pole. In addition, he quickly determines his current geolocation and creates a route to return.
When forming a large flock, birds are guided by the dynamics of its light and dark elements. Birds maintain a certain level of density, which allows them to accurately collect the necessary information from relatives by different gestures and actions.
The most famous migratory bird is the rook
Among the many greatness of migratory birds The rook is considered very popular. Many people still call it the “harbinger of winter,” because the bird leaves its native area only at the end of autumn (usually at the end of October or mid-November). The bird returns home in the first days of March, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region where it lives.
Ornithologists highlight one unique ability of this bird - it can imitate human speech no worse than the famous parrots. Adult bird grows up to 45 centimeters with a weight from 310 to 490 grams. Externally, the rook is not much different from the crow, and the main characteristics consist in the pronounced slenderness and surface of the feathers, painted black with a purple tint.
The rook has a thin but very straight beak. With its help, the animal obtains food from the most inaccessible sources, for example, from underground. The bird is unbiased in its choice of food. The diet may also contain earthworms, and rodents, and plant food.
Rook plays very well important role for flora and fauna, because they eat a wide variety of forest pests, among which:
- bedbugs;
- caterpillars;
- rodents, etc.
Martin
Another very famous migratory bird is the swallow. In the absence of facts and scientific evidence, probably no one would have believed that such a fragile and tiny bird could fly thousands of kilometers from home. But the bird actually makes seasonal migrations twice a year. True, during such a procedure, many individuals from the flock die and do not reach the indicated place. Cases of mass extinction of an entire flock due to weather changes cannot be ruled out.
The external features of the swallow look impeccable. The bird has elongated wings and a clear cut tail. She practically doesn't walk on the ground and spends a significant portion of its life in flight. It is important to note that even sleep and mating occur in the air.
There are about 120 species of swallow in the wild. Due to their unpretentiousness to living conditions, swallows can live almost anywhere. Today they are absent only in Antarctica and Australia. As bird food They use only insects that they pull out of the ground or look for in the bark of trees.
Nightingale
Even a child knows about this amazing creature. He is popularly known for his magnificent singing abilities and amazing appearance.
Over the years ornithologists did not know why the nightingale makes such beautiful sounds and sings most own life. As a result of long research, it was possible to determine that when singing, the bird does not pay attention to the dangers that surround it. She humbly lowers her wings and continues to receive incredible pleasure from her favorite activity. It would be great if people treated art the same way.
With the arrival of winter cold weather, the nightingale moves to North Africa, but returns home in mid-April. Already during this period one can hear the first delightful songs of this tiny creature. As soon as insects are born, the bird’s life takes on new vigor.
In winter, our feathered friends - wintering birds - are cold and hungry. We will talk about them in our Internet lesson on the world around us.
Let's figure out what kind of birds there are.
- Migratory- birds that, with the onset of cold days, fly to places rich in food,
- Wintering(sedentary) - those of our feathered friends who stay with us for the winter.
What birds winter in our forests?
Crossbill
The bird got its name from its beak, which resembles ticks. Crossbills feed on spruce and pine seeds all winter. The seeds of these plants ripen by winter. This means that the most food for crossbills is available at this time of year. Therefore, these birds hatch their chicks in winter. There is snow and frost all around, and there are babies in the nest. But the cold is not scary for them, because they are always full.
Bullfinches
Because of its ability to appear with the first snow, it was called the bullfinch. Most often in photographs or paintings these birds are depicted sitting on rowan branches. Its berries are their favorite food. Moreover, they do not eat the pulp, but only peck out the seeds. Because of this, gutted red crumbs of berries are always scattered on the snow under the tree. In winter, bullfinches eat the seeds of alder, maple, ash, hornbeam, and elderberries. In the summer, in the fields, they feast on the seeds of quinoa, burdock, horse sorrel and other herbs.
Woodpecker
Who among us has not heard the tireless drummer of our forests, the woodpecker, knocking and hammering on wood? But you can recognize a woodpecker not only by its knocking, but also by its characteristic cry, similar to “ki-ki-ki.” Everyone calls him the forest doctor because he heals trees - he pulls them out of the trunk and from under the bark. harmful insects and their larvae. With its cone-shaped sharp beak, the woodpecker chisels the bark of a tree every hour. It makes a funnel up to 10 cm deep and takes out the insect with its sticky tongue. The tongue is long, up to 4 cm.
Waxwing
You will see this bird here only in winter - it flies to us for the winter from the north. You recognize her by her beautiful plumage, large crest and sharp, loud voice. The waxwing got its name from the sounds it makes when singing: svi-ri-ri. In winter, their main food is the berries of rowan berries, viburnum, rose hips, lingonberries, and indeed any berry bushes. Waxwings eat a lot and fill their stomachs tightly. But most of these berries are not digested, so in winter the place where the crested beauties feasted is easy to recognize. Under a bare tree, the snow is strewn with bright spots of semi-digested berries with seeds and peeled peels.
Sparrow
The sparrow is one of the most famous birds that live in the vicinity of human habitation. Here he finds good conditions for making nests and a lot of food, nests in separate pairs, sometimes in colonies. Sparrow nests can be found in crevices of buildings, in burrows in clay ravines, and in tree hollows. The bird may also occupy the birdhouse and swallow's hole. Sparrows feed on seeds. They love hemp, sunflower, wheat grains, but they will also peck bread crumbs. Watch how skillfully they fight in the yard with pigeons for their piece of bread.
Pigeon
Perhaps the most famous bird for city residents is the pigeon. These birds are so accustomed to life in the city that they are not at all afraid of people, often taking food directly from the palm of a person. In addition to seeds and bread, pigeons eat various grains, seeds, plants, and berries. Pigeons also drink a lot of water to soften solid food faster. These birds find places where they can hide from the cold, but at the same time fly out every day in search of food. Most often, the attics of residential buildings serve as such a refuge for them. In winter, it is very difficult for birds to find something to eat, and without food it is difficult for them to cope with the frost, so we must not forget about them and periodically feed the birds during the cold season so that they do not die.
Tit
The tit is a very active and fidgety bird: it won’t sit still.Its beak is sharp and strong, and its legs are very tenacious, which allows the bird to cling to a branch and hang upside down.He sings loudly: “Hin-hsin, ping-ping,” and can whistle and crackle. For her singing, she received the name “titmouse”.Tits make their nests in hollows, mouse holes, various crevices and voids. Tits live everywhere: in forests, mountains, villages, parks and gardens. In winter, tits fly closer to humans. These birds eat everything: grains, cereals, bread crumbs, pieces of meat, lard and even cottage cheese.
Magpie
Magpie lives in the forest. The nest is made from branches high up in a tree. A magpie flies through the forest - chirps, but flies up to the nest - falls silent, does not want to show it to anyone.The magpie finds different food for itself: it eats beetles, larvae, caterpillars, it is very fond of bird eggs, and steals them from the nests of other birds. For this they called her the thief magpie. He catches forty mice, frogs, and can even drag away a chicken.The magpie finds food at any time of the year; it is not afraid of winter. In winter, beetles and larvae do not show up; they hide from the cold under the bark of trees; bird's nests eggs So a magpie flies from the forest closer to the people.
Crow
. The crow is an omnivorous bird.All kinds of food waste are the usual and favorite food of crows, so large concentrations of these birds are often observed in city landfills. The crow feeds on insect larvae swarming in the dung. In the absence of animal food, the crow eats plants and their seeds, fruits and vegetables. Modern city crow can unseal a milk carton, break Walnut, soak a cracker in a puddle, open it tin can. IN very coldy, you can observe huge flocks of them flying from place to place.The lifespan of a crow in nature is 15-20 years.
Test your knowledge about wintering birds
http://LearningApps.org/1216046 Birds of our region 1st grade
http://LearningApps.org/1141459 Mosaic
http://LearningApps.org/1891928 Wintering birds
Why you need to feed birds in winter
Feed the birds in winter.
Let it come from all over
They will flock to you like home,
Flocks on the porch.
Their food is not rich.
I need a handful of grain
One handful -
And not scary
It will be winter for them.
It’s impossible to count how many of them die,
It's hard to see.
But in our heart there is
And it's warm for the birds.
How can we forget:
They could fly away
And they stayed for the winter
Together with people.
Train your birds in the cold
To your window
So that you don’t have to go without songs
Let's welcome spring.
Bird canteen
Watching birds in the winter dining room
You can not only feed the birds, but also watch them. And write down all your observations, i.e. try yourself as an ORNITHOLOGIST.
Questions to help you bird watching.
- You can write by day which birds fly to the feeder.
- How they behave, do they quarrel with each other, do they drive other birds away from the feeder.
- What do they prefer from food?
- Do they fly in flocks or alone?
- What time do birds fly to the winter dining room?
- Do they eat food directly in the feeder or grab a grain and fly away to another branch?
V. Bianki
He who is full is not afraid of the cold http://www.miksike.net/documents/main/lisa/teksty/golodno.htm
V. Bianki
Forest newspaper No. 12. Month Wait until spring.
Video about wintering birds
Wintering birds
https://youtu.be/aIQXxL8wRkM
Wintering birds. Educational video for kids
Birds are the most mobile creatures living on earth. Thanks to the presence of wings, they can easily migrate over long distances due to changing weather conditions or environmental deterioration. Based on their ability to fly, birds are divided into two large groups:
- wintering:
- sedentary (never leave their inhabited territory);
- nomadic (constantly on the move: moving from place to place, wanting to get food);
- migratory (perform constant movements depending on the time of year).
Migratory birds - introduction
These birds seem to live in two houses: their wintering place and nesting place are different and can be located at a considerable distance from each other. Often migration takes place in several stages, between which the birds take a break to rest. The list of such birds is quite extensive.
Leave your permanent place birds begin their habitat in different periods: Thus, orioles, nightingales, and swifts begin to get ready to set off at the end of summer, although the days are still warm and there is a real abundance of food for them. And waterfowl (swans, ducks) leave their reservoirs very late, waiting for the first frost.
Reasons for flying
Birds are most often heat-loving, their body is characterized by elevated temperature (often it exceeds 40°C). However, feathers protect them well from the cold, which is why they, of course, can live in the cold conditions of a harsh winter. But for this need more stern. And in the snowy season, food is not easy to come by! That is why birds have to leave their nests and fly to distant countries rich in food.
As a rule, the inhabitants of the tundra and taiga are more susceptible to flights, where natural conditions the most severe, and feed in winter time very little. A pattern has also been identified: insectivorous and carnivorous birds migrate most often, granivores migrate less often. The reason for this is obvious: grain can be found in winter, but even the sharpest beak cannot reach insects from under the snow. There are a large number of migrants among the inhabitants of the middle zone.
Since there are a lot of them, let's imagine list of the most famous representatives feathered world:
- martin;
- lark;
- landrail;
- song thrush;
- wagtail;
- fieldfare;
- lapwing;
- nightingale;
- oriole;
- robin;
- cuckoo;
- finch;
- heron;
- woodcock;
- gray flycatcher.
It is these birds that fly away from their places closer to autumn in order to return in the spring to breed.
Buntings are of interest: they used to be sedentary and ate in the stables all winter. However, due to the development of city life and the gradual decline of the countryside, there are fewer and fewer stables, so the birds had to switch to a migratory lifestyle. With ducks, the situation is the opposite: in urban reservoirs, thanks to humans, there is now enough food, so they can spend the whole winter there, that is, they become overwinterers.
Species of migratory birds
Among migrating birds we can distinguish two main types:
Instinctive is usually insectivorous birds, which leave their nests in advance, without waiting for the arrival of cold weather. They feel, as if by instinct, the approach of autumn, although the days are still warm. The reduction in daylight hours allows them to understand that it is time to hit the road.
Weather - most often these are granivores or birds with a mixed type of diet. They fly away if the weather worsens significantly, short distance and short time.
Why do they come back
There is no clear answer to the question of what prompts birds to leave warm places rich in food and return, covering vast distances to abandoned nests. Scientists have proposed several hypotheses.
Many people are interested in the question: is crossbill migratory? No, it's nomadic species, which is proven by the following signs:
- he makes movements not related to seasonality, but in search of food,
- migrations do not occur along a specific route, but in a chaotic manner;
- The nesting area directly depends on the amount of food: seeds of pine, spruce, larch.
Cedar trees, waxwings, and bee-eaters behave in a similar way, so they are also nomadic representatives of the feathered world.
Black grouse and crow
Is the black grouse a migratory bird or not? Despite the most severe cold and lack of food, this bird remains in its habitat and does not migrate. Special adaptations help this wintering bird not to die in the cold: they are completely bury themselves in soft snow and warm themselves, since in the resulting hole the air heats up from breathing. And for food, the black grouse uses berries and buds previously hidden in the crop.
And the crows? These birds are winter birds. They do not make flights; they prefer to live in urban environments, feed on carrion or in garbage dumps, and make a living by destroying other people’s nests and hunting small rodents. Thanks to their dense plumage and unpretentiousness in food, crows survive the winter cold quite easily.
Owl
This wise bird leads a sedentary lifestyle without migrating. In cold weather, there is enough food for the owl in the forest, so it can easily cope with the difficulties of wintering. Thanks to the fact that this predator has prehensile claws, the owl can catch small rodents, which are most often in its diet in cold weather.
The world of migratory birds is very rich and diverse, many of them lead a completely unique lifestyle. However, sedentary birds are also of interest due to how they manage to adapt to unfavorable conditions and survive in a hungry winter. All that remains is to admire the logic and thoughtfulness of nature!
Migratory birds always surprised me with my endurance, amazing ability to orientation and devotion to hatched nests. What helps them make such difficult journeys and overcome difficult routes with ease, we read in the next post.
We present you interesting facts about migratory birds
1. With the onset of cold weather, birds leave their habitats and strive to quickly get to warmer climes. They do this not because they are cold. Their plumage perfectly warms and low temperatures(down to -10, -15 degrees Celsius).
The fact is that in such cold weather, the food that birds eat becomes unavailable. The ground freezes and all the spider bugs hide, and the birds remain hungry. This is what causes them to fly.
2. Do you know why some migratory birds (cranes, swans) fly in a wedge formation? This order of building a flock helps birds save up to 20% of energy. This happens due to the fact that the birds flying ahead create air turbulences, allowing the brothers following him to exert much less force to fly. The main burden falls on the leader of the pack, flying ahead. That is why the bird leader often flies into the middle of the flock, and another bird is sent to take his place for a while.
But not all migratory birds fly in a wedge formation. For example, all passerines make their flights in a disorderly, chaotic order; waders, curlews, magpies line up in a line, crows stretch out in a line. Each species of birds chooses for itself the most appropriate type of formation, which allows them to better conserve energy and observe environment and navigate.
3. But how do birds find their nests? It turns out that they remember what surrounds their nests, remember it and then return there without any effort. Even the result of experiments conducted by ornithological scientists, when nests moved hundreds of kilometers (!) from their usual places, showed that the birds still found them without difficulty. This means that, along with an excellent memory, birds have an unusually developed instinct, which is genetically embedded in them and unmistakably leads them to their native nest.
4. Flight to southern countries birds do this so that they have a place to stay for the night, get some food, and just relax. Most often, it happens that the birds spend most of the entire trip resting, leaving only a couple of hours a day for the airborne march. It is interesting that some species of birds move only during daylight hours, others fly only at night, and still others can fly both day and night. One can only be amazed at the perfection of the orientation mechanism of birds, which are capable of charting a route even in conditions of zero visibility or in the pitch darkness of the night, guided by the light of the stars, the terrain and geomagnetic field Earth. 
5). There are also “volunteers” who make independent, solo flights. But such “outsiders” have a much greater chance of becoming a target for a hunter or getting into other troubles that such long journeys promise. Flights in a flock are a kind of guarantee of safety and support that all members of the bird community provide each other.
In finches, the “men” let the “ladies” pass first - the females fly first, then the males. Stamina different types birds are very different. Some, such as woodcocks, can fly non-stop for as long as 36 hours, while others require a lot of time to recuperate.
6. In general, immediately before migrating, birds switch to unique system food, stocking up on energy and strength for the upcoming journey. Thus, the small sandpiper intensively absorbs amphipod crustaceans before migrating, achieving an increase in oxygen metabolism in the muscles by 58-90%! For example, professional athletes achieve an indicator of 38-70% only after 7 (!) weeks of intensive training.
7). The main factor that affects migratory birds is weather. Only it gives a kind of signal to “start” or, conversely, delays the start of the journey. Birds decide when to migrate and whether to migrate at all by assessing weather conditions. If the winter is warm, the flight will be postponed. And if serious cold weather suddenly sets in, even the most courageous will go on a southern “business trip.”
Birds are very sensitive to weather changes and easily avoid an approaching storm. Many species of birds, such as seagulls, use the wind to make fast flights, significantly saving their energy in flight, giving themselves up to the air currents.
