Is a swan a migratory bird? Swan: its types, whether it is a migratory bird or not.

You cannot remain indifferent when you see a flock of swan flying high in the sky; it has some special appeal. These are very beautiful birds, and the red beak and black paws make them especially elegant, emphasizing the whiteness of the feathers. With such a bright appearance, it is not easy for them to hide from prying eyes. Yes, they don’t need that. It is not without reason that the swan has been the most popular bird among artists, poets and singers since mythology.

1. Flight
2. Brief description of nesting
3. Interesting Facts

Swans (Latin name CYGNUS)

Family - Anatidae (ANATIDAE)

Order - Anseriformes

Migratory and non-migratory species. Where do swans winter?

During its life, a swan manages to fly around and see half the world, overcome enormous distances, but always returns to the same places of nesting, wintering and molting. Its distribution areas are in Eurasia, Northern and South America, Australia and Asia. In short, different species live almost all over the world.

There are 7 species in the world:

• Black swan (CYGNUS ATRATUS)

Range: Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

Not a migratory bird.

• Black-necked (CYGNUS MELANOCORYPHUS)

Range: South America.

Wintering areas: Paraguay and southeastern Brazil.

• Mute swan (CYGNUS OLOR)

Range: northern Europe and Asia, Australia and South Africa.

Wintering areas: northern Caspian Sea, Mediterranean, Africa, Asia Minor, Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, India and China.

• Trumpeter Swan (CYGNUS BUCCINATOR)

Habitat: tundra North America, southern Alaska.

Wintering place: Pacific coast of Canada.

• American (CYGNUS COLUMBIANUS)

Habitat: forest-tundra of North America.

Wintering areas: California coast and Florida.

• Small (CYGNUS BEWICIKII)

Habitat: exclusively on the territory of Russia in the tundra of the European and Asian parts of the country.

Wintering place: they fly to the countries of north-western Europe (Great Britain, France and the Netherlands), as well as to the countries of southern and south-east Asia (China, Japan and Korea) for the winter.

• Whooper swan (CYGNUS CYGNUS) Range: Eurasia;

Wintering areas: in Central and South Asia (India, Caspian Sea) and in the south of the Mediterranean. Only a few of these birds do not fly south, but remain to winter in their homeland, and if they do, it is only if there is a sufficient amount of food and an unfrozen surface of the reservoir chosen for wintering. Winter finds such swans most often in reservoirs and warm water canals of power plants in large cities, where they flock from frozen ponds and rivers.

The main reason for the migration of this bird- lack of food supply in winter and severe frosts.

Swans, like geese and ducks, fly away to their wintering grounds in October–November, the last of the migratory ones, and delay their departure almost until the water bodies freeze completely, when the rivers are already covered with a crust of ice.

Gallery: types of swans (25 photos)

Flight

Swans fly away in flocks; during the flight they form a wedge, which sometimes consists of several hundred birds. On the way, they try to stay along the shore of the reservoir. Swans fly mainly in the morning and afternoon, at an altitude of 50–100 meters. From time to time, the flock makes stops at reservoirs to feed and rest. The swan is the largest flapping bird.

The weight of an adult bird is up to 12 kilograms; a significant weight load on the wing makes it difficult for the bird to take off, and it has to paw through the water for a long time, gaining height. Ornithologists have found that one flock of swan can travel about 3 thousand kilometers in 3 days, making only two stops along the way.

Brief description of nesting

Males and females practically do not differ in appearance, but their coloring is dazzling white, gray or black. Even their voices are the same: shrill, trumpet-like. When the bird is irritated or defending itself, it hisses menacingly at the enemy.

They settle in rivers, lakes, sea lagoons and estuaries heavily overgrown with coastal and aquatic vegetation.

Feeds various parts of aquatic plants (leaves, buds, bulbs, roots), obtaining them from the bottom in shallow water, as well as mollusks, worms, small crustaceans, insects, which are collected on the surface of the water. In terms of their method of obtaining food, swans are in many ways similar to a goose or duck: they lower their heads under the water and place their bodies vertically, so that only the back half of the body remains on the surface of the water.

The nest is built in shallow water in reed thickets from reed stems, with mandatory free access to clean water. This is a rather massive structure, up to 2 meters in diameter and with a tray on top. The inside of the nest, like that of a duck, is lined with grass and down.

• The oldest mute swan was discovered in Denmark; it lived for 40 years. The “long-living record holder” was ringed on February 21, 1970 in northern Germany.
• Bird ringing was invented by the Danes in 1899.
• In Denmark, ringing began in 1928, after the almost complete extermination of the population.
• The bird is the symbol of the state of Western Australia and is depicted on the coat of arms of the city of Canberra, the capital of Australia.
• In Finland it is the national bird.
• In England it was declared the royal bird 600 years ago.

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The flight of a flock of swans high in the sky always attracts our attention. These graceful and majestic birds, which everyone loves to watch in park ponds, often give inspiration to poets and artists. In this article we will talk about where swans winter. And where do they fly away when we follow the swan wedge with our eyes. And not only this. You will learn what types of these beautiful birds winter in Russia.

But first you need to find out what varieties of these beauties exist and what features they have.

Types of swans

Today on our planet there are seven species of these birds, including the black swan, which is listed in the Red Book. More about them below.

Black Swan

This is the only species of swans that live in Australia. In addition, magnificent black birds are found naturally in New Zealand and Tasmania. The length of the male ranges from one hundred ten to one hundred and forty centimeters. The wingspan is about two meters, and the weight is about six kilograms.

Ornithologists believe that the black swan can live in different conditions. He adapts very well. If climatic conditions allow, the bird winters where it settled in the summer. Unfortunately, there are very few of these amazing representatives of birds left: in Australia, for example, their population has been destroyed by two-thirds. Since now the black swan is found only in countries with warm climates, it is not migratory bird.

Black-necked swan

This is very As can be understood from the name, it is called so because of the black coloration of the head and neck. All other plumage is snow-white. This is not the largest bird in its family: its weight does not exceed five kilograms. The birds float beautifully on the water, arching their graceful necks.

Today these can be seen in the Moscow Zoo on the ponds of the old territory. Visitors often believe that the black-necked swan is a hybrid of a white and black bird, but this is a misconception. The unusual color is hallmark of this type. Under natural conditions, the bird is found only in South America.

With the arrival of cold weather, she flies to Paraguay or southeastern Brazil, where the black-necked swan winters.

mute swan

When swimming, this graceful bird effectively bends its neck, while keeping its beak and head inclined towards the water. The mute mute's neck is quite thick, and therefore at some distance it appears shorter than that of other species. In flight, the mute bird does not make loud trumpet sounds, and with each flap of its wings you can hear a characteristic creaking sound made by large flight feathers.

The hissing sound, for which the swan got its name, it makes in moments of irritation. Up close, this bird can be easily distinguished from its relatives by the large growth on its forehead. Mute is distributed in southern Europe and Asia from the southern regions of Sweden, Poland, Denmark in the west to China and Mongolia in the east. But even in these territories, the mute bird is quite rare. Where does the mute swan winter? He goes to the north of the Caspian Sea, to the Mediterranean, Africa, Arabia and Iran, India and China, to Afghanistan.

Trumpeter Swan

This is the largest waterfowl. The body length of an adult male ranges from 140 to 165 cm. Its weight can reach 13.5 kg. Having spread his snow-white wings to the sides, he seems like a real giant: their span is 2.5 meters. A distinctive feature of the trumpeter swan is its powerful black beak. The short (relative to the body) legs are also painted black.

The trumpeter gets its name from the characteristic sounds it makes when communicating. They can be heard at quite a distance. This species is common in southern Alaska and North America. Ornithologists have found out where the trumpeter swan winters - this is Canada, more precisely, its Pacific coast.

American swan

This species was once widespread in North America but is now very rare. Surviving individuals can be seen along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, where American swans spend the winter. Representatives of this species are also found in Russia: in Anadyr, Chukotka.

Tundra (small) swan

This swan, as the name suggests, makes its home in the tundra, from Kolyma in the east to the Kola Peninsula in the west, capturing the islands of the Arctic Ocean. This species differs from its closest relatives in having a more sonorous voice. This bird weighs about six kilograms. In mid-November, swans leave their nesting sites and go to northwestern Europe: France, the Netherlands and Great Britain, as well as to southern and southeastern Asia (Japan, Korea, China), where tundra swans spend the winter.

Whooper swan

The most numerous species that nests in the northern regions of Eurasia, from Iceland to Sakhalin, and in the south from northern Japan to the Mongolian steppes. The plumage of the male and female is snow-white. The weight of a male can reach 13 kg. A swimming whooper holds its neck strictly vertically, its wings are pressed tightly to its body, its head is raised and looks straight. Central and South Asia (Caspian Sea, India), the south of the Mediterranean, where the whooper swan winters, is not visited by all individuals: few birds do not go south, but spend the winter in their homeland (if there is enough food and an ice-free reservoir). Their winter, as a rule, finds them in reservoirs and warm water supply systems of power plants.

Where do swans winter in Russia?

There are 4 types of swans in our country:

• Tundra swan. It settles in the tundra and forest-tundra zones, preferring reservoirs from the Kolyma River to the Kola Peninsula. Found in the northern islands.
• Whooper swan. It prefers forest taiga, tundra and forest-tundra, choosing the reservoirs of Kamchatka, and is found in the Baikal region, in the lower reaches of the Volga, and in the northern regions of Kazakhstan.
• Mute swan. Occurs from Far East to Europe, in the Baltic countries, in Transbaikalia.
• American swan. Nesting sites have been recorded in the Far East.

For the winter, most birds migrate to warmer regions. The luckiest people in our country are the residents Altai Territory, where swans winter and you can admire their exquisite beauty throughout the year. In the seventies of the last century, a swan reserve was created on two lakes of the Altai Territory - Lebediny and Svetly. It is located near the city of Biysk.

Swans arrive here at the end of November and fly to their permanent nesting sites in early April. In Altai, whooper swans are most often found. During the winter, they feed on plant foods that grow in the lake. In frosty winters, it is usually not enough, so the birds are fed in the reserve. The wintering of graceful birds on the lakes of Altai is supported by the Swan Nature Reserve. Its employees protect the birds, keep records of them, and feed them with grain.

Flight

Swans fly in flocks for the winter; during the migration they form a wedge, which often consists of several hundred birds. On the way, they stay along the shore of the reservoir. Birds fly in the morning and afternoon, at an altitude of about 100 meters. From time to time the flock stops at reservoirs to rest and feed. Ornithologists were able to find out that a flock of swan is capable of covering a distance of more than three thousand kilometers in three days, making only two stops along the way.

In early spring, when ice still covers the water bodies, you can see swans returning from their wintering grounds to their homeland. These birds arrive in the southern regions already in mid-March, and at the end of May swans arrive, which prefer a colder climate. Birds fly to nesting sites in already formed pairs, which are created in wintering grounds; old, pre-existing families are preserved for many years.

After arrival, the pair occupies a fairly large territory, where they obtain food and build a nest. Birds do not like the presence of neighbors in the selected area: on this basis, sometimes clashes between pairs occur. The birds collide with their chests, fiercely beat each other with their wings, rising above the water and accompanying the fight with loud screams.

After about two weeks, the female builds a fairly large nest of branches, reeds, tree branches, grass and other material. The bottom of the nest is lined with dry grass, feathers, down and moss, which the female plucks from the chest and abdomen while laying eggs. The nest is usually located among reeds or reeds, in a dry place, much less often in shallow water.

In mid-summer, swans give birth to offspring, which from the first days of life are able to independently obtain food. The chicks stay together and most often head off to the winter in their entirety. If you accidentally discover a nest with swan chicks, try to leave unnoticed: a swan is a strong and brave bird that desperately protects its offspring, using its wings and beak “in battle.” With a blow from her wing, a female swan can break a person's arm.

We told you what white swans eat and where they winter. These birds are very interesting to watch. And if you are interested in the life and habits of birds, go to the Swan Nature Reserve in the Altai Territory.

Many people are interested in whether a swan is a migratory or sedentary bird. In this article we will try to find out.

Does a swan fly away for the winter? Don't rush to say yes or no right away. And all because in winter you may well find it somewhere in the ice holes of cold Iceland that are not frozen. Or in certain places where all year round Warm springs flow and the water does not freeze.

It also happens that winter is simply in no hurry to come, so the birds do not fly away. True, at such moments the issue of food remains a pressing issue for them. Some stay in the same place all year round and have no need to fly away. First of all, this is due to the climate being acceptable to them and a sufficient amount of food. Therefore, we can say about them that they lead a sedentary lifestyle.

But in most cases, a swan is a migratory bird that is forced to fly away for the winter to where it is warm.

Migration routes

Despite the fact that swans are large birds, they are quite graceful in flight, but this is only at first glance. Despite all the beauty of flight, soaring skyward is not always easy. After all, only the wingspan can reach 2 meters. Only thanks to well-developed muscles are they able to fly long distances without getting tired for a long time.

The most famous species of swans is Whoopers. While in flight, they make loud sounds, which explains their name. They migrate in a certain way, forming a wedge led by a leader. The leader is the strongest bird, thanks to which a special aerodynamic force is created. This allows his comrades flying behind him to spend less energy flapping their wings.

When the leader gets tired, another bird replaces him. Occasionally they make short stops and continue on their way. Whoopers prefer to winter on the coasts of the Black and Baltic seas, they can often be found on the shores of Scandinavia. They choose secluded places with a lot of aquatic vegetation.

Black swans are the least likely to be seen. In addition, they spend summer and winter in Australia. You can only meet them in Europe or Russia in a zoo. Representatives of Black-necked Swans spend the summer in South America. But for the winter they can either fly away or remain in the same place.

The American swan goes to the Pacific coast of California or Florida for the winter, and when it gets warmer it returns to the tundra of North America. The mute swan, so named for the hissing sounds it makes, is rare. But if it can be found, it is only in the southern latitudes of Europe and Asia.

As soon as calendar spring arrives, migratory swans return home. But winter is not always in a hurry to leave, so more often the birds arrive, but the ice has not yet melted. They have to try hard to find a secluded place. More often they live in pairs, so they often begin to quarrel with newly arrived families.

While exploring the territory in search of food, birds do not forget about building a nest. Swans do not like to change their location often, so they approach construction thoroughly, piling up nests with branches, dry grass, and moss. To make the nest stable, swans choose places in shallow waters.
As summer approaches, the couple has chicks that can take care of themselves literally from the first days. And with the onset of cold weather, the whole family goes to warm countries.

The opening of the final stage took place on March 28, 2015 All-Russian Olympiad schoolchildren on literature in the cinema hall of the Voronovo sanatorium near Moscow.

The Olympics were held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science Russian Federation, and for the fourth time in a row the competition was organized by the Higher School of Economics.

This year, 259 participants in 57 delegations arrived at the final stage. The Republic of Crimea was represented at the Olympics by Natalia Antonenko, an 11th grade student at the Perovskaya School-Gymnasium in the Simferopol region.

At the opening of the Olympiad, parting words were heard from employees of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, members of the jury and the Organizing Committee of the Olympiad.

The Olympics consisted of three rounds. In the first round, participants performed a holistic analysis of the text (prose or poetic to choose from). The writers of the assignments asked the ninth grade children to analyze either Andrei Stepanov’s story “Guide to Observing Cumulus Clouds” or Bella Akhmadulina’s poem “Games and Pranks.” Tenth-graders chose between Vladimir Nabokov’s story “The Passenger” and Evgeny Baratynsky’s poem “Piroskaf”. Eleventh graders received the story “Pen Drawing” by Sigismund Krzhizhanovsky and the poem “On the Flight of the Swans” by Vladimir Shchirovsky.

The second round is creative. This year the participants had to complete two tasks. The task writers invited them to take on the role of writers electronic library olympiad student, make a list of books, resources, articles, biographies useful for preparing, and then write a review of one material from this library. The second task is to write a literary portrait of him, based on poems dedicated to the poet (they were in the text of the tasks). Ninth graders worked with Alexander Pushkin, tenth graders - with Mikhail Lermontov, eleventh graders - with Anna Akhmatova. The maximum score for the first part of the second round is 25, for the second - 40.

Third round – oral public speaking. Preparation for the oral presentation lasted an hour. There were two topics to choose from. In 9th grade - “What do the titles of the books say?” and “Which literary character would you like to talk to, argue with, and about what?”; in 10th grade - “The city that I learned about from books” and the quote from Umberto Eco “Entering a novel is like participating in a climb”; in 11th grade - “Why do you need philology?” and “What literary project would you propose to your school or city?” A participant who finished his work earlier could start a conversation with the jury members ahead of schedule. The jury members asked the participant two additional questions, turning the performance from a monologue into a dialogue.

In three rounds, a maximum of 150 points could be obtained: 70 for the first round, 65 for the second, 15 for the third, oral round.

Besides competitive program Various educational events were organized and held for the participants of the Olympiad, and a cultural and entertainment program was prepared.

On March 29, an evening of poetry and prose reading by students of the Boris Shchukin Theater Institute took place in Voronovo. Works of predominantly Russian literature were heard from the stage: “The Gypsies” by David Samoilov, Alexander Pushkin, the story “The Caucasian” by Viktor Astafiev, “The Joke” by Anton Chekhov, as well as a fragment from “Vanity Fair” by William Thackeray.

On March 30, the All-Russian Olympiad in Literature took place round table“How to prepare not only schoolchildren, but also teachers for essays.” It discussed issues related to the introduction of a final essay on literature into the Unified State Examination system.

On the same day, Natalia Solzhenitsyna came to visit the Olympiad participants. For almost two hours she talked about the fate of Alexander Isaevich, showed a presentation with rare photographs, for example, of Solzhenitsyn himself as a child, his parents, friends, and children. And at the end of the meeting, the guys watched a video clip of the writer’s Nobel speech.

On March 31, the participants spent the day in Moscow, they had a cultural program that was already traditional for the All-Russian Olympiad. The Olympians visited the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Pushkin Museum, walked along Lubyanka, Nikolskaya Street and Red Square, and watched the play “Feast of Predators” at the Na Strastnoy theater center.

On April 1, Igor Sukhikh gave a lecture “Professional reading: options and versions.” What texts should you not read? What specializations are there in philology? How was Chekhov faked? The poet German Lukomnikov read his poems to the Olympiad participants, answered questions from the audience and simply charmed everyone. We also talked with him about poetry, about the work of compiling an anthology and about the happiness of the poet.

On the last day of Vseros, April 2, Olympiad participants read their favorite poems for three hours. Almost 70 people took part in the traditional reading competition for the Literature Olympiad.

The award ceremony for the winners and runners-up took place on the evening of April 2 at the Voronovo sanatorium. 22 people became winners, 66 people became prize-winners.

At the closing of the Olympiad, the participants were congratulated by Sergey Volkov, Chairman of the Central Subject Methodology Commission, Natalya Tretyak, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Bashev, Vice-Rector of the Higher School of Economics.

Swans are the most beautiful of all birds, sung by people in songs and tales, and never cease to interest people with their way of life. The question of where swans spend the winter causes a lot of controversy, because many people observe them in winter in reservoirs near cities and towns. But many have had the opportunity to see a swan flying to its winter quarters. It will truly not be forgotten if you happen to see how large birds with powerful wide wings and long necks, they line up in an even snow-white wedge against the background of a bright blue sky.

In fact, most swans are migratory, but there are some individuals that lead a sedentary lifestyle. For example, birds species common in Russia Whoopers often remain to spend the winter at the summer nesting site if there are frost-free windows and enough food. Many remain in place until the reservoir completely freezes, and only after that they fly away.

The diversity of breeds also determines the large nesting and wintering area. Places where migratory birds winter must have food, ponds and vegetation. And where swans winter, in the south or north, depends precisely on the type and places of the main habitat of the flock.

Main types of swans