The flight of a swan flock 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 the swans winter. And where they fly away when we follow the eyes of a swan wedge. And not only this. You will learn what species of these beautiful birds winter in Russia.
But first you need to find out what varieties of these handsome men exist and what features they have.
Species 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 a black swan can live in different conditions. It adapts very well. If climatic conditions allow, then the bird hibernates where it settled in the summer. Unfortunately, there are very few of these amazing representatives of birds left: in Australia, for example, their population is destroyed by two-thirds. Since now the black swan is found only in countries with a warm climate, it is not a migratory bird.
Black-necked swan
This is a very beautiful bird. As the name implies, it is called so because of the black coloring of the head and neck. The rest of the plumage is snow-white. This is not the largest bird in its family: its weight does not exceed five kilograms. Birds hold beautifully on the water, arching their elegant neck.
Today, these rare birds can be seen in the Moscow Zoo on the ponds of the old territory. Often visitors consider that a black-necked swan is a hybrid of a white and black bird, but this is a delusion. Unusual color is a hallmark of this species. Under natural conditions, the bird is found only in South America.
With the advent of cold weather, it flies to Paraguay or southeastern Brazil, where a black-necked swan wintered.
Mute swan
When swimming, this graceful bird effectively bends its neck, while keeping its beak and head at an angle to water. Mute swan's neck is rather thick, and therefore at some distance it seems to be shorter than in other species. In flight, the mute swan does not make loud trumpets, and with each flap of the wings you can hear a characteristic creak emitted by large feathers.
The hissing sound, for which the swan got its name, it emits in moments of irritation. Nearby, this bird is easily distinguished from relatives by a large growth on the forehead. Mute swan 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 mute swan is quite rare. Where does the mute swan winter? It 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 water bird. The body length of an adult male ranges from 140 to 165 cm. Its weight can reach 13.5 kg. Spreading its snow-white wings to the sides, it seems like a real giant: their wingspan is 2.5 meters. A feature of the trumpeter swan is its powerful black beak. Short (relative to the body) legs are also painted black.
The trumpeter got his name because of the characteristic sounds that he makes during communication. They can be heard at a fairly long distance. This variety 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, and is very rare these days. Surviving individuals can be seen along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts in North America, where American swans winter. Representatives of this species are also found in Russia: on the Commander Islands, Anadyr, and Chukotka.
Tundra (small) swan
This swan, as the name implies, builds its house 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 immediate family in a louder voice. This bird weighs about six kilograms. In mid-November, swans leave their nesting sites and travel to northwestern Europe: France, the Netherlands and Great Britain, as well as to south and southeast Asia (Japan, Korea, China), where tundra swans winter.
Whooper Swan
The most numerous species that nests in the northern regions of Eurasia, from Iceland to Sakhalin, and in the south from the northern part of Japan to the Mongolian steppes. The plumage of male and female is snow-white. The weight of the male can reach 13 kg. A swimming whooper keeps its neck strictly upright, its wings are firmly pressed to the 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, not all individuals visit: few birds do not go south, but winter in their homeland (if there is a sufficient amount of food and an ice-free pool). Their winter, as a rule, catches on the reservoirs and warm water channels of power plants.
Where do swans winter in Russia?
In our country there are 4 species of swans:
- Tundra Swan. It settles in the tundra and forest-tundra zones, preferring water bodies from the Kolyma River to the Kola Peninsula. It is found on the northern islands.
- Whooper Swan. It prefers forest taiga, tundra and forest tundra, choosing water bodies of Kamchatka, is found in the Baikal region, in the lower Volga, northern regions of Kazakhstan.
- Mute swan. It occurs from the Far East to Europe, in the Baltic countries, in Transbaikalia.
- American swan. Nests are recorded in the Far East.
In winter, most birds migrate to warmer climes. Most of all in our country, the residents of Altai Krai were lucky, 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 - Swan and Svetly. It is located near Biysk.
Swans fly here in late November and fly to their permanent nesting sites in early April. Whooper swans are most often found in Altai. At winter, they feed on plant foods that grow in the lake. In frosty winters, as a rule, it is not enough, so birds are fed in the reserve. Wintering of graceful birds on the lakes of Altai is supported by the Swan Nature Reserve. Its employees protect birds, keep their records, feed them with grain.
Flight
Swans fly in flocks for the winter, during the flight they line up with a wedge, which often consists of several hundred birds. In the way they are held along the shore of the reservoir. Birds fly in the morning and afternoon, at an altitude of about 100 meters. At times, the flock stops at water bodies to rest and feed itself. Ornithologists managed to find out that a swan flock can cover a distance of more than three thousand kilometers in three days, making only two stops on the way.
In early spring, when ice still covers the reservoirs, you can see how swans return from their wintering grounds to their homeland. In the southern regions, these birds arrive in mid-March, and at the end of May swans arrive, who prefer a colder climate. Birds fly to nesting sites by already formed pairs that are created during wintering; old, already existing families are preserved for many years.
After arrival, the steam occupies a rather large area where it extracts food and builds a nest. Birds do not like the presence of neighbors in a selected area: sometimes clashes between pairs occur on this soil. The birds collide with their breasts, fiercely beat each other with wings, rising above the water and accompanying the battle with loud cries.
After about two weeks, the female arranges a rather 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 during egg laying. The nest is usually located among the reeds or reeds, in a dry place, much less commonly in shallow water.
In mid-summer, offspring appear on swans, which from the first days of life are able to independently produce food. The chicks are kept together and most often in full force go for the winter. If you accidentally find a nest with swan chicks, try to quietly leave: the swan is a strong and brave bird that desperately protects its offspring using wings and beak “in battle”. With a wing strike, a female swan can break a man’s hand.
We told you what the white swans eat and where the white swans 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.