Unfortunately, some animals of Russia, including birds, are currently on the verge of extinction. In connection with this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1963 decided to create the so-called Red Book, consisting of an annotated list of relict animals, as well as plants and mushrooms. And the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation released its publication. So, in this article we are interested in the birds of the Red Book of Russia.
Golden Eagles - the largest eagles in the world!
The golden eagle is perhaps one of the most famous feathered predators representing the family of hawk birds. In addition, these are the largest eagles in the world. Unfortunately, they are "famous" not only for their popularity, but also for their small numbers ... Golden eagles are birds of prey of the Red Book of Russia.
Recently, golden eagles have disappeared from many regions of our country, where they previously inhabited at the beginning of the 20th century. The reasons for this are the mass extermination of birds by man, the urbanization of land for various economic needs. It is curious that the World Conservation Union does not consider these predators as a species on the verge of extinction.
"Flight of Hope." Siberian Cranes
In some cases, the birds of the Red Book of Russia are the only animals in the world. For example, such are Siberian Cranes, or white cranes. They are found in the lower Ob, in Western Siberia, in Yakutia, as well as in the interfluve of Kolyma, Alazey and Yana. Currently, their number is about 3,000 individuals.
Unfortunately, the population of West Siberian white cranes has decreased to 20 individuals, which, of course, puts them on the verge of extinction. Efforts to preserve the number of Siberian Cranes were undertaken back in the 70s. In 2006, ornithologists and other scientists built 5 modern motorized hang gliders, with which it was possible to send Siberian Cranes on a long flight.
Motorized hang gliders are a kind of “leader” of the pack, followed by white cranes. Then it turned out to bring these birds from Yamal to Uzbekistan. There they were able to join the wild gray cranes, going with them for the winter.
The exact same attempt was made in 2012 and took place with the personal participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The flock, consisting of 6 Siberian Cranes, was again brought down with their gray relatives, but they were not accepted at the last moment.
Birds of the Red Book of Russia. Owl
Owls by their nature can be both nomadic and settled birds. You can meet them in Russian forests and fields, in the steppes and mountains. They prefer to nest in deserted and remote areas of the forest. Unfortunately, by the end of the 20th century, the number of eagle owls in Russia fell sharply. Now they are birds of the Red Book of Russia. In this regard, reserves and nature reserves have been created for them, where a whole range of measures aimed at protecting these birds is being implemented.
Ussuri cranes: relict birds
The Red Book of Russia (photo of the book is presented below) includes not only small, but also relict bird species. These include, for example, the Ussuri cranes. Their second name is Japanese, or Manchu cranes.
These are the largest representatives among all the cranes that currently exist in the world. Their home is the Far East. The white crane is widespread in the open spaces of the Khanka lowland, in the valleys of the rivers of Primorye, as well as in the south of the Khabarovsk Territory.
In connection with the constant settlement of certain Far Eastern regions, drainage of local swamps and plowing of land, white cranes generally turned into a relict species. Unfortunately, now it is extremely rare to meet them in nature, and information on the nesting sites of these feathered giants in the Far East is disappointing.