birding...

Kandalakshsky Reserve

Kandalakshsky reserve consists of two parts. One encompasses White Sea shoreline and a group of islands in Kandalakshsky bay. Forest birds and also sea birds can be found here. On the shore it’s possible to see rare birds of prey, such as White-tailed Eagle and Osprey: this two species regularly breed in this part of reserve. In the littoral zone large number of Charadriiformes species forage for food, the most numerous are Pied Oystercatchers and Turnstones. Cranes breed on the sedge swamps. Beautiful birds such as Razorbills, Guillemots and Whooper Swans, inhabit some islands of Kandalakshsky bay. The most attractive species among the ducks is Eider, which is usually thought of as a symbol of Arctic Seas. Moreover, near the shore it is easy to see Black Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser.

The other part of reserve situated in the Barents Sea, in the tundra faunal zone. On the reserve islands are large rookeries. Primary bird species here are Common Guillemot, Thick-billed Guillemot and Kittiwake. On the Ainovy islands you can find breeding sites for Puffin and Eider. Also it’s possible to see Ruffs, which are known by their wonderful breeding plumage, and Red-necked Phalaropes. Small passerine birds are not so various here, but alert birdwatchers can find typical Arctic inhabitants such as Lapland Bunting and Snow Bunting.

Olonetskaya Valley

It’s possible to recommend visiting Olonetskaya Valley to anybody who enjoys observing birds during their spring migration. In this site, at the end of April and beginning of May there appear great flocks of Geese and other waterfowl. These flocks consist mostly of two species – White-fronted Geese and Bean Geese. Ornithologists usually record here about 1.5 millions of these Geese throughout the migration period. Moreover, you can see other Grey Geese, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Barnacle Goose and some diving and river ducks species. At the same time, it’s possible to see Cranes, large groups of predatory birds, sandpipers etc.

Vodlozersky National Park

Vodlozero Lake is one of the largest lakes in Europe. 10% of Vodlozersky National Park is covered by water. Untouched by humans, rivers, lakes and wetlands attract a lot of birds. Different species of Geese, Swans, Ducks and other water birds make their stops during migrations. Large number of predator birds breeds on the banks and in surrounding forests. Among them there are such rare species as White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Spotted Eagle and Peregrine. Red-throated and Black-throated Divers and Bewick’s swans can be found on the large lakes of the National Park.

In the coniferous taiga forests a lot of Galliformes birds can be found – Capercailyes, Willow grouse and others. Among passerine birds most of the species are typical European ones, but some of them originate from Siberian avifauna, for example, Red-flanked Bluetail and Lanceolated Warbler.

A Field Guide to Birds of Russia and Adjacent Territories

V. Flint, R. Boehme, Y. Kostin, A. Kuznetsov Paperback - 440 pages (December 1983) Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691024308
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Where to Watch Birds in Europe & Russia

Nigel Wheatly Paperback - 416 pages (28 April, 2000) Christopher Helm
ISBN: 0713648708
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Arctic Breeding Birds Survey

Website

The survey developed from and primarily depends on voluntarily contribution of Arctic researchers willing to share their observations on bird breeding performance with view of creating general picture in a cooperative effort. If you require further information or have any comments on the project or site contents please contact project co-ordinators:
Mikhail Soloviev, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State Univ., Moscow 119899 Russia Phone: +7 095 9394424 e-mail: soloviev@soil.msu.ru

Pavel Tomkovich, Zoological Museum, Moscow State University, Bolshaya Nikitskaya Str., 6, Moscow 103009, Russia Phone: +7 095 2034366, Fax: +7 095 2032717 e-mail: tomkovic@1.zoomus.bio.msu.ru

Ecological Travel Center - Birds of Arctic - Lena Delta

Tour Operator

Great Siberian river Lena (4270 km long) forms the biggest delta in Russia which covers over 32 sq. kms. Numerous channels flow (around 6500) to create a network, with over 1500 islands and 30,000 lakes...

Birds in Russia

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Information and discussion list on all aspects of biology, ecology, behaviour, number, distribution, migrations and conservation etc. of all bird species of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia (within the borders of the ex-USSR). Founder Jevgeni Shergalin.