LOMONOSOV MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY BIRDS AND MAMMALS of Zvenigorod Biological Station Faculty of Biology in winter Pavel Kvartalnov The aim of this booklet is to give introductive information about the diversity of birds and mammals active in winter months in forests, river valleys and near Pavel Kvartalnov human settlements in area of Zvenigorod Biological Station of Moscow State University to a person unfamiliar with nature of European Russia. Mainly commonest animals are BIRDS AND MAMMALS included whom someone can meet during short-term excursions. For a better identification a reader should use OF ZVENIGOROD BIOLOGICAL STATION a more specialized literature. IN WINTER Descriptions and sketches of birds and mammal and their traces are based on author’s experience and on pictures in L. Svensson (2009) and A.N. Formozov (2006). Manual for international students Descriptions of bird calls are based on L. Svensson (2009) and C.M. Perrins (1979). 2nd edition Transliterations of Russian names of birds and mammals are placed in square brackets. Literature Formosov A.N. (2006). [Naturalist’s Guide]. – Moscow: URSS. Perrins C.M. (1979). British Tits. – London: William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. Svensson L. (2009). Collins Bird Guide. – London: Harper Collins Pub. Moscow 2017 1 Woodpeckers family – Picidae Middle Spotted Woodpecker – Dendrocopos (Dendrocoptes) medius [srednii pyostriy dyatel] Black Woodpecker – Dryocopus martius Uncommon in forest. Undertail feathers rosy. [zhelna] All birds have red crown. Call a weak “kick”. The largest woodpecker, nearly crow-sized. All- black except red crown in males or red nape in Lesser Spotted Wodpecker – females. Call a loud “krrück krrük krrük” or “kliii- Dendrocopos (Dryobates) minor eh”. Uncommon, mainly in forest. [maliy pyostriy dyatel] Small, often seen with titmice flocks. Only Great Spotted Woodpecker – male has red crown. Call “kick”. Common. Dendrocopos major *bol’shoy pyostriy dyatel] Three-toed Woodpecker – Commonest medium-sized woodpecker. Adult Picoides tridactylus [tryokhpaliy dyatel] birds lack red crown, only male has red nape. Uncommon in forest. Small, lacks red in plumage. Dark-red undertail feathers are characteristic. Male has yellow crown. Call a soft “bick”. White patches on wings. Call a sharp “kick!”. Green Woodpecker – White-backed Woodpecker – Picus viridis [zelyoniy dyatel] Dendrocopos leucotos Rare. Bright-green with red crown. [belospinniy dyatel] Uncommon, mainly in river valleys. Medium- sized, with white back, lacks white patches Grey-headed Woodpecker – on wings. Rosy undertail feathers. Only male Picus canus [sedoy dyatel] has red crown. Call “byück”. Rare. Green with grey head. Red forehead in male. 2 3 Titmice family – Paridae Crested Tit – Parus (Lophophanes) cristatus [grenadyorka] Great Tit – Parus major Uncommon in forest, usually [bolshaya sinitsa] in pairs with mixed-species flocks, in tree Common in forest and near crones. Crest is always visible. Plumage mainly settlements, in winter usually in brownish. Call a characteristic “burrurret”. flocks. Yellow below and greenish above with pure-white cheeks. Male has large black patch on the belly. Calls Willow Tit – Parus (Poecile) montanus “chink” and “cha-cha-cha”; basic song “teacher-teacher”. [pukhlyak] Common in flocks in forest and near Coal Tit – Parus (Periparus) ater settlements. Light grey with black cap [moskovka] and small black bib. Calls “zee-zee-zee” Common in flocks with other or harsh “tchay”. tits, sometimes in large migrating parties. Small, grayish-buff below, grey above. Has large Titmice from below bib and white nape. Tail short. Cheeks pure white. Call a thin “tsee-tsee-tsee”; song “teachoo-teachoo-teachoo”. Blue Tit – Parus (Cyanistes) caeruleus [lazorevka] Common in river valleys and near settlements; in small groups or with other tits. Small, yellow below and greenish above, with blue cap and bluish wings and tail. Cheeks white. Call a thin Great Tit Coal Tit Crested Tit Willow Tit Blue Tit “tsee-tsee” and a trill “tsee-tsee-tsu-tsuhuhuhuhuhu”. male male 4 5 Goldcrest – Regulus regulus Hazel Grouse – Tetrastes bonasia [korolyok] fam. Regulidae [ryabchik] fam. Tetraonidae Smallest wintering bird. Greenish with Rather small hen-like bird, usually seen flying up in forest yellow or orange stripe on the head. Common in forests in with wing noise. Grey ramp. Song of flocks, also with titmice. Call high-pitched “zree-zree-zree”. fine notes “tsii-u-iih ti, ti-ti-ti-ti”. Long-tailed Tit – Aegithalos caudatus Jay – Garrulus glandarius [opolovnik] fam. Aegithalidae [soyka] fam. Corvidae Small bird with very long Common bird in forest and gardens. Plumage pinkish grey- tail. Common in river valleys, brown. Rump pure white. Pale blue patch on wing. Call loud “kschaach!” or Goshawk-like “kya-kya-kya-…” more rare in forest, in tight flocks, often with titmice. Calls sharp “eez-eez-eez” and “tsirrip” (in alarm). Treecreper – Certhia familiaris [pischukha] fam. Certhidae Small bird grayish-brown above that search for food on trunks using tail for support. Bill thin. Call a strong Nutcracker – Nucifraga nucifraga “tüüt”. Rather inconspicuous. [kedrovka] fam. Corvidae Uncommon in forest. Dark brown with white spots. Rump Nuthatch – Sitta europaea dark. Call loud “krrrreh”, usually in series. *popolzen’+ fam. Sittidae Common in forest, often joins to titmice flocks. Blue-gray above, with red-brown feathers under short tail. Very active. Calls loud and sharp “zit”, “ziit”, etc. 6 7 Great Grey Shrike – Lanius excubitor Raven – Corvus corax [seriy sorokoput] fam. Laniidae [voron] fam. Corvidae Rare, in winter usually in river valley Large, wholly black. Common or in fields. Solitary. Wings with white but usually solitary or in pairs. patches. Usually silent. Call a loud “korrp”. Jackdaw – Corvus monedula Hooded Crow – Corvus cornix [galka] fam. Corvidae [seraya vorona] fam. Corvidae In groups or flocks in Common near human villages, common. Rather settlements. Usually in groups small, blackish. Call “kya”, usually in or flocks. Grey with black head, wings series. and tail. Call “kraah kraah kraah”. Corvidae birds in flight Rook – Corvus frugilegus [grach] fam. Corvidae Uncommon in winter, usually in company with Crows and Jackdaws. Size of Crow, black. Old birds have pale bill. Call “gra gra grah…” Hooded Crow Magpie Magpie – Pica pica Raven [soroka] fam. Corvidae Common in river valleys and in human settlements. Black and white, with long tail. Call “tsche-tsche-tsche-tsche”. Jackdaw Rook 8 9 Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris Bullfinch – Pyrrhula pyrrhula [ryabinnik] fam. Turdidae *snegir’+ fam. Fringillidae Common in river valleys and near Common bird, usually in human settlements, usually in parties. Male pinkish-red, flocks. Grey head and rump. Ochre female grayish-buff. White rump. breast. Call “schack-schack-schack”. Call a fluiting “plüit”. Mistle Thrush – Turdus viscivorus Hawfinch – Coccothraustes [deryaba] fam. Turdidae coccothraustes Rare, solitary bird, in forest [dubonos] fam. Fringillidae or river valleys. Best Rare, solitary bird, near human identification by call – a dry settlements. Rather big finch, rattle “zer’r’r’r’r’r’”. plumage rusty-brown and buff. Broad white wing-band. Call a Waxwing – Bombycilla garrulus sharp “pix!” [sviristel’+ fam. Bombycillidae Common, in forest or near human settlements, in parties. Reddish-buff plumage; yellow tail-tip, yellow and white on wing. Call “sirrrrr”. Bullfinch Hawfinch Mistle Thrush Waxwing Fieldfare 10 11 Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra Greenfinch – Carduelis (Chloris) chloris [klyost-yelovik] fam. Fringillidae [zelenushka] fam. Fringillidae Common in conifer forests, often in Common in villages, solitary or in parties. Sometimes sings in winter. small groups. Plumage mainly Male mainly brick-red, females grey-green. Yellow on primaries and yellowish-green. Call “glipp”. tail. Usual calls unmusical “dschrüüüüuh”, also clear trill “tuy-tuy-tuy-tuy-tuy”. Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis Siskin – Carduelis (Spinus) spinus [schegol] fam. Fringillidae [chizh] fam. Fringillidae Common in parties, mainly in river Common, in parties or large flocks, valley. Small, with red “face”, bright feeds mainly in tree crones. Small; yellow wing-bars. Calls musical wings dark with contrasting yellow “tickelitt”. markings. Male mainly greenish- yellow, female grayish-green. Call Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus “tluih”. [polevoy vorobey] fam. Ploceidae Common in villages, usually in parties. Redpoll – Carduelis (Acanthis) flammea Head red-brown, cheeks pure white. [chechyotka] fam. Fringillidae Call “tsuwitt”. Common, in parties or large flocks, often with Siskins. Small, House Sparrow – Passer domesticus in appearance and behaviour [domoviy vorobey] fam. Ploceidae like Siskin, but no green or yellow in plumage. Common near humans. Grey Greyish, with red forecrown. Male with red breast. Call crown in male. Female dirty Siskin-like “jüitt” and repeated “chett-chett-chett”. brown above and dusky below. Call “chilp chev” etc. 12 13 Owls family – Strigidae Hawks family – Accipitridae Ural Owl – Strix uralensis Goshawk – Accipiter gentilis *dlinnokhvostaya neyasyt’+ [yastreb-teterevyatnik] Fairly large owl, uncommon in forest. Uncommon in forest. Large hawk. Grey with quite long tail. Wings fairly long. Male bluish-gray above, Regularly seen in daylight. size of Hooded Crow. Female slate-grey Song “wo-ho……… woho uhwo-ho”. above, larger than Hooded Crow. Silent in winter. Tawny Owl – Strix aluco *seraya neyasyt’] Middle-size owl. Common in forest but rarely seen in