Ornithologist explains why migratory birds are still enjoying their stay

Migratory birds have not yet left the Republic of Tatarstan, while winter birds have long since arrived, said Ilgizar Rakhimov, Professor of the Department of Bioecology, Hygiene and Public Health.

He explained why this year rooks, crows, jackdaws and other birds that fly south for the winter are still in our latitudes.

The birds do not fly away because the air temperature is comfortable for them, it sometimes reaches plus 15 degrees Celsius. Besides, there is enough food for them, Ilgizar Rakhimov said.

“Most of the birds in Tatarstan are migratory, many of them fly away already in early October, but even now we can observe gulls in the Kazanka area. Ducks live on many lakes in Kazan. As long as the water does not freeze, the birds will be with us,” assured the professor. “The birds have nowhere to rush, because they have everything they need for a comfortable habitat: food, a place to live, and a familiar environment.”

As soon as the cold weather arrives, the food available to the birds will run out, as insects will begin to die. The birds will then have to leave their homeland. More often than not, it is not the cold that destroys birds, but the lack of suitable food, the ornithologist noted.

He added that another curious fact is that winter birds, such as bullfinches and whistlers, have already arrived from the north and are neighboring with birds that have not yet flown away.