ORDER PASTERIFORMES - PASSERIFORMES
small and medium size birds. The beak is straight. The legs are quite long. The body is usually somewhat elongated.
53 species are represented in the USSR.
310. Robin - Erithacus rubecula
A little smaller than a sparrow. The plumage of the upper side of the body is olive-gray, the abdomen is white, the throat and chest are orange.
Migrant. Inhabits the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of the USSR and Western Siberia. The nest is built on the ground, less often in a half-hollow. Clutch contains 5-6 pinkish eggs with brown spots. The voice is a sharp "tik-tik-tik" and a loud song.
In nature, it is identified by the orange throat and chest.
311. Nightingale - Luscinia luscinia
Slightly larger than a sparrow. The dorsal side is brownish-brown, the ventral side is whitish-gray.
Migrant. Inhabits undergrowth in forests, floodplain plantations, gardens and parks in the European part of the USSR and Western Siberia. The nest is built on the ground. The clutch contains 4-6 olive-brown eggs. The voice is a low whistle and a sonorous varied song.
In field conditions, it differs little from the southern nightingale, which is slightly larger and lighter.
312. Rubythroat - Calliope calliope
The size of a sparrow. The dorsal side is olive-gray, there is a triangular red spot on the throat, the belly is whitish.
Migrant. Inhabits the undergrowth and floodplain thickets in the taiga from the Urals to the Koryak Highlands. The nest is built on the ground. Clutch contains 4-6 blue eggs. The voice is a loud whistle and a sonorous whistling song.
It differs from the black-breasted rubythroat by the absence of black on the chest in males.
313. Blue nightingale - Larvivora cyane
Somewhat smaller than a sparrow. The dorsal side, including the tail, is slate blue, the ventral side is white. The forehead and the stripe from the beak through the eye are black.
Migrant. Inhabits thickets of bushes along taiga rivers in Southern Siberia and the Far East. The nest is built on the ground. Clutch contains 4-6 blue eggs. The voice is a rough "chok-chok" and a whistling song.
It differs from other nightingales by the blue plumage of the back and white sides.
314. Bluethroat - Cyanosylvia svecica
A little smaller than a sparrow. The dorsal side is brown, the rump and tail are red. The throat and chest are blue, bordered below by red and blackish stripes, in the middle of the goiter there is a red or white spot, the abdomen is white. Females and young birds have only a blue "necklace" around a whitish or rufous throat.
Migrant. Widely, but very unevenly distributed throughout the country from the shrub tundra to the mountains on the southern outskirts. The nest is built on the ground. The clutch contains 4-7 gray-green eggs with brown speckles. Voice - the cry "chak-chak" and the song - trills and imitation of the voices of other birds.
Quite easily identified by the blue spot on the chest.
315. Bluetail - Tarsiger cyanurus
The size of a sparrow. The dorsal side is gray-blue, a white eyebrow above the eye, the middle of the throat and abdomen are white, the sides are bright red.
Migrant. Inhabits the taiga from the Kola Peninsula to Kamchatka. The nest is arranged in a semi-hollow or on the ground. Clutch contains 5-7 white eggs. Voice - whistling call and song.
When determining, pay attention to the bright red sides.
316. Black Redstart - Phoenicums ochruros
A little smaller than a sparrow. The top of the head and back are ash gray. The forehead, sides of the head, throat and chest are black, the abdomen and tail are red. The female is brown-gray, with a red tail.
Migrant. Inhabits stone buildings in human settlements and mountain landscape in the west of the European part of the USSR. Nest in cracks and crevices of buildings or rocks. The clutch contains 4-6 pale bluish eggs. The voice is a ringing cry and a short song.
The male differs from the common redstart in the black color of the chest.
317. Coot Redstart - Phoenicums phoenicums
A little smaller than a sparrow. The forehead is white, the crown, neck and back are bluish-gray, the chest and abdomen are red, the sides of the head and throat are black. The female has a red tail, a whitish belly, the rest of the plumage is brownish-gray.
Migrant. Inhabits light forests, parks, gardens in the European part of the USSR and Siberia east to Lake Baikal. The nest is built in a hollow. Clutch contains 5-7 blue eggs. The voice is a scream and a ringing song.
When determining, it is necessary to pay attention to the white forehead.
318. Meadow coin - Saxicola rubetra
A little smaller than a sparrow. The dorsal side is grayish-buff with black longitudinal stripes, the throat and goiter are rusty, the chest and abdomen are whitish, the base of the tail, the eyebrow and the stripe on the wing are white.
Migrant. Inhabits meadows in the European part of the USSR, the Caucasus and Siberia to the east to the Yenisei. The nest is built on the ground. The clutch contains 5-6 greenish-blue eggs with rusty spots. The voice is a loud call and a chirping song.
When determining, it is necessary to pay attention to light eyebrows above the eyes.
319. Black-headed coinage - Saxicola torquata
A little smaller than a sparrow. The dorsal side, head, throat, wings and tail are black, the chest is rusty-red, the abdomen, the stripe on the shoulders, the rump and the base of the tail are white. The dorsal plumage is grayish-buff, with a rusty chest band.
Migrant. Inhabits the meadows of the south of the European part of the USSR and Siberia from the Urals to Sakhalin. The nest is built on the ground. The clutch contains 5-6 greenish-blue eggs. The voice is a sonorous “tzit-check-check” and a chirping song.
From meadow coinage has a black head.
320. Black coinage - Saxicola caprata
Noticeably smaller than a sparrow. The plumage is mostly black, while the belly, rump and wing band are white. The females are brown.
Migrant. Inhabits the plains Central Asia. The nest is built on the ground. The clutch contains 3-5 bluish-green eggs. The voice is "check-check" and a simple song.
Quite easily determined by the characteristic appearance.
321. Dancing Wheatear - Oenanthe isabellina
The size of a sparrow. The plumage is clay-gray. The rump and spots on the sides of the dark tail are white. A dark line passes through the eye.
Migrant. Inhabits dry steppes from the Sea of Azov to Eastern Transbaikalia. The nest is built in burrows and crevices between rocks. Clutch contains 4-6 light blue eggs. The voice is a loud "check-check".
In the field, it is quite difficult to determine.
322. Kamenka - Oenanthe oenanthe
The size of a sparrow. The dorsal side is ash gray. The wings, tail and stripe through the eye to the ear are black. Belly buffy-white.
Migrant. Widely distributed throughout the USSR, absent only in areas of continuous forests. The nest is built in a shelter. Clutch contains 5-6 light blue eggs. The voice is "check-check" and a varied song.
In nature, it is quite easy to determine by characteristic behavior. The male differs from other wheatears in the gray color of the back.
323. Desert Wheatear - Oenanthe deserti
The size of a sparrow. The dorsal side is sandy-buffy, the throat, sides of the head and neck, wings and tail are black, the belly of the body, rump and base of the tail are white.
Migrant. Inhabits flat sandy or gravelly deserts of Southern Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The nest is built in a shelter. Clutch contains 4-6 blue eggs. The voice is a sharp “check-check” and a song with a variety of sounds.
The male differs from other wheatears in the buffy coloration of the back.
324. Black Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica
The size of a sparrow. The dorsal side is white, the color of the throat and sides of the head varies greatly, being black or white. Chest, belly and undertail are white.
Migrant. Inhabits dry rocky hillsides of Dagestan and Transcaucasia. Nest, masonry and voice - like other heaters.
Under field conditions, the male black-spotted wheatear is indistinguishable from the male bald-headed wheatear. The female has a brownish coloration.
325. Pleschanka - Oenanthe pleschanka
The size of a sparrow. It is very similar in coloration to the Black Wheatear.
Migrant. Inhabits dry steppes from the northwestern coast of the Black Sea to Lake Baikal. Nest, masonry and voice - like other heaters.
In the field, the male is indistinguishable from the male of the Black-Pied Wheatear.
326. Tugai nightingale - Erythropygia gulactotes
Slightly larger than a sparrow. The dorsal side is brownish-sandy, the ventral side is whitish, a whitish eyebrow is above the eye.
Migrant. Inhabits thickets of bushes in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. The nest is built on a bush or the ground. Clutch contains 3-5 greenish-blue eggs with brown spots. The voice is a sharp squeak and a sonorous song.
Unlike the southern nightingale, there are red, black and white stripes at the end of the tail.
327. Pied rock thrush - Monticola saxatilis
The size of a starling. The head and upper back are bluish, the lower back is white, the chest, sides and abdomen are red.
Migrant. Inhabits treeless mountains and rocks from Western Ukraine in the south of the country to Lake Baikal. The nest is built among the stones. The clutch contains 4-6 bluish-green eggs. The voice is a sharp "chak-chak" and a varied song.
It differs from the blue rock thrush in its rufous tail feathers.
328. Blue rock thrush - Monticola solitarius
The size of a starling. The head, neck and back are grayish-blue, the abdomen is chestnut-red, the tail is brown.
Migrant. Inhabits mountain slopes in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. The nest is placed between stones. The clutch contains 4-6 bluish-greenish eggs. The voice is "check-check" and a loud song.
It differs from the variegated stone thrush by its dark tail.
329. Bluebird - Myophonus caeruleus
A little smaller than a dove. The plumage is dark blue.
Wandering bird. Inhabits the banks of mountain streams in the mountains of Central Asia and South Kazakhstan. The nest is built on a rock. The clutch contains 4-5 bluish-white eggs. The voice is a sharp "dezhzhzhi" and a loud whistling song.
It is determined mainly by its characteristic coloration.
330. Siberian thrush - Cichloselys sibiricus
The size of a starling. The plumage is black-gray. The belly and eyebrow above the eye are white.
Migrant. Inhabits the dark coniferous taiga from the Yenisei to Sakhalin. The nest is built in a tree or bush. Clutch contains 4-6 bluish eggs with spots. The voice is a crackling and chirping song.
Quite easily identified by the characteristic color.
331. Spotted thrush - Oreocincla dauma
Noticeably larger than a starling. The dorsal side is golden-olive with wide transverse dark streaks. The ventral side is white with large dark streaks.
Migrant. Inhabits the taiga from the Urals to the Amur. The nest is built in a tree or on the ground. Clutch of 4-5 pale olive spotted eggs. The voice is a dull "horr-horr" and a song.
From other thrushes it is well distinguished by its golden-motley back.
332. Blackbird - Turdus merula
Slightly larger than a starling. The plumage is black. Bill and eye ring orange-yellow.
Migrant. Inhabits light forests, gardens and parks in the European part of the USSR and mountains in the south of the country to the east to the Dzungarian Alatau. The nest is built on a tree, bush or ground. In clutch there are 4-7 bluish-green eggs with brown spots. The voice is a loud cry and a flute song.
It is determined mainly by its characteristic coloration.
333. White-throated Thrush - Turdus torquatus
Slightly larger than a starling. The plumage is dull black, on the crop there is a large semicircular white spot.
Migrant. Inhabits the belt of crooked forests in the Carpathians, the Caucasus and the mountains of Western Turkmenistan, as well as in the north of the Kola Peninsula. The nest is built on the ground, bush or tree. The clutch contains 4-5 bluish-green eggs with rusty spots. The voice is a sharp cry and a melodic song.
It is determined by a white spot on the goiter.
334. Red Thrush - Turdus naumanni
Slightly larger than a starling. Coloring is twofold. In birds of the northern form, the top of the head, back, rump, tail, sides of the head and goiter are dark, with an admixture of red, the wings are rusty brown. Birds of the southern form do not have black. The eyebrow, throat and abdomen are white. Dorsal side, wings and tail are grey. The throat, cheeks, craw, sides and undertail are rusty-red with whitish transverse streaks, the belly is white.
Migrant. Inhabits the forest-tundra and taiga from the Taz River to Kamchatka. The nest is built on stumps or bushes. The clutch contains 4-5 bluish-green eggs with brown speckles. The voice is a sharp "chak-chak" and a melodic song.
In field conditions, the reddish sides of the body and undertail are especially noticeable.
335. Dark-throated Thrush - Turdus ruficollis
Slightly larger than a starling. The back is olive-gray, the throat and goiter are black-brown or red, the chest and abdomen are white or grayish.
Migrant. Inhabits forests from the Urals to Transbaikalia. The nest is built on a tree, bush or ground. Clutch contains 4-7 bluish eggs with brown spots. The voice is a sharp cry and the song is like a set of crackling sounds.
It differs from the red thrush by its white chest and sides.
336. Fieldfare - Turdus pilaris
Slightly larger than a starling. The top of the head and rump are grey. The back is chestnut, the crop and chest are buffy, the abdomen is white, on the chest and sides there are large dark triangular streaks.
Wandering bird. Inhabits coniferous and deciduous forests, floodplain stands from the western borders of the USSR to the Aldan basin. The nest is built on a tree. Clutch contains 4-7 greenish eggs with brown spots. The voice is a loud crackling and crackling song.
It differs from other thrushes by its gray rump and top of its head.
337. Whitebrow - Turdus iliacus
The size of a starling. The dorsal side is olive-brown, the ventral side is white, with brown streaks and rusty sides. Above the eye is a wide white eyebrow.
Migrant. Inhabits the forest-tundra and the forest zone from the Kola Peninsula to the Vitim Plateau. The nest is built on the ground or in bushes. Clutch contains 5-6 bluish-green eggs with red dots. The voice is crackling and a loud song.
It differs from the song thrush in its rufous flanks and light eyebrow.
338. Song Thrush - Turdus philomelos
The size of a starling. The dorsal side is brownish-gray, the ventral side is white, with numerous dark streaks, there is an buffy coating on the goiter.
Migrant. Inhabits coniferous and mixed forests from the western borders of the USSR to Lake Baikal. The nest is built on a tree. Clutch contains 3-5 blue eggs with black spots. The voice is a sharp "tsii" and a sonorous song.
It differs from the white-browed in light sides.
339. Mistletoe - Turdus viscivorus
Slightly larger than a starling. The top of the body is olive-grey, the bottom is white with large teardrop-shaped black streaks.
Migratory and nomadic bird. Inhabits coniferous forests of the European part of the USSR and Siberia. The nest is built on a tree. The clutch contains 4-5 bluish-green eggs with dark speckles. Voice - crackle and song.
It looks like a song thrush, but much larger.
The robin, dawn, robin and alder are all the names of the same bird, which has become a symbol of the sunrise in many countries. The robin belongs to the order of passeriformes and lives in the countries of Europe, Asia and in some regions of North Africa.
Robin bird. 
Raspberry in flight.
Appearance
From above, the robin is painted gray-green, it has a white abdomen, and the throat, chest, forehead and sides of the head are red in different shades. Males are more brightly colored than females. Also, the brightness of the shade depends on the sexual maturity of the bird. With age, the shade of females and males becomes almost identical. The size of the birds is 13 - 16 cm, the length of the wings is about 7 cm, the weight of the bird is 15 - 23 grams, the northern robins are larger than the southern ones.
A robin bird chirps on a branch. 
Raspberry on the ground. 
Raspberry on the road. Habitat and behavior
The favorite habitat of the robin is moist mixed and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth and a pond, with small clearings. Robins can also settle in parks, the main condition is a large number of shrubs, it is here that they breed their offspring. You will not meet these birds not in America or in Australia, in the 20th century they were even specially brought there, but the birds never took root.
Robins from different regions lead different way life: the southern inhabitants are sedentary, and the northern birds are migratory and return in the very first spring.
In the daytime, robins are very active, in evening time their activity decreases. Robins are not at all afraid of people, and often fly to summer residents to find earthworms in the soil.
In warmer areas of its range, the robin leads a sedentary lifestyle, nests in cold summers, and migrates west and south in autumn. From Siberia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, birds fly to Western Europe, Algeria and the Azores. They return to their nesting sites in March and are considered early spring birds.
Raspberry on a branch. 
Raspberry on a branch. 
Raspberry in the forest. 
Singing robin. 
The robin fluffed up in the cold. 
Robin or robin, frost outside -25C. Food
The basis of the diet of robins is worms, small mollusks, spiders and caterpillars, which they can get on the ground. They can also eat berries (elderberry, mountain ash, blackberry, currant), fruits, seeds and cereals. In autumn, they begin to look for food in the feeders that people prepare for them.
The robin sorts things out with the titmouse. 
Raspberry with prey. 
reproduction
In the first spring, male robins return, who are looking for a suitable place for nesting, they will be the land where they themselves were born . Robins build their nests on the ground in bushes, on stumps, in cracks in trees. For construction, dry leaves, grass stems are used, the bottom is lined with moss. The nest is small, but very neat - about 5 cm high and 7 cm wide.
During the season, the female makes up to three clutches, in one clutch there are usually 5-6 eggs, which only the female incubates for 12-15 days. The color of the eggs resembles the color of dry grass - pinkish or yellow with red spots.
Chicks are born completely naked with black skin. Newborn chicks are very voracious - they can eat up to four meters of worms per day. They become winged on the 15-17th day and live near their parents for another ten days, after which they fly out of the nest. The chicks leave the nest when they are not yet able to fly well, so their color resembles dry leaves and dark grass in which they will live.
Young hatchlings do not fly far from their parents, who can warn their children of the danger. Unfortunately, robin chicks have a high mortality in the first year of life, but if the chick survives, it can live up to 11-12 years.
- Robin males are very aggressive - up to 10% of males die in fights for territory.
- The robin's parental instincts are often used by cuckoos, laying their eggs in their nest, the robins, not noticing the substitution, feed the cuckoos.
- The favorite delicacy of robins is ant eggs, one family of birds can destroy the ant population in a summer cottage over the summer.
- In the 60s of the 20th century, robins were unofficially recognized as the national bird of Great Britain. In this country, she is a symbol of Christmas, it is her image that adorns traditional Christmas cards.
- In nature, its enemies are sable, weasel, mink, ferrets, martens, badgers, foxes and wolves.
Robins - looking at the photo, it can be seen that these are small songbirds, which are also known as "robins", their sonorous voice is repeatedly sung in poetry. Although many have not heard this name, nevertheless, this is the scientific "name of the bird."
Types of robins
Robins (Erithacus) are a genus of birds in the flycatcher family.Today, scientists have counted in nature only three varieties these birds:
- Black-throated Robin, Ryukyuan Nightingale (Erithacus komadori);
- (Erithacus rubecula);
It should be noted that only the last two species are described in detail, as for the black-throated robin, there is very little information about it.
The appearance of the robins
These songbirds are very modest in size. Their body length is from 15 to 16 centimeters. The mass of an adult robin: 16-18 grams. These birds have a small and thin beak, miniature, but very tenacious, paws. The plumage of the robins is loose and rather soft, the feathers do not fit tightly to the body. Such a structure of the feather cover “fills” the bird, but in fact it is smaller than it seems because of its fur coat.
The color of the plumage depends on the species: in the common robin, the wings, tail and back are olive-gray, the breast and abdominal region are light gray, but the chest, throat and frontal part have a bright orange tint; as for the Japanese robin, its upper body is reddish, the lower part of the body is bluish-gray. It is possible to distinguish females from male robins only by a brighter spot on the chest (which is inherent in males).
Where do robins live?
The common robin () lives in Europe, in addition, it lives in the Caucasus, Western Siberia, Asia Minor, and Northwest Africa. The Japanese species of robin lives in China and Japan. Southern populations lead a sedentary lifestyle, the northern ones make seasonal migrations to warmer climes.
The robin bird is distinguished by an individual approach to life, if I can say so about birds, this is expressed in everything: robins live alone, they even fly alone for wintering. These little birds fiercely protect their territory from other people's encroachments. Males define their territory, including by issuing voice "notifications" that "the place is taken."
The birds got their name robin for their loud singing in the morning: their trills are heard especially strongly at sunrise and sunset, and in general robins sing all day.
Listen to the robin's voice
What do robin birds eat?
These birds feed on insects, and their menu is supplemented by larvae, small molluscs, centipedes, spiders, bedbugs, and beetles. The robin is not averse to eating berries, as well as their seeds.
Reproduction of robins
Robin eggs are laid twice a year. In laying from 5 to 7 eggs. Incubation of future chicks does not last long - about 13 - 14 days. After birth, the first 12 days, the babies sit in the nest, their parents (both male and female) feed them. On the 13th day, the chicks make their first “exits” from the nest, however, they keep at a close distance.
One autumn, my relative called me with the words: “And a tame bird appeared in my garden. Does not fly away from me, sits at arm's length and waits for something. I have the same bird. And many other gardeners. This is a pretty little bird, the robin, which is also called the robin. More often, a gullible first year “attaches” to a person, who looks older due to the habit of fluffing plumage. He has not yet learned all the dangers that lie in wait for curious birds. Carefully observes a person, follows him on his heels. Often at the end of summer - beginning of autumn, I was forced to drive away a robin sitting nearby so as not to accidentally injure it with a shovel or rake.
Robin is a migratory bird
The robin is well known in Western Europe and the British Isles. There are not only local robins, but also robins arriving for the winter. These birds also fly to more southern countries. The robin is one of the first to return to its home. In the Moscow region, you can hear her beautiful and sonorous songs already in March, when the first thawed patches appear. Not only the male, but also the female sings. Their ringing song, in which short whistles and long melodies alternate, falls silent for a while in the middle of the day and late at night. At dawn, the singing of robins drowns out the voices of other birds. Isn't that where the bird's name came from? Each melody ends with a trill, reminiscent of the chime of bells. These melodies will sound until mid-July, then they will be replaced by quieter singing, which can be heard until autumn.
What does a robin look like
It is easy to recognize the robin by its bright orange breast and part of the head. The top of the head, neck (back), back and wings are gray-olive in color. On the abdomen there is a grayish-white part of the soft plumage. Older birds have a bright red spot on their throats. Juveniles are not so intensely colored. Their belly is yellowish-ocher with dark speckles. The robin needs proportionally long legs, as most of the time it jumps on the ground, grass and jumps from branch to branch in the bushes. The wings of this migratory bird short, only 7 cm long, and not very strong. The size of a robin is slightly smaller than a sparrow: body length 14 - 16 cm, and weight 16 - 18 g. Robins live on average about 5 years.
Robin family life
The robin has a reputation as an individualistic bird. You rarely see her in the company of relatives. The male usually arrives first at the nesting site. And he begins to defend his territory. He does not let other males on her, fights with them to the death. It often hits females, who are mistaken for males.
Nest building is the responsibility of the female. It takes about a week to build. By mid-May, a cup-shaped or slightly oval nest of robins is ready. Often it fits between the roots of old stumps or in the bases of shrubs. In clutch there are 5 - 7 light pink eggs with brown speckles, from which naked chicks hatch after 13 - 14 days of incubation. Their parents feed them for two weeks. Chicks that have grown up, but have not yet learned to fly well, leave the nest. At first, they live on the territory of their parents, who continue to feed the brood. Adult birds look after the chicks, warn them of the danger with a drawn out "shhh ...". Chicks deftly run and jump in high grass, freezing at any danger. It will take quite a bit of time, and the robin-parents will prepare for the second clutch. They do not yet drive the chicks out of their territory, since the young birds have not yet appeared on the chest plumage of orange color. For a male robin, this is the identification mark of an opponent. As soon as the plumage of the grown chicks becomes bright, they will be forbidden to be in the "house" of their parents.
What does the robin eat
The robin feeds on what it can find in the lower tier of the forest. She jumps on the ground and forest floor, looking for beetles, their larvae, caterpillars, flies, forest bugs, spiders, centipedes, land snails and worms. Numerous garden pests are also included in the diet of robins. These birds guard gardeners with a shovel in their hands. They know that they can find something tasty in the freshly dug up land. At the end of summer and autumn, the robin pecks seeds and berries with pleasure. Often robins appear near the feeders. But it is easier for them to find food on the ground than in special facilities for feeding birds.
Robin in captivity
Robins are kept in cages as mobile songbirds. They quickly get used to the person who cares for them. They are not afraid of him, they take food from their hands. And they sing their songs all year round, with a short break for summer molting. But even here the individualism of this bird is manifested. Males that are in the same cage fight so zealously that they can seriously injure each other. The diet of indoor robins includes berries (you should add elderberries), insects, and special mixtures of seeds and grains. The merry robin pleases with singing even in winter.
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