Bird Day. International Bird Day. How did Bird Day appear in Russia?

The whole planet celebrates (International Bird Day) - an international environmental holiday. It originated in the USA in 1894. Soon the holiday, which gained popularity thanks to the media, began to be held en masse in all states, then came to Europe, and is currently taking place within the framework of the UNESCO biological program “Man and the Biosphere” in many countries around the world.

The history of the development of Bird Day in Russia is interesting. Having reached our country in the 19th century, the idea of helping birds fell on fertile ground. Already at that time, bird protection was organized in Tsarist Russia; by the beginning of the 20th century, several dozen organizations were already involved in this matter. Among them are the Ornithological Committee of the Russian Society for the Acclimatization of Animals and Plants, the Permanent Environmental Commission of the Russian Geographical Society, and the Russian Society for the Protection of Animals, founded in 1865.

Children's organizations also opened in cities - the so-called May Unions for the study and protection of birds. They were created on the basis of schools and united children of nine to eleven years old, who wore an emblem on their headdresses - a flying swallow. In 1910, school teacher Pyotr Buzuk in the village of Khortitsa founded the country's first Society for Nature Conservation, the symbol of which was a bird's nest. Society members fed the birds and hung nesting boxes for them.

After the revolution of 1917, children's May unions ceased to exist, but the idea of protecting birds was picked up by youth organizations. In the summer of 1924, the first and only All-Union Congress of Young People in the USSR was held, at which Nikolai Dergunov, a teacher at the Central Biological Station, proposed to re-establish Bird Day. Since 1926, this date has been celebrated in the USSR as an official holiday. In 1927, Bird Day was held in all districts of Moscow, and about 5 thousand children took part in it. In 1928, the number of participants reached 65 thousand children, they hung more than 15 thousand birdhouses.

The annual celebration of Bird Day was cut short by the war, but the movement was revived in 1948. The holiday gained even greater scope; in 1953, 5 million schoolchildren were involved in it. But by the 60–70s of the 20th century, the celebration of Bird Day had again faded away.

The holiday was revived in 1999 - thanks to the Russian Bird Conservation Union, founded in 1993. In the first year, 500 people took part in Bird Day in Moscow alone; they hung more than 500 birdhouses. In 2000, the Moscow government became involved in organizing the holiday, adopting Bird Day as a citywide event. And today it is the most famous of the “bird” holidays in our country.

The date of the holiday was not chosen by chance: just at this time birds return from warmer climes. On this day, adults and children improve the habitats of waterfowl, hang out new feeders and birdhouses.

Let us remind you that on the second weekend another very famous “bird” holiday is celebrated -.

Without birds the planets will go numb,
Silence will cover the forests, fields,
Love won't knock on our hearts
Without the nightingale's gentle trill.

Congratulations to the whole world today
Happy wonderful holiday, Bird Day.
Flocks of birds fly into the sky,
They have no barriers and no boundaries.

Let the birds circle above the earth,
Storks bring children,
Let the sparrow, eagle, magpie
There will be a place among people.

30.12.2017

At the VIII Report and Election Conference of the Russian Bird Conservation Union, held in Moscow in February 2017, the osprey was chosen as the bird of 2018.

Osprey is an unusual bird. A magnificent flyer, a skilled fisherman, a caring parent, a brave traveler, an elegant, beautiful bird. The osprey is so unique that ornithologists have identified a separate family for it in the animal world. Osprey is widely distributed throughout the world, found on all continents except Antarctica. And at the same time, it feeds almost exclusively on fish; other prey is extremely rare in the osprey’s diet. Osprey hunting (yes, not fishing, just hunting fish) is a breathtaking spectacle. This is a calm search flight over the surface of the water, and a swift rush towards prey, when the bird instantly turns into white lightning rushing towards the water, and a sharp throwing forward of its paws just before the dive, and a sheaf of splashes, from which a bird suddenly flies out with a fish in its paws... An osprey can even grab a fish that is gaping at the surface, almost without getting its feather wet. But often you have to immerse yourself in water almost completely. And then the bird, rising heavily with its prey in its claws, shakes itself off in flight - well, exactly like a dog that has climbed onto land after a swim.

Large nests of ospreys are often far from water, and the bird has to carry difficult prey to its chicks several kilometers away. At the same time, the male feeds not only the brood in the nest, but also the female, who incubates the clutch and later continuously protects the growing chicks. And even when fully feathered chicks leave the nest, parents have to feed them for a long time until the young ospreys master the art of hunting on their own.

Rare throughout almost its entire vast range, the osprey requires especially careful treatment and protection. Its numbers depend on many factors - both on the fishiness of reservoirs and on the availability of suitable nesting sites. Water pollution and deforestation have led to a significant reduction in the number of feathered fishermen. Excessive human disturbance is also a determining limiting factor for ospreys. And where now, with a developed road network, with the active use of passable all-wheel drive vehicles, ATVs, boats, kayaks, and other yachts by vacationers, can they find a quiet river stretch or a deserted lake?

What can we do to preserve this truly unique species? In the global aspect - to ensure the cleanliness, and therefore the fishiness of our rivers and lakes, to preserve forests on their banks, in the water protection zone, in the adjacent swamps (it is the pine forests in the raised swamps that are the main nesting site of the osprey). But we ourselves can help the osprey. Maintain peace and quiet on such attractive river and lake banks, choose already inhabited, equipped places for camping in nature, and not create new bivouacs. The osprey also responds very well to artificial nesting sites. Of course, installing a nesting platform for an osprey is not an easy task, but in this way you can not only support birds in known habitats, but even attract them to new places that were previously uninhabited by ospreys.

And what is completely unacceptable is raising a gun at these magnificent birds.

We hope that 2018, the year of the osprey, will bring us many interesting observations of these beautiful birds, new data about their biology, will help us be closer to nature, and ospreys - at least a small step closer to humans.

Vladimir Melnikov

World or International Bird Day was created in 1906, after the signing of a convention in Paris aimed at protecting birds, and is held every year with the support of UNESCO. Our country joined this convention only 21 years later, in 1927, although it began to celebrate the holiday in 1918.
In fact, the tradition of taking care of birds in the spring took root in Russia much earlier. The oldest tradition of our ancestors is to hang “houses” for birds on trees in early April - birdhouses, titmouses, etc. The arrival of birds was celebrated by singing special chants and baking cookies in the shape of larks.

The need to protect birds is not at all far-fetched; it has serious reasons. Over the past four hundred years, about a hundred species of birds have disappeared from the face of our planet, and many others are already close to extinction or are so threatened. And the greatest danger for them is not the activity of hunters, as one might assume, but factors in the life of human society that, it would seem, are not directly related to birds. For example, high-rise buildings, cars and oil spills in water bodies are deadly to migratory birds.

It is obvious that it is hardly possible to stop humanity's advance on the bird world, but there is still hope to slow it down. Possible ways for this: the introduction of stricter penalties for harming the natural habitats of birds, including environmental pollution, as well as an increase in protected areas.

Every year, Russian ornithologists, members of the Bird Conservation Union, choose the so-called “bird of the year.” Candidates for this title are birds that are widespread throughout Russia (or most of it), recognizable and at the same time in need of human protection. The goal of this company is to draw the attention of people to the birds of our country and the need for their protection. Participants in the “Bird of the Year” campaign collect data about the chosen bird and show people its beauty and vulnerability.

In 2012, this high-profile title was given to the bluethroat, the closest relative of the nightingale. Unlike its brother, it is very brightly colored, although from a distance it looks grayish-brown - for camouflage purposes. Experts joke that the bluethroat is the bird with the colors of the Russian flag, because... The male of this species has a bright blue breast, bordered with a reddish stripe, and on it a bright white or red spot. The bluethroat sings loudly, but not as iridescently as the nightingale, and inserts excerpts from the songs of other birds into its song. In the spring, in May, this amazing bird sings almost without respite, including at night.
This bird builds nests on the ground, and therefore is currently seriously suffering from the spring burning of grass and the fires that often follow. This bird can only be saved by stopping the harmful tradition of spring grass burning, the so-called fires.

Ornithologists are seriously concerned about the possibility of an environmental disaster due to the extermination of many species of birds and are even putting forward proposals to cancel April Fools' Day, because of the celebration of which Russians do not take International Bird Day seriously enough and without the necessary attention. Members of the Union propose to officially dedicate this day - April 1 - to the study and protection of birds.

Birds live not far from people and delight us with their ringing, stunningly beautiful trills, easy flight, and beautiful plumage. They bring invaluable benefits to nature and people. So let's be grateful to the nature that created them, and do everything in our power to save these amazing creatures from extinction!

What date is Bird Day in 2018 and what kind of holiday is it? Schoolchildren and their parents ask this question more and more often every year - and all because in our country the holiday is becoming more and more widespread.

You should not assume that Bird Day is a new holiday; its history goes back more than one decade. In 2018, Bird Day, as in years before, will be celebrated mostly among schoolchildren, since the main idea of the holiday is to attract the younger generation to the protection and study of birds.

Due to the many similar holidays, many are confused when exactly Bird Day is celebrated in Russia in 2018. After all, in addition to the holiday already known to us, there is also Migratory Bird Day, National Bird Day, Obretenye (the second name of which is also Bird Day) - how to understand so many holidays? Very simple.

In Russia, only one holiday of the same name is celebrated - International Bird Day on April 1. In 2018 it falls on a Sunday.

Other holidays with similar names are not celebrated in our country.

In honor of Bird Day, a number of events are held in our country, mostly aimed at schoolchildren, because this holiday was originally created as part of school life. In addition, every year ornithologists in our country choose the main bird of the year, to whose life most events will be dedicated.

Bird of the Year 2018

By tradition, every year since 1999 has been declared the year of a bird. Blackbirds, seagulls, eagles, and dippers played the role of mascots - the list of birds of the year is simply huge. Every year the “celebrator” is chosen by the Russian Bird Conservation Union, the initiator of the revival of the old holiday in modern times. In honor of the bird of the year, various events are held - from round tables to visiting lectures; the closest attention is paid to the life of the bird of the day. That’s why choosing the “main bird of the year” is an extremely responsible and important matter.

What bird will 2018 be the year of? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not yet known. The fact is that the name of the “main bird” will be announced by the Russian Bird Conservation Union only by the end of 2017, shortly before the start of the next year, 2018. So we can only wait.

How did Bird Day appear in Russia?

and studied birds in their natural habitat and learned to protect them from the negative consequences of human activity
The history of the holiday begins in the century before last - the starting point was 1894. The holiday originated in the United States, and its initiator and author was school teacher Charles Babcock. Initially, Babcock's idea was to create a full-fledged educational program in which schoolchildren. Bird Day, according to Babcock's plan, should become a kind of culminating point of the program, its natural outcome. But history had its own way: the educational program on its original scale did not take root, but Bird Day turned first into a citywide and then into a national holiday.

The idea of studying and protecting birds, promoted at the festival, spread throughout the world, including in Europe and in Russia - then the Russian Empire. At the beginning of the 20th century, birds were patronized by several public and government organizations, and the new holiday quickly found its fans. May Unions appeared - children's organizations where children could study and protect birds. Union participants - schoolchildren of all ages - hung feeders, built birdhouses, and nursed wounded and sick birds.

In October 1917, the May Unions were liquidated. However, the idea of protecting and protecting birds did not die, and in 1924 Bird Day was revived on the territory of Russia - now the Russian Republic. Two years later, the holiday was included in the state list of official holidays and memorable days of the country - before that, the celebration of Bird Day was an initiative of caring ornithologists and zoologists.

Since 1927, more and more schoolchildren began to be involved in the celebration of Bird Day, and by the beginning of the Patriotic War, all schoolchildren in large cities of the country participated in the protection and protection of birds.

In the post-war period, the idea of protecting birds became larger - all schools in the country, without exception, were involved in celebrating the holiday. By the seventies, the bird theme began to decline again.

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the idea of celebrating Bird Day received a rebirth. The Russian Bird Conservation Union initiated the revival of the holiday in modern Russia. The idea to once again involve schoolchildren in the celebration also came from ornithologists. Today is Bird Day - a holiday dedicated to the problems of studying and protecting birds. In honor of the holiday, schoolchildren hang birdhouses and nesting boxes, feed the birds, and take care of them, not only in schoolyards, but also in parks, nature reserves, and green areas of the city.

International Bird Day, marked on the calendar on April 1, has a rich past. Back in 1905, the International Convention for the Conservation of Birds came into force. And in 1918, Russia signed the International Treaty on Migratory Birds, which is still in force today. Since 1927, Bird Day has been officially celebrated in the USSR; children and teenagers prepare birdhouses on April 1 so that birds returning from the south have a place to live. Initiative guys annually organize events to help birds. But gradually the holiday lost its meaning.

And only in 1994, when ornithologist activists sounded the alarm and created the Russian Bird Conservation Union, the holiday was revived. Today, the younger generation is once again actively involved in the construction of houses for migratory birds, taking care of urban birds that remain to spend the winter in Russia. The cheerful chirping of birds, which is heard from everywhere, pleases the children. And every year on April 1, ornithologists thank their assistants for everything they do for birds.

Without birds the planets will go numb,
Silence will cover the forests, fields,
Love won't knock on our hearts
Without the nightingale's gentle trill.

Congratulations to the whole world today
Happy wonderful holiday, Bird Day.
Flocks of birds fly into the sky,
They have no barriers and no boundaries.

Let the birds circle above the earth,
Storks bring children,
Let the sparrow, eagle, magpie
There will be a place among people.

How many birds are there in this world,
Even children take care of them
They build houses, feeding troughs,
They even hang toys
If only the birds didn't suffer,
And we didn’t go hungry in winter,
To sing and flutter,
And they didn’t fly away from us.
Take care of our birds,
Don't be lazy to give bugs,
A slice of bread or flatbread
Stretch it on your palm...
Let the "Birds" rejoice
The insect they offered,
A crumb of bread or cereal...
Help them in their destiny!

Our feathered friends
We are a big family,
Today I want to tell all people,
That we need to protect these friends.
Let the birds sing in the sky
Chicks are hatched and nests are built.
Our planet is more beautiful with birds,
And this is also our happiness!

Without birds the planet will be empty,
Calm will hang around
Give them moments of happiness
Hand feed with care!

Don't disturb their peace
Let them soar freely in the sky,
And don’t put him in a cage forever.
Let them have fun in the wild!

Let's become kinder
Let's arrange a surprise for the birds,
On all the trees in the neighborhood
We'll hang up the feeders for Bird Day!

Happy International Bird Day!
Let the noble chorus
They sing brilliantly
And they give you joy!

And you take care of them,
Make a birdhouse,
So that starlings live in it,
And the chicks were born!

Happy International Bird Day
I send you congratulations,
Let the birds return
Home sometimes in the spring.

Let the swans fall in love
Wings open
Storks with packages
Let them fly to the houses.

Crane wedge
Cooing in the blue,
May happiness be with the birds
Will return in the spring.

My congratulations to you
On International Bird Day,
Let the flocks soar in the skies
Geese, cranes and tits.

Let the swallows nest under the roof
They are blowing for their children,
In the garden outside the window in the evenings
Let the nightingales sing.

Let the dove fly over the world,
Let the stork circle above the house,
Returning home in the spring,
Let wedge after wedge fly towards us.

The bird spread its wings in flight.
You won't find anything else like it.
A sunny world opens up to her.
Let's all stand together and defend him.

Let the amazing birds fly.
And beauty is revealed to us all.
They give us the concept of novelty.
Happiness, flight, spring, depth!

On International Birds Day
I want to remind you all
How important it is for them to live now,
I consider it my duty to save them.

Feeders need to be created
And if they are wounded, help them,
Do not disturb the bird's peace,
This is very serious for them.

The sun rises together with their songs,
They give us joy all year round.
Winged joy, a messenger of good.
All the children love and feed them.

A holiday for our feathered friends.
We congratulate them with some bread!
Away from hunger and cold,
To twitter to them everywhere and always.

Take care of birds - a gift from the earth.
They brought us happiness and laughter.
Let this day be wonderfully good.
What will you bring the birds as a gift?