Interfax: Heatwave does not delay migration of birds to their wintering grounds, according to the ornithologist
The seasonal migration of migratory birds inhabiting the territory of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region has begun as usual, although there was a heatwave in the region in August.
Some bird species from our region have already flown away. First of all, these are the majority of long-distance migrants, i.e. birds that have to overcome a long way to their wintering grounds.
Natalia Iovchenko, Senior Research Associate in the Department of Applied Ecology at St Petersburg University
According to Natalia Iovchenko, swifts have flown away. The common swift is one of the most numerous birds nesting in St Petersburg. In mid-August, they went to Africa. The red-backed shrikes have also flown there. The common rosefinches have migrated to winter in India.
There is also a migration of waterfowl and near-water birds. As Natalia Iovchenko said, St Petersburg has a special location on the White Sea-Baltic flyway that connects nesting sites in the northern part of Russia with wintering grounds in Western Europe and Africa. During the migration season, protected areas in the region, especially protected natural areas in the region, become a convenient place for feeding and resting for birds.
As the ornithologist noted, the heatwave may affect food and, as a result, the duration of stay in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region of species with a nomadic type of migration. In the post-nesting period, such birds move within their climatic zone in search of food and do not have permanent wintering grounds. If there is not enough food, migration of nomadic species in the region will be more intense.
As reported, August 2022 was the hottest in St Petersburg in 140 years of instrumental meteorological observations. The average air temperature this month was +20.7°C. This is 3.3°C above the climate normal (+17.4 °C).
‘Hot weather could affect seed maturation which specific types of nomadic migrants are specialised on. Also, due to such weather, seeds may crumble ahead of time. The harvest also matters. For example, last year there was a huge harvest of rowan. As there were a lot of rowan to the north of our region, the birds that are specialised in feeding on the seeds and berries of this tree, i.e. waxwings, bullfinches, pine grosbeaks, appeared very late in our country. There is practically no rowan harvest this year. We can expect these birds to appear ahead of time, because in the north there will simply be nothing to eat,’ Natalia Iovchenko said.
She clarified that the migration of birds living in the region and flying through the region will continue until the end of October and beginning of November.