Common wasp - description, habitat. Wasp eater - Pernis apivorus: description and images of the bird, its nest, eggs and voice recordings Bird of prey wasp eater

Wasp (Pernis apivorus L.) is a fairly common feathered predator of the Ural region, found in all forested areas of the region. For some unknown reason, most likely due to the lack of skills in identifying this species in the field, it was recommended by Bashkir ornithologists for inclusion in the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan, on the pages of which it is to this day. Listed in Appendix II to the CITES Convention.

Distribution in the Urals and adjacent territories according to literary sources.

In the Komi Republic, the honey buzzard is at the northern limit of its distribution, and therefore it is rare here. Mineev (1980) - observed 11 wasp eaters in the 20th of September 1979 near Lake Urdyuzhskoe in the south of the Malozemelskaya tundra - this is the northernmost meeting of this species, known from literary sources. In the summer, meetings are sporadic. A.V. Dmokhovsky (1933), having examined the Pechora, did not find a wasp eater. G.P. Dementyev (1934) in 1932 in the Udora region hunted a young wasp eater with undergrown wings and tail. In the Pechora-Ilychsky reserve, the wasp was encountered regularly (Donaurov, 1948; Teplova, 1957), however, the nest was found only once in 1938 on the Ilych River (Donaurov, 1948). N.A. Ostroumov (1972) observed the wasp eater several times in the 60s. KK Demetriades in June 1981 observed a wasp eater near Ukhta, and VN Guriev in July of the same year near the mouth of the Lokchim in the Vychegda valley (Voronin, 1995). Thus, in the entire history of ornithological research in Komi, the nesting of the wasp eater has been proven only for the territory of the Pechero-Ilychsky Reserve.

In the Perm region, L.P. Sabaneev (1874) found the wasp eater very rare, and in the northern regions of the region he did not meet it at all. Was not found in the north of the region S.A. Reztsov (1904) and S.A. Teploukhov (1911). S.L. Ushkov (1927) found the wasp eater common in the vicinity of Perm and believed that this species is widespread in all central regions of the Kama region and is absent in mountainous regions. E.M. Vorontsov (1949) found wasp eater common in the mixed forests of the Kama valley and its large tributaries. A.I.Shepel (1992) met a wasp eater on nesting practically throughout the entire region, with the exception of its northeast. In his opinion, within the region, there are about 720 pairs of wasp eaters, meeting with an average density of 4.5 pairs per 1000 sq. Km.

IN Sverdlovsk region N.N. Danilov (1969) found the wasp eater quite common, in places noting a high nesting density; however, later, in his opinion, the number decreased and it became a few and sporadically widespread predators (Danilov, 1983).

In Bashkiria, V.D. Ilyichev and V.E. Fomin (1979; 1988) found the wasp eater extremely rare and recommended for inclusion in the Red Book of Bashkiria. Later N.M. Loskutova (1985), who worked for a long time in the Bashkir Reserve, continued to state the fact that the wasp eater is extremely rare. According to her observation, this species nested sporadically and not in all natural regions of the republic with an average density of 0.5 pairs per 100 km2. on the Kraka ridge (Bashkir Reserve) up to 3.0 pairs per 100 sq. km. in Pribelie ("Shulgan-Tash" nature reserve).

Data on Chelyabinsk region absent in the literature.

In the areas adjacent to the region, the situation with the wasp is as follows.

In the Tyumen Region, the wasp eater is common for nesting in the Kondinskaya Lowland, but it becomes rare to the north; in the reserve "Malaya Sosva" it is very rare, no more than 1-3 pairs nest (Lykhvar, 1983).

In the Kirov region, the wasp nest, but was not numerous (Plesskiy, 1971).

In Tatarstan in the last century, E. Eversman (1866) and M. Bogdanov (1871) did not find the wasp eater. Menzbier (1895) considered this a mistake, which was corrected by M.D. Ruzsky (1893), noting that the wasp is not uncommon in Tataria and nests throughout its territory, but in the 70s and 80s the wasp became rare species republics with relatively stable numbers (Popov, Lukin, 1971; Krever, 1985)

In the Samara and Ulyanovsk regions, the wasp nested wherever there were suitable places - deciduous and mixed plantations, alternating with glades and clearings, but it was small and even rare (Bogdanov, 1871; Ruzsky, 1894; Dobrokhotov, Knorre, 1941), a similar situation remains and in our time (Romanyuk, 1983; Borodin, 1994).

In general, a picture of the ubiquitous nesting of the wasp eater emerges in forested areas both in the region and in the adjacent areas, however, different researchers estimate its numbers in different ways, and some generally lose sight of the wasp eater due to the fact that it is apparently mistaken for a buzzard, which most likely, it was the result of the absence of this predator at the beginning of the last century in Tataria and its inclusion in the Red Book in Bashkiria because of its alleged rarity.

View status based on materials of expedition work

Field Research Center

Breeding distribution and abundance.

At present, the wasp eater is a common bird of prey in the Ural region and is distributed throughout its forest-covered territory, absent only in the steppe and southern forest-steppe regions, where most of the space is occupied by the steppe, and forest areas are represented by birch groves.

In the northern half of the region, the wasp is less abundant than in the southern forest regions, especially in the Northern Urals, where the species nests with a density of 0.1 - 1 pair per 100 km2.

As it moves through the mountains to the south, its number increases and in the Middle Urals in the Chusovaya valley it becomes common, reaching a density of 8 pairs per 100 km2 at nesting, usually 3 - 5 pairs per 100 km2. The density of the wasp eater is 2 - 4 pairs per 100 sq. Km. It is noted in the plains of the north of the Perm and Sverdlovsk regions, and on the territory of the latter, it noticeably increases in the southern regions of the Tavda basin (Tavda region) and along the northern periphery of the Prypyshma forest-steppe.

On the Tulvinskaya Upland and the Ufa Plateau, the honey buzzard nests with a density of 3 - 6 pairs per 100 km2, up to 10 pairs per 100 km2. an average of 3.7 pairs per 100 sq. km. The same density of this species is observed in the central Kama region and along the western periphery of the mountain-forest zone of the Middle Urals on the border with the massif of the northeastern forest-steppe of the Cis-Urals.

In the forest-steppe regions, the number of wasp eaters decreases, in some places to 0.1 - 0.2 pairs per 100 km2 - Krasnoufimskaya and Mesyagutovskaya forest-steppe, and even to 0.08 pairs per 100 km2. in the forest-steppe of the Trans-Urals, remaining more or less high only in the Kungur forest-steppe and the forest-steppe of the Pribelia - 0.3 - 3.0 pairs per 100 sq. km.

On the territory of most of the south of the forest zone, the density of the wasp eater at nesting ranges from 1 to 5 pairs per 100 km2, reaching a maximum only in underdeveloped areas, in particular, such as the Lower Kama, and outside the region - forests along Kilmezi on the border of Kirovskaya region and Udmurtia, where the local density can reach 9-11 pairs per 100 sq. km.

On the territory of the Bugulma-Belebeevskaya Upland, the honey buzzard nests in island forests, in some places reaching a high local density - up to 12 pairs per

100 km. Sq., However, if we calculate its density on the territory of all surveyed forest areas, it will be 1 - 2 pairs per 100 km. Sq.

The largest population center in the region is located in the South Urals. There are 2 areas with its maximum number: the first and the largest are broad-leaved forests in the western part of the mountain-forest zone of the Bashkir Southern Urals, where the honey buzzard nests with a density of 5 - 15 pairs per 100 km2, on average 10.9 pairs per 100 km. sq., rather evenly over an area of \u200b\u200b7,500 sq. km. It is here that the maximum density of wasp eaters on nesting was recorded in the region - 22 pairs per 100 km2. - at the top of the Nugush reservoir. The second slightly smaller focus is the central part of the mountain-forest zone of the Bashkir South

Ural, covering the valley of the Inzer River and surrounding forests, including the entire southern part of the Yuzhnouralsky Reserve, where the honey buzzard nests with a density of 4 - 10 pairs per 100 km2, on average 6.2 pairs per 100 km2. The maximum local density was noted in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Saryshta rapids - 15 pairs per 100 sq. Km.

On the Zilair plateau, the wasp is quite common only in its central part, where it nests with a density of 3 - 6 pairs per 100 km2, on average 4.3 pairs per 100 km2.

The distance between inhabited nests of different pairs of wasp eater is usually 2 - 3 km, increasing to 20 - 50 km. in the Northern Urals and in the Southern forest-steppe regions and falling to 0.5 - 1 km. in the western part of the South Urals. The size of the nesting territories, according to observations at the Nugush reservoir (Bashkiria) and the Kama station (Perm region), is 2 - 7 km. Sq. and is minimal in the southern regions of the region (Nugush Reservoir).

Based on the foregoing, we estimate the number of wasp eaters in the Ural region (area 586.9 thousand square kilometers) at 23,000 pairs, of which 7,000 pairs live in the Perm region (160.6 thousand square kilometers), 6,000 pairs - in the Sverdlovsk region (194.8 thousand sq. km.), 9,000 pairs - in Bashkiria (143.6 thousand sq. km.) and 1,000 pairs - in the Chelyabinsk region (87.9 thousand sq. km.).

Nest biotopes, nests, breeding features.

The favorite nesting biotopes of the wasp eater are various mixed forests rich in small open spaces: in the southern regions, these are pine-oak, pine-maple, pine-linden and pine-birch forests or practically pure broad-leaved forests with lighthouse “edged” pines; in the northern regions there are spruce-linden, spruce-birch and pine-birch forests. The wasp eater avoids clean coniferous plantations, with the exception of pine forests in the Tavda basin and the South Ural pine forests, despite the fact that in mixed forests it prefers to nest on conifers.

The adherence of the wasp eater nesting sites to the coastal slopes of rivers, mountain valleys with tinned gullies, and upper ravines with a mosaic of meadows was noted, and river valleys were clearly preferred - 84.5% of known nests.

Of the 204 known nests, 102 nests were located on pines, 46 on spruce trees, 17 on lindens, 15 on birches, 10 on oaks, 2 each on larch, aspen, maple and 1 each on fir, cedar, elm and alder.

Pine, as a nesting tree, prevails among the southern populations of wasp eaters (Bashkiria and Chelyabinsk region), while in the north, spruce is mainly used. It is interesting that in the south of the region, where spruce forests are rare, where they are, the wasp eater prefers to nest in them. If we consider the location of the honey beetle nests by region, the following data will be obtained: in the Perm and Sverdlovsk regions (i.e., in the northern half of the Ural region), 65 nests of the beetle are known, of which 34 were located on spruces, 15 on pines, 5 on birches, 5 - on lindens, 2 - on aspen, and 1 each on fir, cedar, larch and alder, and 80% of nests on pines were located in the Sverdlovsk region in the Tavda basin; in Bashkiria and the Chelyabinsk region (in the southern half of the region) out of 135 known nests, 87 were located on pines, 12 on spruces, 12 on lindens, 10 nests each on birches and oaks, 2 on maples and 1 on larch and elm ...

Thus, in the northern regions of the region, 52.3% of the wasp eaters nest on spruce trees, in the southern regions - 67.4% - on pines, and the third favorite tree for nesting after conifers (pine and spruce) is linden - 7.7% and 9.3%, respectively.

Interesting feature seen in southern and northern populations of wasp eaters. In the north, birds mainly build nests themselves in 76.9% of cases (50), rarely build on buildings hooded crows (5) and sparrowhawks (3) or occupy the nests of the buzzard (5) and the goshawk (2), and the last 4 cases belong to the Tavda basin (Sverdlovsk region). In the southern regions of the region, buzzards most often occupy the nests of the buzzard (79) and goshawk (40), less often they build nests themselves (10) - in 7.7% of cases. Moreover, of the known nests on spruce trees, almost all nests (39), except one, were built by wasp eaters, and only one was built on a crow building.

Wasp eaters are located on spruces, less often on slender young (up to 15 - 18 m in height) birches, lindens, pines and larch trees, at a height of 8 - 15 m, on average 9.5 m on lateral branches near the trunk. Size of nests: diameter 50 - 70 cm, average 60 cm, height 20 - 40 cm, average 30 cm, diameter of the tray 35 - 45 cm, depth 10 - 15 cm. There are always green twigs in the nest of the wasp eater hardwoods, the leaves of which he actually lines the tray. A.I. Shepel (1992) gives similar data on the nests known to him at the Kungur station in the Perm region.

When buzzards and goshaws nest in buildings, the height of the nests varies from 3 to 20 m, and their location can be both at the trunk and at its fork. The size of the selected nests does not always correspond to those of the wasp eater itself; as a rule, they are somewhat larger in height and diameter.

During the reconstruction of crow's nests, trees are selected that meet the requirements for the construction of their own nests by the wasp-eaters and, in general, the buildings look like those of the wasp-eater.

The nest of the wasp eater, after the chicks emerged from it, differs well from the buildings of other birds by the abundance of droppings, which adult birds do not carry away from the nest even at the earliest stages of the development of chicks, and by the accumulation of honeycombs and elements of the bodies of Hymenoptera. The repeated wasp eater usually does not occupy its nest, even if it has survived, although there are exceptions. Bystrykh S. observed the re-colonization of last year's nest near Sverdlovsk by the wasp eater in 1994. Most of the nests of the beetle eaters are destroyed during the winter due to the loose structure, which is apparently the main reason for the low level of re-colonization of buildings.

The 42 discovered nests of the wasp eater were clutches of 1 (4), 2 (37), and 3 (1) eggs. The average clutch was 1.9 eggs per nest.

Of 148 known broods, 21 had 1 chick and 127 had 2 chicks. The average brood was 1.8 chicks per nest.

In 200 year old broods there were 1 (89) and 2 (111) chicks. The average number of juveniles per pair was 1.5, which is slightly more than the indicators given by A.I. Shepel (1992) for the Perm region (apparently at the Kungur station): the average clutch was 2.0 eggs, 2.0 chicks hatched, and 1.2 chicks flew to all nests and for successful 1.4 chicks, breeding success was 60%.

We tracked the breeding success at the Kama station, where in 9 known nests (from 1989 to 1997), with an average clutch of 1.9 eggs, 1.9 chicks hatched and 1.7 chicks emerged (1.9 chicks per successful nest) - in only one nest 2 chicks 2 weeks before departure died for unknown reasons - their corpses were pecked by crows. Thus, the breeding success was 89.5%, with the death of eggs - 0% and the death of chicks - 10.5%.

At the Kungur station, out of 5 nests in 2 nests complete and in 2 nests partial death of chicks was noted - 2 chicks were carried away by a kite, 2 fell out of the nest and birds disappeared from 1 nest with chicks during the opening of the hunt (Shepel, 1992 ).

Breeding success rates at the Kama station are higher than in the Kungur forest-steppe (on the territory of the Kungur station; Shepel, 1992) due to the undeveloped territory and almost no disturbance factor during the nesting period (the territory is occasionally visited by fishermen, and after July 15 by berry pickers). however, they are generally the same as in other parts of Europe.

As for the occupation of wasp eater sites, it changes annually due to the absence of nesting conservatism in birds. For 10 years at the Kama station, we have never had to observe wasp eaters in the same places for 2 years in a row, usually the movement of birds during nesting was 1-4 km. and it is not clear what it depended on.

A.I.Shepel, who observed the wasp eater in the Pre-Urals reserve, repeatedly expressed an opinion about the instability of the territorial ties of birds (1980; 1992).

Phenology.

Wasp eater is a migratory predator. The first birds appear in the region after April 25, but the main arrival is observed from May 5 to 10. Migrants of northern populations continue to be recorded in the central regions of the region, up to June 1, possibly immature birds are flying. Throughout May, the birds keep quite openly, hover in pairs over the forest in the nesting area, whistle. Pairs of birds are apparently formed during wintering during the premigratory period, since birds within the region appear mostly in pairs and often march during migration.

The wasp eater is characterized by very late breeding periods among birds of prey, which is associated with its feeding on Hymenoptera, more precisely, mainly on their larvae.

Oviposition occurs in the southern regions of the region from May 20 to June 5, in the northern ones from June 1 to June 15, possibly lingering in the Northern Urals until June 20, since in 1996, on July 28, a nest with newly hatched puffs was found here.

Hatching of chicks in the southern regions of the region is observed from June 25 to July 10, in the northern regions - from July 1 to July 20, at the latest - in the Northern Urals on July 28. The chicks stay in the nest for about 35 - 40 days.

The rise of chicks on the wing occurs from August 1 in the southern regions and from August 15 in the northern ones. Most of the fledglings leave the nests in Bashkiria and the Chelyabinsk region from August 5 to 20, and in the Perm and Sverdlovsk regions - from August 15 to 25.

Fledglings with their parents stay in the nesting area for only a few days, after which they begin to migrate, which develops into flying away, as a result, the autumn flight is sometimes delayed by 2.5 months, which in early and warm springs with no frost, so common in the Urals in mid-May, the breeding time wasps in the South Urals move a week earlier; for the more northern regions this was not observed.

Departure begins in the southern regions from August 5, the intensity of which gradually increases: first, birds that did not reproduce or failed to reproduce from the southern regions fly off, later the same bugs fly from more northern regions, then broods gradually begin to fly off. As a result, in the southern regions, the migration of wasp eaters to wintering sites begins a month earlier than in the northern regions (Perm and Sverdlovsk regions), where migration begins to be observed only from the end of August. It occurs most intensively at the latitude of Perm from 10 to 20 September, although single birds continue to be recorded until mid-October. The latest date for meeting the wasp eater in the vicinity of Perm is October 20, 1990

Features of behavior.

Wasp eaters are very sociable birds, which Ruzsky (1893) noted at the end of the last century. During the nesting period, in dense nesting places, females, naturally after hatching of the chicks, often gather in groups and soar over the open space (meadow, swamp or river valley) with characteristic prolonged whistling calls for 10 - 70 minutes. Very often this phenomenon is observed after a prolonged rain or during its breaks. 1996 - 97 On the rivers Inzer, Zilim and Nugush, we observed in such groups from 4 to 9 females nesting within a radius of 0.1 - 1 km. from the place of their gathering. It is interesting that from the moment of the end of the current until the period of the “greatest sociability” of the wasp eater (hatching of chicks), this predator is secretive, and during this period no more than 15% of pairs are detected on the routes, as studies at the Kama station have shown.

When the wasp eater is disturbed at the nest, as a rule, without making a sound, it flies off it and leaves the bottom on a low level flight into the depths of the forest, less often a demonstration flight of a bird is observed, after which it hides behind the crowns of trees.

Judging by the observations on the hunting site, the wasp eats most of the food sitting on the perch and observing the movement of the Hymenoptera - the main objects of its food. On his hunting ground with an area of \u200b\u200b2 - 4 sq. there are usually 3-12 permanent perches, which we noted at the Kama station. During the hunt, the wasp sits on the lower branches of trees located on the outskirts of the forest edge and tracks down wasps, which is clearly visible when observing with good optics. Having traced the flight of insects several times, the wasp follows them to the nest, but if the nest cannot be found the first time, it again hides in the lower parts of the crown, and this can be repeated up to 6-7 times. Wasp picks off wasp nests located on the branches, hooking them by the side and immediately pulls honeycombs out of it. The remains of the nests are right there under a tree with characteristic lacerated "wounds". He digs out the nests located on the ground with his paws, and directly pulls the combs out of the ground with his beak, during this operation he crushes adult wasps, but does not eat them. Hunting is less common during low flight, but in this case, other types of insects become victims.

At the Kama station, we repeatedly observed the predation of the wasp on the nests of bunting (4 cases), redbird, hazel grouse and carrier (1 case each) - in all cases, chicks became victims different ages, moreover, when the grouse's nest was ruined, he was able to kill only one chick (all the others fled), and on the red-browed nest - 2 (as a result of attacks by the thrush-parents, the wasp was forced to retire), in other cases all chicks died.

The wasp is a typical entomophage, and as it has been noted above, the main objects of its food are the larvae of social hymenoptera, mostly earthworms.

We studied the food of the wasp eater in more detail at the Kama station (for 5 years we collected food from 9 nests of the wasp eater), as a result of which the following composition of its diet was clarified: most of the food is hymenoptera larvae (combs) - 91.45%, mainly wasps - 90.61% (unfortunately, we did not identify invertebrates before the species due to the lack of a qualified entomologist in the CPI staff) and mammals - 0.30%, birds - 3.28%, amphibians - 2.37% and reptiles - 1.30% are found as random objects.

M.D. Ruzsky (1893) found various species of orthopterans, caterpillars of myotis and moths, and in a smaller number of large beetles, in the stomachs of the honey eaters he caught in the Volga region.

P.V. Plessky (1971) indicates the presence in the stomach of a wasp eater caught in the Kirov region of the remains of ground wasps and hornets.

In the Pechero-Ilychsky Nature Reserve in 1938, the wasp eater (n \u003d 34) fed mainly on wasp larvae (combs), which constituted 61.7% of the total diet; frogs were found in smaller numbers - 29.4% and birds - 6.2% (passerines - 2.9% and chicken - 2.9%) (Donaurov, 1948).

In the Bashkir Reserve N.M. Loskutova (1985) found in the diet of the wasp mainly Austrian, Saxon and red wasps.

AI Shepel (1992), who analyzed the food of the wasp eater in the Pre-Urals reserve in 1976 - 78. found Hymenoptera (combs) dominating in its diet (n \u003d 486) - 97.3%, among which there were Saxon wasp - 37.8%, red wasp - 27.2% and common wasp - 32.3%, birds and amphibians made up only 2.7% of the wasp diet.

In general, the diet of the wasp eater is not much different in the area; only an increase in the proportion of amphibians, reptiles, birds and even mammals is noticeable and, accordingly, a decrease in the proportion of Hymenoptera, when this species moves northward.

Factors influencing the change in numbers.

We are not aware of the factors influencing the changes in the population of wasp eaters. Of all birds of prey, larger than a sparrowhawk, this species is least of all caught by the shots of hunters (we know of only 3 cases of hunting wasp eater), does not die on power lines (we do not know cases of death on power lines of wasp eaters) and, apparently, is not subjected to such a detrimental effect for many ichthyophages, ornithophages and myophages, the effects of COS, in connection with the specifics of their nutrition. Judging by the observations at the Kama station, the wasp does not suffer any damage from negative weather conditions and predators, although the latter have some effect on its population, judging by the observations of Shepel (1992) at the Kungur station. Apparently, the main negative factor for wasp eaters is the disturbance factor, but due to late breeding, its secretiveness during the laying period, and generally non-aggressive behavior at the nests, it suffers from it less than other predators (in our opinion, this factor is insignificant for most pairs).

It still remains unclear why the wasp eater practically disappeared in the southern forest-steppe, where it was previously common and became rare in the central forest-steppe regions.

The opinion expressed by V.P. Belik (1991) about a sharp decrease in the number of wasp eaters in the forest-steppe zone of the Rostov region, due to the reduction of its food supply (public earthen hymenopterans), undermined by settled wild boars, is not relevant for the Ural region, due to the fact that in most of the region, wild boar is rare or small in number, and where it is numerous, no negative changes are observed in the populations of the wasp eater, in particular on the Zilair plateau and the western part of the mountain-forest zone (Bashkiria), where the number of wild boars is maximum due to the abundance acorns and May beetles, the number of wasp eaters is also maximum. The food competition of the wasp eater with badgers and bears is more likely, especially in the mountainous regions of the north of the region, but it is apparently not there or it is not acute due to the abundance of the food base.

Livestock can actually undermine the forage base of the wasp eater if the grazing load is significantly exceeded in the near-canal areas of island forests in the forest-steppe and in forests in the floodplains of steppe rivers.

It is possible that COS poisoning is one of the main factors affecting the reduction in the number of wasp eater in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. In other matters, wasp-eaters nesting throughout the entire range can be exposed to COS poisoning during wintering.

Perhaps further study of this species will shed light on the factors influencing it, but at the present time this side of the life of the wasp is a blank spot.

Population dynamics, analysis of the situation with the species and forecast of the state in the near future.

The situation with the change in the population of the wasp eater across the range looks heterogeneous.

Undoubtedly, in the 40-60s, the stage of decline in the number of this species began, but not throughout the entire range, but in foci and not as rapidly as a number of other feathered predators.

By the 70s, the population of the wasp eater had stabilized in most European states, in particular in Austria and Denmark (Bauer, 1977; Dyc et al, 1977) and the center of the European part of Russia (Galushin, 1980), but the decline in the number of wasp eater continued in a number of forest-steppe regions. Russia, up to the 80s, in particular in the Central Black Earth and Voronezh Nature Reserve and in the Rostov Region (Eliseeva, 1983; Likhatsky, 1983; Belik, 1991) and Western Europe, in particular in West Germany (Thielcke, 1977).

Along with the stabilization of the number, in most forest areas and the degradation of forest-steppe populations of the wasp eater, some foci appeared already in the 70s, due to which the species began to grow in a number of European states (Fushs, Gussinklo, 1977) and the European part of Russia (Postelny, 1986).

The process of a decrease in the number of wasp eater in the forest-steppe zone and an increase in the number in forests and mountainous regions did not bypass the Ural region, where this tendency was outlined in the 70s and by the end of the 90s this species practically disappeared in a number of forest-steppe regions, and in some forest regions has doubled in number. In the Ural region, along with the complete degradation of the southern forest-steppe populations (the southern end of the Irendyk Ridge, the western periphery of the Zilair plateau, the Chelyabinsk forest-steppe Trans-Urals), foci of the wasp eater (the center of the Zilair plateau, western part mountain-forest zone of the Southern Urals, central mountainous region, Prichusovye, etc.), where this species has reached its maximum abundance, in some places (upper reaches of the Nugush reservoir, Alatau ridge, Kyzilyar section of the Inzer River), occupying a dominant position in terms of abundance among other birds predators. A noticeable increase in numbers occurred in the mountainous regions of the Urals, as a result, by 1997, the wasp eater even penetrated the Northern Urals, where it had not been observed in the 1980s.

We were able to trace the increase in the number at 2 points in the region - at the Kama station (Perm region; central Prikamye) and the Chusovaya river (Sverdlovsk region; Middle Ural), where regular monitoring was carried out. At the Kama station, the number of wasp eaters increased from 4 pairs in 1989 to 7 pairs in 1997 (increased by more than 1.5 times), at the Chusovaya River from 23 pairs in 1989 to 52 pairs in 1997 ( increased by almost 2.5 times).

The likelihood of an increase in the number of wasp eaters in the Perm region was suggested back in the early 90s by A.I.Shepel (1992), and later, for Bashkiria, A.V. Loskutov (oral communication).

We are inclined to think that the population of the buzzard is growing throughout the entire forest zone of Russia, of course, somewhere less, somewhere more intensively, and not so small, as many ornithologists believe, this is also evidenced by the large number of bugs on migration in Turkey ( Bergman 1977; Acar et al. 1977; Handrinos 1987; Schmidt 1982).

In our opinion, the growth of the buzzard will continue and this species will reach in the Middle Urals a population similar to some of the South Urals and will move further north along the Northern Urals. By 2000, we expect an increase in the number of wasp eaters in the Ural region to 13-15,000 pairs, and the number will noticeably increase only in Bashkiria and the Perm and Sverdlovsk regions, in the Chelyabinsk region, where the mountain-forest zone occupies less than 1/3 of the region the number of wasp eaters will mostly remain at the same level (growth will be observed only in the mountain-forest zone, along with a continuing decline in the forest-steppe).

Security measures.

The optimal density of the wasp eater on nesting for most of the forest territories of the region should be 3 - 5 pairs per 100 km2, however, it is not yet clear how to influence the increase in the number of wasp eater or prevent its decrease, since there is no information about the factors at all. affecting the number of this species and, accordingly, no measures have been developed for special protection of this species in the territories where its number is decreasing, in some places to catastrophic limits (forest-steppe Trans-Urals).

Apparently, the most significant measure for the conservation of this species in most of the region is the general promotion of the protection of birds of prey among various segments of the population, especially hunters and rural residents.

It is possible that poisoning is the main reason for the disappearance of the wasp eater in areas of intensive farming, in connection with which in places of isolated nesting in the steppe and forest-steppe zones, it is necessary to prohibit the use of fertilizers and pesticides on the nesting sites of these birds. Also, it is necessary to optimize grazing, up to a complete ban on grazing in the forest and on the edges, which are the main hunting biotopes of the species, since cattle can undermine the food base of the wasp eater, trampling the nests of ground wasps.

In the southern regions of the region, the successful attraction of the wasp eater to artificial nesting sites is likely, since here for its nesting it mainly uses the buildings of feathered predators (buzzard and goshawk). We did not carry out work on attracting the wasp eater to artificial nesting sites, but such experiments were carried out and were successful in 1975-1985. in Lithuania (Drobelis, 1990).

Representation of the species in specially protected natural areas and the prospects for the development of a network of protected areas for its protection.

In the Perm region, the wasp nesting is represented on the territory of 389 out of 500 protected areas.

In general, about 150 pairs of wasp eaters nest in specially protected natural areas of the Perm Region - about 8% of the regional population of wasp eaters.

Most of the known pairs are protected in the southern half of the region on the territory of faunistic reserves: Yuzhny, Uinsky, Tulvinsky, Sylvinsky, Ochersky, Oktyabrsky, Irmiza, Karagaysky, Durmansky, Vyatkinsky, Bolshesosnovsky, Voronovsky, the complex nature reserve "Osinskaya Lesnaya Dacha" and departmental reserves "Pre-Urals ”And“ Upper Kvazhva ”.

The osoed is relatively satisfactorily reserved in the Upper Kama, Lower Vishera and Northern Urals.

With the expansion of the network of protected areas and the organization of a number of large sanctuaries and natural monuments in the western part of the Perm region, in its south, in the central Kama region, in the Middle Urals and in the Urals, over about 15% of the population of Permian honey bugs will be taken under protection,

as a result, the species will be fully provided with territorial protection in all natural areas of the region.

In the Sverdlovsk Region, the nesting wasp is represented on the territory of 285 out of 350 protected areas.

In general, about 80 pairs of wasp eaters nest in specially protected natural areas of the Sverdlovsk region - about 4% of the regional population.

Quite satisfactorily, this predator is reserved on the territory of the region only in the Trans-Ural forest-steppe zone (Pripyshminskie forest-steppe).

To ensure the territorial protection of the wasp eater in the Sverdlovsk region, it is required to reserve at least 15% of its local population, which will be ensured when expanding the network of protected areas in the Urals and in the Tavda basin.

In the Republic of Bashkortostan, the nesting wasp is represented on the territory of 130 out of 180 protected areas.

In specially protected natural areas of Bashkiria, about 550 pairs of wasp eaters nest - 11% of the Bashkir population.

Quite large nesting groups of the wasp eater are reserved in the territories of the Bashkirsky, Shulgan-Tash, Yuzhno-Uralsky reserves, the Bashkiria national park and the Altyn-Solok complex nature reserve. The number of wasp eaters on the territory of these protected areas is maximal not only for the region, but apparently for the entire territory of the European part of Russia ..

The honey buzzard is unsatisfactorily reserved in the Trans-Urals, on the Bugulma-Belebey Upland and in the northern half of the republic, and is generally not reserved on the Ufa plateau.

With the expansion of the network of natural monuments on the territory of the Bugulma - Belebeevskaya Upland and the Ufa plateau, as a result of the organization of complex reserves on Zilim, in the interfluve of Lemeza and Inzer, in Uraltau, Krak, in the interfluve of the Mal. and Bol. Suren and on the Irendyk ridge, as well as a natural park in the interfluve of the Bol rivers. and Mal. Ik will be reserved for more than 15% of the Bashkir population of wasp eaters, which will ensure the guaranteed preservation of its habitats in the republic.

In the Chelyabinsk Region, the nesting wasp is represented on the territory of 40 out of 200 protected areas.

On specially protected natural areas of the Chelyabinsk region, about 50 pairs of wasp eaters nest - about 10% of the Chelyabinsk population.

In general, the wasp eater is provided with territorial protection in the region, since all island pine forests are taken under double territorial protection (as natural monuments and faunistic reserves), where for the most part this species nests in the forest-steppe zone and the main centers of its population in the mountains (Ilmensky Reserve and part of the Yuzhnouralsky Nature Reserve, the National Parks "Taganai" and "Zyuratkul", the faunistic reserves "Ashinsky", "Serpievsky" and "Arshinsky".

The organization of reserves in Karatau, Priilmenye, Nyaz and in the vicinity of lakes Itkul and Sinara and the natural park "Ashinsky forest" will help to bring the level of protected pairs of this species to 15%.

Wasp eater - in the name, in fact, reveals its essence: he eats wasps. Not the yellow-striped stinging bee-eaters themselves (to which, however, there are hunters - golden bee-eaters, for example), but their tender and defenseless larvae and pupae.

The original taste of the wasp is widely known, which did not prevent many of its incorrect names from fixing, starting with the specific Latin name apivorusmeaning "bee eater". The fact is that earlier he was credited with the extermination of domestic bees, of which the wasp eater is not at all to blame, although sometimes he really ruins the nests of some species of wild colonial bees. The English name also sounds ridiculous (which the British themselves willingly admit) - "honey buzzard", since the wasp-eater also has not the slightest relation to honey.

Readers have probably seen gray tissue paper balls with a hole at the bottom. Curiosity about what's inside is not recommended, because these are the nests of social wasps. Inside these balls are honeycomb plates with larvae and pupae. Probably, in the animal world there would be many hunters for tasty larvae, if not for the stinging stings of their defenders - a reliable guarantee of safety from such lovers. But not from professionals, among whom a specialist of the highest class is a sucker. When he ravages a hornet's nest, he does not pay the slightest attention to its angry owners. Not because he does not feel pain, but simply from the consciousness of his invulnerability.

The head of the wasp eater is covered with small but very dense feathers, the legs are covered with strong horny scales, and the thick plumage of the body is impenetrable even for formidable hornets. From time to time, the beetle catches the overly annoying owners of the ruined nest and eats them in cold blood, not forgetting to first pull out of them the apparently tasteless stings. Occasionally, the wasps manage to drive the predator away from the devastated nest for an hour or two, but this only delays its final defeat somewhat. So wasps have to hide their dwellings (ranging in size from a small walnut to an impressive pineapple, and in museums we had to see nests up to an average size of a watermelon) in the most secluded and inaccessible places: foliage of trees, thick grass, interweaving of bushes, underground. And yet the wasp eater searches for them and ravages them. I had to catch him, so carried away by deep excavations that only a tail protruded from a freshly dug hole.

In the village of Zhary, which is in the east of the Vladimir region, the wasp often came to the house of our expedition in the morning. "From the forest - with love," the students joked until they found large balls of hornets' nests ... under the beams of our attic. Such annoying situations, when “he sees an eye, but a tooth doesn’t,” are an exception for a wasp. In addition to attics, perhaps only hollows and titmouses are inaccessible to him, where wasps also often hide their nests.

Sometimes you wonder how this predator manages to find nests, it would seem, completely inaccessible. The main way of his hunt is to track the wasps' flight paths up to the place where the nest itself is hidden. What kind of visual acuity must be in order to notice these insects flashing among the foliage or variegated flowers in the mosaic of the July forest, without confusing them with some hoverflies. And what acuity of hearing should be in order to estimate the direction of their flight to the nest by the nature of the buzzing of wasps loaded with prey and, gradually flying ever closer, finally reach the desired honeycomb with larvae and pupae. It was noticed that the bumblebee buzzing in the tent attracts the attention of the wasp eater, but does not react to horseflies buzzing here.

A lot of people need to have patience to hunt wasps day after day and track down their nests, which are required a lot: 4-6 daily. A wasp eater chick eats only about 100 grams of food per day, but this "only" means almost 1000 larvae! For the entire period of feeding, he needs about 50 thousand larvae with a total weight of about 5 kilograms. The wasp eater often has two chicks. Sometimes parents bring frogs to the nest, which chicks honor only on hungry rainy days, and even then closer to departure. Other prey - various beetles, chicks and fledglings of small birds, murine rodents, lizards, etc. - are random in the wasp eater's diet. After all, even when the wasp larvae have not yet appeared, birds often feed on frogs.

Wasp eaters also have parasites who are not averse to sharing a delicious meal with them. Once in the GDR, for example, they observed how three nuthatches energetically "helped" a chick to peck out larvae from a wasp honeycomb on a wasp eater's nest.

The wasp eater's ability to freeze for a long time is phenomenal and sometimes in ridiculous positions: with its head tilted to one side, an extended neck, with one raised wing. Usually, the predators on the nest are constantly doing something: they look around, dig in the tray, correct the nest lining, and tidy up the feathers. A wasp eater can stay in absolute immobility for tens of minutes. The record we recorded is 2 hours and 47 minutes! This ability, presumably, is important for the wasp eater. Especially at the final stages of tracking down hornets' nests, when its exact location must be detected as carefully as possible, and one cannot be found ahead of time, since disturbed wasps are unlikely to indicate the entrance to the nest. In such situations, the ability to transform into a scarecrow for a dozen or two minutes may be the only opportunity to dine.

Wasp eater also does not shine with dexterity. A characteristic detail: flying up to the nest or just jumping from branch to branch, it makes so much noise that we easily recognized its approach by ear. When the bee-eater flies through the forest, it seems that he is wading through the crowns of the trees right through, constantly touching the branches with his wings.

This amazing phlegmatic person is almost indifferent to all kinds of irritants. Moreover, he is very restrained in his emotions when a noisy company of mushroom pickers or, for example, a collective farm herd appears under the nest. It seems that even annoying observers are not very concerned about him: the incubating bird most often flies when a person is already climbing a tree. The wasp-eater is also not worried about the presence of huts near its nest. By the middle of the feeding period, frighten off adult bird from the observation hut it was not easy. Coughing and even loudly spoken words did not bother her. When the observer of the last shift, about to leave, threw his jacket out of the hut literally in front of the wasp's nose, he just ruffled feathers on the back of his head, opened his beak, spread his wings and ... froze motionless. Even the observer's legs, which could be seen from the shelter, did not take him out of this state. And only when the head of a man appeared, the wasp eater, although not for long, nevertheless flew off to a neighboring tree. And once I even managed to stroke a wasp eater warming down chicks.

Such unusual behavior for a predator is puzzling at first. And if you think it over, maybe it's for the better, maybe without unnecessary screams the birds will live more safely in today's forests, because you can only attract a man to the nest with loudness.

An obvious dissonance to the wasp eater's exceptional slowness and awkwardness is its generic Latin name Pernis, in some of its meanings translated as "dexterous". The only justification for this name is the beautiful mating flight of the wasp eater, the spectacular alternation of dives and take-offs, the characteristic flapping of the wings thrown behind their backs.

Wasp eater nests late. Clutches (usually of two eggs) appear only in late May - early June, that is, a whole month later than in most other predators. Accordingly, chicks stay in nests until mid-August in our area, when their peers from the nests of other birds of prey have already learned to fly for three or four weeks. The color of the eggs is also different from that of buzzards, kites and hawks - not light with brown spots, but red-brown.

Wasp eaters nests are similar in size (60-80 cm in diameter, 30-60 cm in thickness) and location (on branches near the trunk or in forks) with the nests of many other predators. But made, as a rule, entirely from fresh twigs with green leaves, they differ from the nests of buzzards, lining only the tray with greenery.

In almost all birds of prey, parental responsibilities are clearly delineated: the male carries food, and the female incubates the clutch, warms and protects the chicks. Wasp-eaters have complete equality: both parents incubate almost equally (34-38 days), both get food, feed the chicks (in the nest for 40-45 days and even after departure), doing this not without grace. When the wasp eater holds a honeycomb plate and deftly turns it to make it more convenient to pull out the larvae, its thin, long and flexible fingers just want to be called musical.

Wasp-eaters are also good in color, especially old males with a noble ash-colored head. The back of all birds is equally dark, and the lower body is different - from chocolate brown to straw yellow. Differently colored birds are found in the same pair and in the same brood. And yet the most amazing thing about wasp eaters is their eyes. I have never seen such piercing yellow, like phosphorescent amber eyes in other birds.

Unlike many feathered predators, the wasp's claws are relatively blunt and short. They can hardly catch even medium-sized animals and birds, but it is convenient to dig the ground, which is much more important for this predator. The beak is also not one of the sharpest, there are no superciliary ridges, and there are many, many small hard feathers in the corners of the mouth and on the cheeks.

The population of the wasp eater is average. In the forests of the center of the European part of the USSR, the nesting pair covers 20-50 square kilometers. Since the number of wasps varies from year to year depending on the weather, the number of nesting wasps does not remain constant either. Apparently, they are capable, like some other feathered predators, to migrate to more abundant food places.

Having rummaged in the diaries, I again reread the descriptions of several dozen nests of the wasp eater, the records of observations. And again I felt how the impression became more and more intrusive that no wasp eaters are predators, but only very similar to them ... This ridiculous thought is perhaps the best recognition of the highest degree of fitness and specialization of this (after all!) Feathered predator.

In the forests of Southern Siberia and The Far East dwells crested wasp eater (Pernis ptilorhynchus). This predator differs from its European cousin in its larger size, a small crest on the back of the head and color details. No significant differences were found in the lifestyle of both species.

Literature: Galushin V.M. Birds of prey of the forest, - M .: Lesnaya prom-st, 1980.-158 p. silt

Wasp eater
Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Animals
A type:

Chordates
Class:
Detachment:

Falconiformes
Family:

Hawk
Genus:
View:

Wasp eater
International scientific name

Pernis apivorus Linnaeus, 1758
View in taxonomic databases
CoL

Osoed (lat. Pernis apivorus) is a daytime predator of the hawk family.

Description

Predator of medium size with a relatively small head. Body weight 0.6-1.0 kg; total length - 52-60 cm; male wing - 38.6-43.4 cm, female - 39.8-44.7 cm; wingspan - 135-150 cm. Above, gray-brown or brown. The coloration of the underside is variable from solid dark brown to almost white, with various spotting or striping. On the wrist fold of the wing there is dark spot, which in dark-colored individuals merges with the general background. The tail is elongated, with three wide dark stripes at the end and two narrower and less distinct at the base. The eyes are bright yellow, the tarsus is yellow. Male from above is more gray than female, head is ash-gray. Younger ones are darker, with white spots on the back and dark eyes. It reliably differs from buzzards and other birds of prey of similar sizes by a wide dark stripe along the edge of an elongated tail.

Spread

The southern border of the distribution of the honey buzzard runs in the Volga region: in the Right Bank - along the forested northern regions of the Volgograd region, in the Left Bank - along the Eruslan valley and the Dyakovsky forest. Thus, today the nesting area covers all areas of the Saratov Right Bank (including the Rtischevsky), where the honey buzzard settles even in the insignificant forest tracts of the valleys of the small Volga and Don tributaries, and several left bank areas.

Habitat and lifestyle

In the north of the Right Bank, it lives in tall deciduous forests; rarely settles in pine forests with large clearings. In the southern right-bank half, it nests in low-stemmed oak forests, including ravine. In the floodplain of the Medveditsa River, he chooses small alder forests along the oxbows, remote from the channel, on the border with open spaces. In the west of the Right Bank and in the Volga region, it prefers high-trunk floodplain oak forests, sedge forests, aspen forests, black alder forests.

At nesting sites in the northern part of the Saratov region appears in mid-May, in the southern regions of the Right Bank and in the Volga region - already in early June. As a rule, birds appear near nesting sites in pairs. Migrating individuals usually keep alone or in small groups. Mating games are most active in the nesting area. They sometimes last until the end of June. During this period, wasps are most noticeable, as they often hover over the forest. Later they keep secretive and rarely catch the eye.

The duration of stay at individual sites is 120-130 days. A well-defined autumn migration begins from the third decade of August. its peak is observed in the first half - mid-September.

Reproduction

The wasp eater chooses large trees growing near the edges for nesting. Nests are arranged directly at the trunk at a height of 6-13 m, in crowns or on lateral branches. Sometimes they are occupied by other people's buildings of other predators and corvids. The tray is lined with fresh branches of birch, aspen, linden, spruce and pine.

The main period of oviposition is the second half of May, although cases of earlier nesting are known. In clutch there are usually 2 eggs with a cream or ocher background and dark brown spots and specks. Male and female incubate alternately for 28-35 days. Chicks hatch usually in the first ten days of July. Both parents feed the chicks, however, in 90% of cases, the male arrives with the food, and he brings almost exclusively honeycombs of wasps or bumblebees. The female, which almost constantly warms the chicks until they leave or protects them, flies much less often for food. At the same time, she usually hunts in the area of \u200b\u200bthe nest and much more often than the male, brings vertebrates to the chicks. Starting from 20-25 days of age, chicks already at a distance clearly distinguish between parents and always greet the male with a friendly squeal, which almost never flies up to the nest without prey. At this age, chicks receive food 16-20 times a day. A few days before the flight, the wasp eater chicks develop an interesting habit. It manifests itself in a special manner of digging the bedding of the nest with its beak. Closing their eyes and running their beak deep into the litter of the nest, the birds catch a twig or something else with a curved beak and begin to quickly shake their head, trying to pull the old rags out. In the same way, wasp eaters also destroy multilayer honeycombs of wasps. Chicks stay in the nest for 34-38 days and leave it in the last days of July - early August. Young birds capable of flying are found in the first half of August. After the emergence of chicks, which are in the habit of constantly squeaking, wasp eaters are again found with ease. Broods remain in the nest area for about two weeks.

Food

Wasp eater is a typical entomophage. The basis of his diet in the Saratov region is made up of larvae and adults of wasps and bumblebees, the nests of which he skillfully tracks along the flight of insects. Usually the wasp eater sits low, in the shade of a tree and sits motionless, observing the situation. Having heard or noticed a flying wasp, the bird immediately turns in the direction of the flight of the insect and follows it. Then the wasp eater flies in the same direction and hides again. This continues until the wasps themselves lead the predator to their nest. It is difficult to say how the wasp determines whether the wasp flies to or from the nest. Perhaps he is guided by the nature of the sound of a heavily flying insect following to the nest, and then observes the convergence of the flight paths of several insects at once. If the nest is located on a branch, he easily picks it off. The bird digs the nest located in the ground by working with its paws and beak.

Young wasp-eaters show amazing agility when choosing wasp larvae from combs. They do this with amazing dexterity, clearing a whole honeycomb disc from larvae in 1.5-2 minutes. However, even fully fledged chicks are not able to swallow any significant portions of food. A small frog, if it is not dismembered by its parents, can lie for hours in the nest in full view of hungry chicks.

During the non-nesting time, the food of the wasp eaters is more diverse. Cases of prey of birds and small mammals are known.

Waste-eaters can eat bees during their flight on flowers, located along the flight line or near apiaries. However, birds have become relatively rare, so they cannot cause significant damage to beekeepers. It is not recommended to place apiaries near the nests of wasp eaters and to change apiary sites more often.

Limiting factors and status

The species is listed in the Red Book of the Saratov Region. Protection status: 3 - a small species with a relatively stable range and a slowly decreasing abundance. In general, in the European part of Russia in 1990-2000, the number of the species was estimated at 60-80 thousand conditional pairs, of which only 250-400 pairs are in the Saratov region. According to other estimates, about 200-250 pairs nest in the region. Since the second half of the 20th century, there has been a tendency for a slight decrease in the number of wasp eaters in the region. Of the limiting factors, the main ones are destruction of habitats by felling of forests and poaching.

The species is included in Appendix 2 of CITES, Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention.

Literature

  • Grobov O. F. and others. Diseases and pests of honey bees: A Handbook. - M .: Agropromizdat, 1987 .-- S. 245-246
  • Red Book Voronezh region... In two volumes. T. 2. Animals / Government of the Voronezh region, Department for ecology and nature management of the Voronezh region, Voronezh state University... - Voronezh: MODEK, 2011 .-- S. 285-286
  • Red Data Book of the Saratov Region: Mushrooms. Lichens. Plants. Animals / Conservation Committee environment and nature management Saratov. region - Saratov: Publishing house of the Saratov Chamber of Commerce and Industry. region, 2006 .-- S. 396-397
  • Malchevsky A.S., Pukinsky Yu.B. Birds of the Leningrad Region and adjacent territories. - L .: Iz-in Leningrad University, 1983. - P. 76-79