2013

Skeins of birds stretch across the sky

When enjoying the bright colours of autumn forest and the subtle sound of leaves rustling beneath your feet, look at the sky – are autumn birds still there? You will spot migratory, local and guest birds.

Migratory birds constitute the largest group of birds in terms of number of species. The group includes all our birds which migrate to warmer lands during the post-nesting period and return to Latvia in spring. Most of our birds are migratory birds. Many of them have already left the country. The remaining ones will leave as well. Passers-by or birds which journey across Latvia to reach their wintering areas are also part of this group. They form the largest group of migratory birds and can only be seen in Latvia during this period.

The skeins of cranes and geese in the sky and their flocks on fields are the most visible and audible part of bird migration. Cranes, geese and other species of birds usually migrate and fly across Latvia in September and October. These two months are the prime time of their migration – various migratory birds can be observed all over Latvia all day and night. The migration period begins in summer. Have you noticed this? The number of European starlings reduced in July, when these birds began their migration. All young birds and most of the old ones migrated at the very beginning of the migration period. A small group of grown-up birds stayed until September or October. European starlings which were spotted on Latvia’s cherry-trees and power lines were guests travelling across Latvia. Our birds, after enjoying Denmark’s harvest moved on to warmer lands. Several species of waders began leaving Latvia at the end of July or in August.

All migratory birds can be divided into two groups – long-distance migrants and short-distance migrants. Long-distance migrants are the first ones to begin migration. Long-distance migrants which leave Latvia or journey across the country to reach their wintering areas are considered those species which travel beyond Europe – to the south of the Sahara Desert, the south of Asia, India. These are golden orioles, nightjars, cuckoos, rollers, corncrakes, nightingales, wrynecks, wheatears, red-backed shrikes, yellow wagtails, common swifts, common house martins, sand martins, swallows, common rosefinches, many warblers, flycatchers, both species of storks, little bitterns, some predatory birds and waders. Short-distance migrants spend winter in Europe, its southern, south-west or western part, the Middle East or the north of Africa. These are robins, dunnocks, Eurasian wrens, swallows, Eurasian skylarks and wood larks, European starlings, blackbirds, white wagtails, chaffinches and bramblings, most water birds, some predatory birds, stock doves, wood pigeons, northern lapwings, sandpipers, cranes and many other species.

It is interesting that some birds are daytime migrants, for example - titmice, while others are nighttime migrants – European nightjars, flycatchers, blackbirds and, of course, owls. Several species can migrate in both early and late hours. Most birds migrate together with their families or large groups. They are those migrating on their own. These birds can only be spotted together in large numbers where food is particularly abundant.

Migratory birds’ journey and its timing are mostly determined by the specifics of their food. These birds are driven to warmer lands not so much by cold weather conditions, but insufficient food. When there is a noticeable reduction in the number of insects, these birds move on to other lands where there are still plenty of insects. Long-distance migrants have inner clocks telling them when to start their journey. Short-distance migrants spend the end of summer actively consuming food and begin migration only when colder weather conditions set in. Only a select few strive to reach their destination without any delay or wandering. Early leavers are also the ones to return first.