The appearance of cormorants in the city - an alarming sign

Urban water flooded cormorants. And their appearance in the city, according to ornithologists - an alarming sign. But even greater concern is the fact that it becomes less and less natural to the eye of sparrows, wagtails and other birds.

- It's just a natural incident, cormorants in the city - said the ornithologist, writer, honorary citizen of Ust-Kamenogorsk Boris Shcherbakov. - To cormorants were where the eternal noise! It's amazing!

The specialist said that in East Kazakhstan main habitat of cormorants - Lake Zaisan. And mass of the settlement were found on the coast Bukhtarminsky reservoir. There once were about 1,500 nests.


- It was a giant colony, - the ornithologist. - In these waters was a large amount of algae, which is good effect on the population of cormorants. Then the fish was not enough, and everything was different. Many birds migrate are in search of fish ponds.

That hunger, experts say, forced to settle and cormorants in water bodies within the boundaries of Ust-Kamenogorsk.

- Cormorants reached Irtysh Pavlodar reach the outskirts of steel - continues Boris Shcherbakov. - There and rivers that flow into the Irtysh - Ulba, Ube. Even climbed the mountain lakes. Their hunger drives. This, of course, the rate established over many years of unfavorable environmental conditions. And in this case it is related to the number of fish fauna.

Taken a liking to water our field birds - cormorants are large. In total, there are about 35 species of birds. All of them - excellent divers.

Great cormorant - a rather large bird with black feathers. Its weight ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 kilograms. Wingspan - 120-160 centimeters.

- The cormorant is a frequent companion of pelicans, which also had a lot of - shared Boris Shcherbakov. - But then they disappeared. May, in Zaisan remain.

Disappeared, however, not only pelicans. According to ornithologist, in Ust-Kamenogorsk in East Kazakhstan as a whole annually catastrophically reduce the number of bird species.

- As shown by calculation, in the Altai 350 species of rare and endangered were 152, - stated Boris Shcherbakov. - One - by humans, others - because of the weather. Third and did, for unknown reasons. Even in isolated areas of birds became a little.

But the main reason for the disappearance of birds, according to scientists - a man. And all that is associated with its activities.

- Previously, small birds nesting near the DRC, in the central square of Ust-Kamenogorsk - he recalls. - There was even a rare House Sparrow!

Also a rarity - wagtails, oatmeal. Gone village and Sand Martin. Not only was the starlings, ducks, larks, eagles, hawks, grouse, black grouse. Not become capercaillie.

- It is necessary to prohibit hunting, - the ornithologist. - In the spring breeding duck and shoot them. And on the country roads chicks and did crush cars, because travel at high speed. Wader chicks, larks, pigeons, rooks go on the road to a clean spot on the grass. And just breaking on the car, without having to take off. Two years ago, I had to watch the picture when on the road littered with crushed hundreds of birds ...

Boris Shcherbakov believes that SAI should establish an independent commission to carry out inventories of birds in the region. And take some action.

- It's a terrible thing: all that kopilos centuries - to take and destroy in just two decades - summed Boris Shcherbakov. - In the nature, and there - only magpies, crows and jackdaws ...