The caldera of Uzon volcano in Kamchatka is being explored by “downy” kids
Employees of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve are monitoring the broods of waterfowl and near-water birds living in the caldera of the Uzon volcano, an environmental protection agency told Kamchatka.Today.
Broods of ducks and sandpipers, young whistling teals and fifi, came into their field of vision. The “fluffy” babies recently hatched from eggs, but immediately began an active life, following their mother: someone on the water, and someone on land.
“At the end of June, while walking around the territory, I noticed a clutch of whistling teal, where there were eight eggs. A few days ago, a female brought eight downy ducklings to the stream. Incubation was successful! The chicks of Fifi, a small sandpiper, also began their journey into a big life,” said Vladimir Vlasenko, an inspector of the reserve.
Birds have a special protective behavior. If a predator approaches the brood, the female feigns wing damage and tries to divert the “intruder” from the offspring. At the same time, parents in most cases are able to stand up for their cubs.
Experts noted that when meeting broods of birds in settlements where there are reservoirs, you should not approach them and in no case should you take the chicks in your hands. But when crossing the road to any color of the traffic light, the female with the brood is a priority.
On June 1, on Children’s Day, residents of Kamchatka came to the aid of a duck family crossing the road in the center of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, heading for Kultuchny Lake.
Photo by Vladimir Vlasenko/Kronotsky Nature Reserve.