In swamps, near fresh water bodies, a lot of game birds live. Snails are one of them. They are distinguished by their small size, long beak, which they use to get food from water bodies. Various species nest in North America, Eurasia. The most famous in Russia is a large snail and a dandy. There are still enough of them in the forests, swamps, tundras of the country. Among the species there are also very rare Okhotsk individuals. To see them is a great rarity and luck.

Description of the snail bird

Snails are representatives of the snipe. The genus includes about 10 species. The largest is the large snail. Its size resembles a dove. Wings - narrow, elongated. The body grows up to 35 centimeters, weight - 130-270 grams. Wingspan 50-60 centimeters.

The legs are long. In flight, the fingers protrude beyond the edge of the tail. Their color is olive green or gray-green. A membrane is visible between the outer and middle fingers at the base. It is practically absent between the inner and middle fingers.

The bird's beak is elongated, grayish in tone, powerful. There is a slight upward curve in the anterior third. The iris is brown.

The color changes, depending on the age of the snail and the time of year. Juveniles have brownish-brown upperparts. The edge of the feathers is pale buff. The coloring becomes adult-like in winter, but even then the tail feathers do not have gray tips.

Females and males have the same color. It is difficult to distinguish them. This applies to all members of the genus.

The voice of the big snail

The bird makes various sounds. In flight, these are three-syllable variations of “tuyu-luyuv”. Taking off from the ground, she loudly shouts "tuy". On the current, individuals sing loudly and slowly "tu-ve ...". If danger is noticed near the brood, you can hear the restless “bye-bye-bye ...”.

Types of snails

All snails have common features - a long beak and legs. Body size and color can vary significantly depending on the species.

Representatives of the genus:

• American Ash - body length 26-30 centimeters, weight 90-125 grams. The beak is dark in color, as is the upper body. The plumage changes from gray-sand on the back to white with brown stripes on the abdomen. It lives mainly in Alaska, Canada. Nesting occurs on the banks of mountain rivers and lakes.
• Yellow-legged - very similar to a large representative of the genus. The body grows up to 23-25 ​​centimeters, weight 60-100 grams. The beak reaches 3-4 centimeters, and the legs - 5-7 centimeters. The color is gray-brown on the back, white on the abdomen. It breeds in North America and winters in the Gulf of Mexico, in South America.
• Hermit - the body has a length of 18-21 centimeters, weight 35-60 grams. The plumage on the back is brown, uneven. The chest is white. Nesting takes place in the forests of Canada, Alaska.
• Okhotsk - the body grows up to 29-32 centimeters, the beak has two colors: the base is brownish, the top is black. The top of the body is dark, the bottom is white. The legs are noticeably shorter than other representatives of the genus, I have membranes.

• Ash - body length 24-27 centimeters, weight 85-115 grams. The color is similar to the American individual. May use old thrush nests for laying.
• Webbedfoot - is divided into two subspecies: western and eastern. The latter was endangered due to hunting. Today, the situation is improving. On the legs, developed membranes are distinguishable. The main color is smoky.
• Motley - length 36 centimeters. The color is variegated grey-brown. Representative of Canada.
• Handrail - body length 22-24 centimeters, weight 55-85 grams. The beak is slightly thinner than other members of the genus. The plumage on the back is gray-brown with black inserts, on the abdomen - white.
• Herbalist - grows up to 30 centimeters, gaining weight up to 170 grams. The base of the beak is orange and the tip is black. Because of the color of its paws, it is also called the "red foot". The color is generally brownish-white.
• Fifi - body length 15-25 centimeters, similar to a herbalist.
• Chernysh - size 21-24 centimeters, weight 50-80 grams. The beak is noticeably shorter than that of other snails, and is painted black. The pattern on the back is dotted, the abdomen is white. It can be recognized by the constant wagging of its tail. Likes to sit on tree branches.
• Goldfinch - length 30 centimeters, weight 110-200 grams. The beak is slightly bent down, dark in tone, except for a slightly reddish base. The legs are black in warm weather, and turn red in cold weather. The plumage is dull black with white spots.

There are several more representatives of the snipe family, which are close to snails. We are talking about carriers, morodunks.

Range, habitats

Snails are migratory birds. They nest in the northern regions, and winter in the southern ones. There are species that are found only in North America. They are rarely seen in Europe. They have chosen the forests of Alaska, nesting near lakes, ponds, rivers. Some species, on the contrary, live only in Eurasia. For wintering, they go to Africa, Australia, India.

Species inhabiting the territory of the Russian Federation:

• American ashy - was seen in Russia on the Kuril island of Ekarma;
• Okhotsk - on the shores of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk, Sakhalin Island;
• ashy - also called Siberian, because it nests in the mountains of Siberia, is found in Chukotka, Kamchatka;
• handrail - found in the steppes, taiga swamps;
• chernysh - an inhabitant of humid forests and swamps of Siberia;
• dandy - nests on the Kola Peninsula, occurs in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the Kolyma, in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, off the shores of Lake Ladoga.

Individuals arrive at nesting sites singly or in flocks. They avoid human settlements, being overly cautious.

Diet

Snails feed mainly on food of animal origin. With their long beaks, they comb the shallow water, collecting food. Sometimes for food they dip their whole head into the water.

The main diet may consist of the following products:

• insects, including bedbugs;
• small fish;
• seeds;
• crustaceans;
• shellfish;
• sea ​​worms;
• berries;
• tadpoles;
• snails.

Some species may feed on frogs. If necessary, individuals are able to run on water, swim and even dive. Birds grab the fish with the tip of their beak, holding the carcass across. With a sharp movement, they turn the head of the victim to the pharynx and swallow it whole.

Reproduction and offspring

The snails arrive for nesting in the spring. Males first distribute their territories, and then start displaying. It looks like a flight with alternating ascents and descents. At this time, the male sings a song. When a pair is formed, the current loses its intensity. Birds are usually monogamous, although polygamy also occurs.

Each couple has its own vast territory. For nesting, damp places are chosen in the form of moss swamps, meadows, grassy shores, and moorlands.

Nests can be made on trees, stones, in the ground, some species use old thrush nests. Large snails place it on the ground around low shrubs. The structure consists of a thick moss lining, pieces of bark and other materials that lie nearby. The clutch usually contains 4 eggs. The shape of each of them is pear-shaped, the color is cream or olive with many spots of black or brown. In other species, the color and size of the eggs may vary.

Both parents are incubating. It usually takes about 20 days. In case of danger, they can hide, fly out of the nest. If the eggs are destroyed, the birds may nest again.

When the chicks hatch, the family moves to the shore of the reservoir, to a damp area, a wetland. The young are active from the first days of life. Chicks learn not only to fly, but also to swim. They become independent a month after the appearance.

Goldfinches alternate incubation only for the first few days after laying. The female then leaves the nest to join the same-sex flock and fly away for the winter. The male himself continues to incubate, take care of the chicks until they become winged.

natural enemies

Snails, like most marsh game, suffer greatly from crows, magpies, and jackdaws. In large numbers, they are able not only to ruin the clutch, but also to steal fledgling chicks. After waiting for the parents to fly away for food, the raven grabs the baby, sits on a branch with prey and eats its insides. If a flock of 25 jackdaws has started up near nesting, they can exterminate most of the young.

The marsh harrier is no less dangerous for snails. The predator specializes exclusively in birds, and it can kill more than it is ready to eat. He hunts from spring to autumn.

Many birds of prey can go to ruin the nest, especially if they lack the usual food in the form of rodents and insects. Martens, weasels, ferrets do the same.

Interesting! In case of danger, the snail, hatching chicks, may try to portray an attack.

Population and species status

Snails are among the birds whose conservation status causes the least concern. But this does not apply to all individuals. So the Okhotsk species is rare, small, listed under the status of endangered individuals. Ashy - endangered in Australia, where it spends its wintering.

The greatest danger of extinction is associated with human activities. We are talking not only about hunting, but about global problems of drying up swamps, reservoirs, and deforestation. Birds have nowhere to breed and their numbers are declining.

Snails in cooking

To get snail meat, you have to try hard. The representative of the waders sits firmly in the thickets; it takes off only when a person approaches closely. Usually hunters get this bird when they are looking for other swamp game. But there are also those who deliberately go for a big snail.

There are two main types of hunting. The first is the arrangement of stuffed birds or profiles. When individuals flock to the trap, they are shot. The second method is head hunting. It implies the presence of three or more hunters. One of them moves through the swamp to scare away the bird, while the others shoot. A dog in such a case will not be superfluous. Of course, if she is accustomed to such a hunt.

Prey is better to conduct in the summer-autumn to give the bird the opportunity to raise offspring. Moreover, spring hunting may be banned.

Game feathered meat is valued not for the presence of nutrients, although there are plenty of them. It is popular for the lack of artificial food additives, antibiotics. If the poultry eats only what is given to it, then the wild one chooses the best for itself. She instinctively eats the right and healthy foods.

Snipe meat is dietary, nutritious, not fatty. It is rich in vitamin E, B, potassium, iron. It contains enough linoleic acid, which regulates fat metabolism.

The carcasses are small, so it is better to bake them cut. The composition of the marinade can include honey, Tabasco sauce, vegetable oil, rum. The meat is baked for 10-30 minutes.

While on the hunt, a nutritious broth can be cooked from a couple of carcasses. It is also good to fry them on a spit, stew. If desired, you can stuff with minced meat, buckwheat and even bread. For true gourmets, there is poultry cheese. It takes time to prepare, but fromage is worth the effort. The entrance is poultry meat and broth. If there are a lot of carcasses, then offal can be cooked separately with mushrooms.

Kulik-selyanets (earlier - Ulіt vyalіki)

Brest region - single registrations in the east

Vitebsk region - nesting

Gomel region - single registrations in the west

Minsk region - extreme north and extreme northeast

Mogilev region - west and center

Snipe family - Scolopacidae.

Monotypic species, does not form subspecies.

Rare breeding migrant. Nesting has been proven by only a few finds in the Vitebsk region: 06/21/1975 a downy chick was caught in the Berezinsky Reserve; 05/06/1987 a nest with a clutch of 4 fresh eggs was found in the Liozno region; On May 21, 1995, a nest with 4 fresh eggs was found in the Shumilinsky district; On May 18, 2002, another nest with 3 fresh eggs was found there. One of the latest findings of 4 pairs + chick occurred on May 26, 2013 in the Krasny Bor reserve, Rossony district. Also, separate pairs of large snails with obvious signs of nesting behavior were recorded in spring and summer on raised bogs in other areas of the Vitebsk region. (Miory, Sharkovshchinsky, Vitebsk).

In addition, large snails with signs of nesting behavior were recorded in some swamps of the Mogilev, Gomel and Brest regions, but nesting here requires confirmation by findings of nests or non-flying chicks. In the southern part of the republic, in the summer, it was recorded in the Olmansky swamps, where, probably, there is an isolated settlement, since the nesting of the species has been proven in the border regions of Ukraine.

Relatively large chick. The coloration of the plumage is very similar to the marshmallow, the main differences are noticeably larger sizes and a slightly upturned beak. The upper body is light brown in color with white streaks, especially on the front of the back. Its back and loins are white. The underside of the body is also white, but there are black-brown longitudinal streaks on the goiter and chest. The outer tail feathers are white, the middle pair is smoky gray with dark transverse stripes. The beak is of medium length, laterally compressed and noticeably bent upwards. Its coloration is dark brown. Legs brownish green. The rainbow is brown. Male weight 155-180 g, female 148-195 g. Body length (both sexes) 33-37 cm, wingspan 62-70 cm. Male wing length 18-19 cm, tail 7.5-8.5 cm, tarsus 6.5-7 cm, beak 5-6 cm. Wing length of females 18-19.5 cm, beak 4.5-6 cm, tarsus 6-6.5 cm.

Like other snails, they willingly sit on trees, especially on dry tops and branches. Large flocks do not form. Even during flights they are kept in small groups. Very careful birds.

The large snail lives mainly in forest swamps or swampy river floodplains adjacent to the forest, along the shores of forest lakes, among vast raised and transitional swamps, sparsely overgrown with marsh pine and shrubs. Sometimes it settles in open areas of floodplain meadows overgrown with tall grass, shrubs with solitary trees.

A characteristic nesting bird of raised bogs of the Belarusian Poozerie. It is most numerous in the ridge-lake complex of vegetation and near large marsh lakes with rafted shores. It also occurs in the ridge-hollow complex with pine, giving preference to rafted areas.

Breeds in separate pairs, choosing the most deaf uninhabited areas. When nesting, the most secretive of the waders, in Poozerye, as a rule, nests in marsh pine forests, even in very close wild rosemary on low manes and along the edges of islands, in groves along the banks of marsh lakes.

Most often, the snail was noted in flooded open areas. However, the first nest of a large snail, discovered on 05/06/1987, was located in a sphagnum pine forest along the edge of a small raised bog in the Liozno district of the Vitebsk region. The nest was on a tussock, open, near several pines: one dry (3 m high) and two green (1.7 and 2.0 m high).

The nest is made on the ground, usually in a dry place, under the cover of a bush or near the trunk of a fallen tree.

The nest is a hole trampled in a moss tussock, hidden among sedge, heather or wild rosemary, lined with dry blades of grass, pine needles, moss.

The tray of the first found nest was abundantly lined with dry pine needles with a small admixture of small heather twigs.

During inspection on May 18, 2002, one incomplete clutch of three eggs had no lining in the tray; in other nests with full clutches, the trays were lined with dry blueberry leaves, marsh myrtle, and thin pine bark scales. Also, pine needles were always present in the tray, since the nests were often located under the cover of swamp pines, often on near-trunk moss tussocks. Another interesting feature of large snails is that they almost always nest near the dry trunks of fallen swamp pines.

Nest sizes: tray diameter 9.3–14.0 cm, average 11.9±0.6 cm; tray depth 3.5–7.5 cm, on average 5.3±0.5 cm.

Vladimir Bondar. Zatoka "Technopribor", ok. Mogilev

In a full clutch there are 4 eggs, in exceptional cases 5. On the territory of Europe, there are single finds of clutches consisting of 7 or 8 eggs (they belong to more than one female). In the surveyed full clutches in Poozerye there were 3–4 eggs, on average 3.9 ± 0.1 eggs per clutch. The shape of the eggs is pear-shaped. The shell is slightly shiny, sometimes matte. The color of its main background varies from light yellowish brown or dark creamy to yellowish gray. Large and small superficial spots, sometimes larger strokes or relatively small streaks and specks of dark or black brown or light reddish brown. They are evenly distributed or concentrated mainly at the obtuse pole. Deeper spots are light gray, purple gray and brownish gray. Egg sizes: 32.7–42.4x46.7–55.0 mm, on average 34.7±0.3x49.9±0.3 mm. The weight of the eggs is 25.70–32.56 g, on average 28.96±0.37 g.

The bird starts nesting in the first days of May, but fresh clutches can be found in the first decade of this month. In friendly warm springs, fresh clutches were found in Poozerye from May 6 to 8, and in cold, prolonged springs, an incomplete clutch of three eggs was examined on May 18 and a complete fresh clutch in another nest on May 21. The clutches of varying degrees of incubation were examined from 9 to 23 May. A freshly dried chick was found on April 25, 2008, 23 m from the nest (a dead downy chick and egg shells were in the nest itself). Nestlings in downy plumage, but of different sizes were observed from 15 to 21 June; chick that began to fledge was observed on 10.06.2000.

One brood per year. The male and female incubate the clutch for 24-25 days; later, both birds lead the chicks and protect the brood when threatened. Large snails incubate the clutch very tightly: flying up to 1.5–5 m from the researcher, sometimes they move away, imitating a wounded bird.

Immediately after hatching, the large snail transfers the chicks to watered open areas, where adult birds become very noticeable by the cries of alarm heard from afar.

Autumn departure begins in mid-August and continues throughout September.

The food of a large snail is various invertebrates, primarily insects and their larvae (including aquatic ones), arachnids, and small mollusks.

Adult large snails are found in the prey of the golden eagle, and chicks in the merlin.

The number of large snails in those raised bogs of the Belarusian Poozerie, where it nests, ranges from 1 pair per 10 km² (in swamps with an area of ​​at least 1000 ha) to 6 pairs per 10 km² (in smaller swamps). Drainage reclamation of raised bogs has a significant impact on the number of large snails in the Belarusian Poozerye and, to a lesser extent, a disturbance factor.

Included in the "Red Book of the Republic of Belarus".

The maximum registered age in Europe is 24 years 5 months.

Vladimir Bondar. Zatoka "Technopribor", ok. Mogilev

Literature

1. Grichik V.V., Burko L.D. "Animal world of Belarus. Vertebrates: textbook" Minsk, 2013. -399p.

2. Nikiforov M. E., Yaminsky B. V., Shklyarov L. P. "Birds of Belarus: A guide to identification of nests and eggs" Minsk, 1989. -479 p.

3. Fedyushin A. V., Dolbik M. S. "Birds of Belarus". Minsk, 1967. -521s.

4. Ivanovsky V. V., Vorobyov V. N., Mindlin G. A. "Materials for the ecology of shorebirds of the Belarusian Lakeland" / Bulletin of the Vitsebsk State University. 2015. No. 1. P.38-43

5. Minutes of the meeting of the Belarusian Ornithological and Faunal Commission (BOFC) dated February 17, 2015

6. Mongin E. A. "Big Snail" / Red Data Book of the Republic of Belarus. Animals. Rare and endangered species of wild animals. Ed. 2nd. Minsk, 2006. P.126-127

7. Kozlov V.P., Lychkovsky B.D. "On the nesting of a large snail in the Belarusian Lakeland" / Abstracts of the 12th Baltic Ornithological Conference. Vilnius, 1988. S.94-95.

8. Fransson, T., Jansson, L., Kolehmainen, T., Kroon, C. & Wenninger, T. (2017) EURING list of longevity records for European birds.

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big snail, or river sandpiper, or light sandpiper(outdated) - Tringa nebularia

Appearance. Almost the size of pigeon, dark beak slightly curved upwards. The coloration is brown-gray above, the undertail and rump are white, there are dark streaks on the crop, sides, throat, back and shoulders. The legs are long, dark green, the wing is striped below.
Loud melodic two-syllable whistle “aphid-tuii”.
Habitat. Lives in forest swamps.
Nesting places. Typical nesting sites for the great snail are areas of coastal meadows overgrown with grass and stunted shrubs, moss swamps with small lakes and rare pine forests, as well as extensive marshy clearings with isolated trees.
Nest location. Nests on the ground. The nest is usually located in a dry area near a bush, between rocks, or near a fallen tree trunk.
Nest building material. For lining the tray uses grass leaves, pine needles.
The shape and size of the nest. It is a shallow hole in the moss or in the soil, sparsely lined with leaves of grass, pine needles.
Masonry features. The clutch contains 4 cone-shaped eggs. Their color is yellowish-brown, cream or yellowish-white. Toward the blunt end of the egg, there are sharply defined large red-brown spots, as well as smaller marks and a small number of deeper greyish-blue spots. Egg size: (45-54) x (31-36) mm.
Nesting times. Arrives at nesting sites on different dates of April. Nests with eggs are found in May, downy chicks - at the end of May June. Departure takes place in the second half of August - September.
Spreading. Distributed throughout almost the entire taiga zone, in places in the forest-tundra and forest-steppe from Britain to Kamchatka. To the south, it is distributed in the northwestern lake region, along the valleys of the Oka and Kama rivers, and in negligible numbers further south; in addition, it is found in the mountains of Central Asia.
Wintering. Winters partly in Britain, Transcaucasia, but mainly in Africa, South Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Economic value. The meat of a large snail is excellent in comparison with many other waders, yielding little to the meat of a snipe. In view of his extreme caution, the snails shoot mainly at the places of evening feeding, lying in wait from an ambush.

Description of Buturlin. Big snail - really the most big from snails. It is almost the size of a lapwing, although at first glance it seems smaller than the latter due to shorter and much narrower wings.
In the distance, a large snail seems light, in autumn almost whitish or ashy, and in the summer the bright white coloration is sharply distinguished not only on the uppertail and loin, but on the entire rear part of the back. According to these features, one of the waders of the southern half of our country, the handguard, is very similar to a large snail, but this latter is one and a half times smaller. Julit is easy to recognize by his sonorous cry“kyu-ku-ku...” or “fuu-fuu...”.
Plumage the upper side is brown, with blackish centers of feathers and smoky-brown wide edges, and on the head with white edges. The throat, goiter, chest and sides are white, with brown marks; the abdomen is white. Underwing coverts and axillary feathers; with smoky transverse spots or stripes. Tail feathers, except for one or two side pairs, with brown transverse stripes. In the autumn attire, the mantle is grayer and lighter, the black color is reduced to core stripes; the bottom is almost all white, only on the sides of the goiter and chest are dark dashes. In young, the mantle is brown, with buffy and whitish marginal spots; goiter feathers with narrow, even dark edges.
The eye is brown; the beak is brown, slightly curved upwards, but not arched, but at a very obtuse angle; legs olive or yellowish green. Wing length 15.5-20 cm. The plumage of the bridle does not reach the posterior edge of the nostril by 1.5-2.5 mm.
In spring, the first large snails are shown in the southern parts of our country about the middle of April, singly, in pairs and in small flocks; at the beginning of May, they appear already in the Leningrad region, and at the end of the middle ten days of May - even on the lower Pechora, beyond 65 ° north latitude.
Having broken into pairs, the sandpipers arrange their nests mostly in forest swamps, each pair at some distance from the other. The nest is most often placed near any tussock, stone or fallen tree. nests and eggs ordinary Easter cake type; eggs are 45.8 to 59.8 mm long and 32.4 to 37.7 mm wide.
Young in the northern region they fledge around 20 July. In the early days, they are very quiet, lurk tightly in the grass and reluctantly fly out from under their very feet. Parents and at this time protect them. It happened to observe that, noticing the approach of a person to such a brood of three hundred paces, the female, sitting on a dry top, warns the young with a frequent loud cry.

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Vida

Appearance and behavior. The largest of the snails, almost the size of a dove, with a relatively long beak and long legs. The general color tone, except for the white belly, is light gray. The wings are long, sharp and narrow. Body length 30–35 cm, wingspan 53–60 cm, weight 135–270 g. Males and females are colored the same.

Description. Adult birds in breeding plumage are white below, with brownish-black longitudinal stripes on the throat, neck, chest and sides. The head and neck are also streaked with black longitudinal stripes. The interscapular and humeral regions, as well as the wings are gray with black on top, with white spots and black transverse stripes. The middle of the back and rump are white. In a flying bird, the white coloration of these parts of the body is clearly visible in the form of a wedge, extending far into the back. The underside of the wing is light. The tail feathers are white with a brown transverse pattern. The tail is straight cut, only the central pair of tail feathers is slightly longer than the others and has grayish tops. In a flying bird, only the fingers protrude beyond the edge of the tail. Legs olive-greenish or greenish-gray. Between the bases of the middle and outer fingers there is a very small membrane, between the middle and inner fingers it is practically not expressed. The beak is gray-slate, powerful, with a characteristic slight upward bend in the anterior third. The rainbow is brown.

Adult birds in winter plumage are white below with brown spots on the neck in front and on the sides. The pattern of the upper side of the body is like that of birds in summer, but the dark areas of the plumage are generally gray. The middle of the forehead and sides of the head are white. Juvenile bird in juvenile plumage is brownish-brown above with pale buffy edges of feathers. The underside of the body is white, on the sides of the neck and chest there are brown longitudinal stripes and a slightly noticeable brown transverse wavy pattern. The middle pair of tail feathers is the same color as the adjacent ones.

Young birds in the first winter plumage are similar to adults in winter, but the middle pair of tail feathers are without gray tips. The downy chick is light brownish above with blackish, irregularly shaped spots, pure white below. A black wide stripe runs along the middle of the back, along its sides - along a pale buffy stripe. The forehead is white, from the base of the beak through the middle of the forehead to the crown of the head there is a black stripe, another black stripe stretches from the beak to the eye through the bridle. The middle of the crown is black with pale buffy spots and stripes. A white stripe goes over the eye to the back of the head. It differs from other snails in its large size and rather powerful long beak with a characteristic slight upward kink in the apical third. The white color from the loin and rump comes in an angle far to the back.

In a flying bird, only the ends of the fingers protrude beyond the cutoff of the tail, which, together with the large size and powerful beak, distinguishes the big snail from.

Voice. Call in flight - loud two-syllable " tyuyu-luyuv"or trisyllabic" tuyuv-lyuyu-voluyuv". When taking off from the ground, they emit a sonorous powerful " tuy" or " bye-bye". Current song - loud unhurried " tu-ve, tu-ve, tu-ve..." or " aphids, aphids...". The cry of concern near the brood is a sharp loud " tu-tu-tu-tu...».

Distribution, status. The forest zone of Eurasia from Scotland and the Scandinavian Peninsula to Kamchatka and the lower reaches of the Amur. In the north it reaches the forest-tundra, in the south up to the subzone of mixed forests, in Western Siberia in some places it goes into the forest-steppe. In the European part of Russia, it breeds from forest-tundra to mixed forests, most common in the middle and northern taiga. It winters in Africa, the Middle East, the south of the Caspian Sea, Pakistan, India, Indochina, east China, Indonesia and Australia.

Lifestyle. Arrives at breeding sites early, by the beginning of the growing season of near-water vegetation - from mid-April in the south of the nesting range and until mid-May in the north, in the forest-tundra. Flies singly or in flocks. For feeding and rest, it stops along the banks of rivers on floodplain floods and near lakes with grassy shores, on sedge and cottonseed watershed bogs. After distribution over territories, males start displaying. During the current flight, which is an alternation of ascents and descents, the male flies over his area with a song. After the formation of a pair, the current intensity decreases. A couple from a couple settles at a considerable distance. Nesting habitats - grass and sedge-moss swamps, damp meadows, overgrown peat quarries, grassy shores of forest lakes, extensive clearings among pine forests, raised bogs, moorland, forest-tundra shrub woodlands with swamps.

The nest is located on the ground among dense low-growing shrubs, often near a small tree or stump, on moss tussocks, between fallen trees in clearings, between stones on bushy mountain slopes, in any case - near a large noticeable object. The clutch consists of 4 pear-shaped eggs, in which blackish or reddish-brown large and small spots are scattered over a pale-brown, pale-olive or cream background. The nest is lined with thick moss, lichen, twig fragments, pieces of pine bark, herbaceous plant stems, materials that can be found in the immediate vicinity of the nest. Both parents incubate the clutch for 24–25 days. In case of danger, they take off in advance or hide, leaving the nest only when a person approaches a close distance. If nests are destroyed, they may re-nest. When disturbed at the nest or near the chicks, they fly out towards danger, fly around with frequent calls, sometimes imitate an attack, often sit on the tops of trees.

After the chicks hatch, the families move to the shore of a reservoir, to a swamp or to a damp place in a forest or meadow. Chicks swim well, willingly go into the water and swim across small reservoirs. Both parents lead the chicks, in some cases the female leaves the brood before the young birds rise to the wing. Chicks become flying at the age of about a month. It feeds mainly on aquatic insects - water striders and other water bugs, dipteran larvae, dragonflies, as well as fish fry. During wintering it eats small crabs, mollusks, polychaetes. It catches its prey in the water, and often goes deep into it, diving up to its belly, and also collects silt or wet sand from the surface. Regularly probes the silt. When catching fish, it runs in shallow water and makes deft sharp turns with its whole body from side to side, while plunging its beak and sometimes even its head into the water. The fish grabs the end of the beak across the body, then turns with sharp movements so that the head is directed to the pharynx, after which it swallows.

Eurasia from Scandinavia east to Anadyr and Kamchatka, south on the Russian Plain to about the 54th parallel (1). The southern border of the range passes through the Ryazan region. In the 90s. 19th century was a common but sporadically nesting species of the Oka valley and a number of lakes in the Meshcherskaya lowland (2). In the 1990s a large snail was found nesting in the Pra valley in the north of the Ryazan region (3) and on the left bank of the Oka near the border of the Spassky and Shklovsky regions (4). In the same years, it was recorded in some tracts on the territory of the Kasimovsky district, where it probably nested (5, 6). Probably nested in the vicinity of the village of Barsky, Ryazan region (2004) and in 2007, 2008. in the north of the Spassky district, where it was found during the breeding season (7-9). During spring and autumn migration the view is quite common. There is little specific data on nesting. Over the past century, the number of nesting birds, apparently, has declined significantly. In the last decade no nests have been found. According to a rough estimate, no more than 10-20 pairs nest on the territory of the region.

Habitats and biology

The large snail nests in grassy swampy glades of pine and birch forests, in raised bogs, overgrown shores of lakes with individual trees. The nest, which birds can use for several seasons, is located near or between stones, hummocks, or on top of a hummock. As a rule, the nest is located near objects protruding high above the ground. Monogamous. During the season, one clutch, in a full clutch of 4 eggs. The duration of incubation of masonry is 23-26 days. Soon after hatching, the parents take the chicks away from the nest for a distance of up to 1.5 km. The chicks fledge at the age of 25-31 days (10).

Limiting factors and threats

The draining of swamps, as a result of which habitats are degrading, has a negative impact on the state of the species in the region.

Protective measures taken and necessary

The species is included in Appendix III of the Berne Convention. In the Ryazan region, the large snail has been under protection since 2001 (11). Potential nesting sites are protected in the Oksky Nature Reserve, in the state nature reserves of regional significance "Swamp Koshelnitsa", "Red Swamp", "Boriskovskiy", "Swamp Progon" (Ryazansky district), "Giblitsky", "Shcherbatovsky", natural monuments of the regional values ​​"White Forest", "Zernovo" (Kasimovsky district) and NP "Meshchersky". It is necessary to organize special studies to study the current distribution and abundance of the species in the region and give the found nesting sites the status of specially protected natural areas.