On January 10, 2020, in the Mikhailovsky and Summer Gardens, birds were counted on feeders. In this event, together with employees of the gardens of the Russian Museum and teachers of the Center for Museum Pedagogy, students from school No. 252 of the Krasnoselsky district took part. Under the guidance of museum workers, the guys counted the birds attending the feeders located in the museum gardens. Registration forms filled out by students were transferred to the museum accounting and monitoring sector of the museum. We publish the results of collaboration.

According to the results of the surveys, the species composition and number of birds in the feeding troughs of the Mikhailovsky Garden practically remained at the same level as during the December censuses: 1 blue tit, 4 great tits, 7 ravens, 49 pigeons, but the number of house sparrow decreased from 38 to 28. During bird counts, daws were noticed, which we observe annually in the Mikhailovsky Garden, usually only in the autumn.

At the feeding troughs of the Summer Garden, more noticeable changes in the number of birds are observed. Despite the decrease in the number of tits by almost 2 times, they continue to significantly prevail over the number of tits in the Mikhailovsky Garden: 2 blue-titted birds, 17 large tits. The number of sparrows has decreased by only 2 specimens and is 34 individuals. Crows were not recorded, and the number of pigeons increased by almost 5 times and amounted to 51 individuals.
The decrease in the number of tits and sparrows is most likely due to the lack of frost and snow cover and, as a result, the ability to search for food on their own.

#the gardens of the Russian Museum # summer garden # Mikhailovsky garden # Russian museum #rusmuseumgardens #igardens #birds