Red-headed diving duck, also known as the red-headed or blue diving duck, belongs to the so-called diving ducks. A characteristic feature of these ducks is their ability to dive well and stay underwater for a relatively long time. Unlike river ducks, they forage at significant depths and can live in deep-water bodies. The red-headed diving duck is a fairly large, robust duck with a large head. Its weight ranges from 0.7 to 1.3 kg. It swims excellently, sitting quite low in the water, with its
Recent Research Extensive research work on Issyk-Kul in the 1920s was conducted by a native of Kyrgyzstan, the subsequently well-known orientalist P. P. Ivanov. He was the first to approach the study of the underwater mysteries of Issyk-Kul with expertise and professionalism. After surveying the coastal waters of the lake by boat, P. P. Ivanov registered underwater ruins of settlements in the areas of Chon-Koysu, the Tyup Bay, and Koy-Sary. He attributed them to a single time period, believing
Ruins at the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul Attention remains focused on the underwater ruins of Issyk-Kul However, interest in the underwater mysteries of Issyk-Kul has not disappeared. In 1886, geologist I. V. Mushketov presented a report titled "Motives and Objectives of Research on Khan-Tengri" to the Physical Geography Section of the Russian Geographical Society—regarding the organization of a special expedition to the Khan-Tengri mountain system in the Tian Shan. Although the
Black-headed Stonechat. Stonechats (Saxicola) are a genus of birds in the thrush family. The black-headed stonechat measures 13 - 14 cm in length and weighs 17 - 19 g. Its head and back are black, and the wing coverts are white. There is a bright white spot on the shoulders. The chest is orange, and the underside is white. The legs and beak are black. The female differs in having a brown coloration. Stonechats feed on insects.
The Unfulfilled Dreams of Governor Kaufman The Turkestan Governor-General K. P. von Kaufman did not forget the letters he received from Pyotr Petrovich Semenov, who, after several years following his journey to Issyk-Kul, had become a recognized scholar and effectively the head of the Russian Geographical Society. P. P. Semenov pointed out the underwater finds of the Kyrgyz at Issyk-Kul, noting their undeniable scientific value and urging the search for antiquities to be concentrated in a
Cheglok. Small (like a pigeon), as with all falcons, it is beautiful and graceful. It has long pointed wings and a tail resembling a wedge. The total length is 32-37 cm, wingspan 76-85 cm, wing length 25-30 cm, males weigh 170-210 g, females about 250 g. Females of the cheglok, like all other falcons, are larger. The plumage is mottled – the upper part of the body is a solid gray-steel color, while the chest and underside are yellowish-white with small dark streaks. The undertail coverts and
Seagull The most numerous genus of birds in the gull family, inhabiting both marine expanses and inland waters. Many species are considered synanthropic—they live near humans and benefit from this. Typically, these are large or medium-sized birds with white or gray plumage, often with black markings on the head or wings. The coloration of the bird depends on the species to which the seagull belongs. The average length of the bird is 30-80 cm, and the weight is usually from 150 g to 2 kg. One
Semenov-Tian-Shansky Searches for Chigu Just as Mecca eternally beckons Muslims, Chigu attracted almost all researchers of the Preissykul region. The scientific quest for the real or mythical Chigu has a clearly defined starting date. On a warm evening of June 14, 1857, a young Russian scientist-traveler, arriving from distant St. Petersburg to Issyk-Kul in search of the origins of the Tian Shan mountains, stood on the cape of Kara-Bulun, at the watershed of the rivers Tyup and Dzhergalan,
The Little-Known "Columbus of Asia" The name Zhang Qian is almost unknown to the general public. There is little written about him. Yet he deserves to be placed alongside the greatest explorers, such as Columbus, Magellan, and Vasco da Gama. He was the first to connect the trade arteries of China with those of the West. As a result, a new intercontinental route emerged — the Silk Road. This route, which operated for one and a half thousand years, played a huge role in bringing the
Heron (white, gray, reddish). A genus of large (80-100 cm and above) birds of the heron family. These birds live along marshy areas, where their prey consists of fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals. Herons are powerful birds with long conical beaks, long necks, and long legs. Most species have a well-defined tuft of feathers at the back of the head.
And ahead lies a journey to fairy-tale lands... The question of the second embassy to the West, now concerning the Usuns, has been resolved. At its head is Zhang Qian. Sima Qian writes: “The Son of Heaven appointed him as the Xiongnu magistrate, with 300 soldiers each having two horses and up to 10,000 heads of cattle and sheep... and subordinated to him many assistants with banners — to send them as envoys to various territories along the route.” Liu Shu also participated in the expedition —
The Nomads Retreat The third year of exile was coming to an end. Zhang Qian began to receive letters, written in the clumsy hand of a teenager. His son wrote that he was diligently studying literacy and was already good at holding a brush and a wooden stylus — a pen... In the remote province, rumors reached him about new and new victories of Chinese arms. In 121 BC, the Huns were defeated by Huo Qubing. In 119 BC, they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Li Guangli. The number of
Pheasant. Family Phasianidae, order Galliformes. The length of a pheasant is 80-90 cm, with a tail up to 40 cm, consisting of 18 tail feathers. Wingspan is 75-80 cm. The male is black-brown with golden spots. The feathers are glossy, with a black border, and on the head and neck, they are green with a metallic sheen. The wings are reddish-yellow, and the wedge-shaped tail is gray-brown with black transverse stripes. The female measures about 65 cm in length, with a tail of 30 cm. The wingspan
Hypothesis—1985 At the bottom of the Tyup Bay of Issyk-Kul during the field season of 1985, we discovered a large settlement. The findings indicated that it existed sometime in the first millennium BC. However, all of this needed to be proven through new excavations and scientific research. We based our work on one appealing hypothesis: the discovery of the city of Chigu—the capital of the nomads in the 2nd century BC. This needed to be confirmed or disproved through field (or rather,
The Downfall of Zhang Qian After a long and mature discussion in the imperial council, it was concluded that the embassy should be postponed until a corridor to the west was established. The primary task became the war with the Huns. Allies were never found, and they had to rely on their own strength.
Hoopoe. A small bird measuring 25-29 cm in length and with a wingspan of 44-48 cm. Distinguished by its striped black-and-white plumage on the wings and tail, the hoopoe has a long, slender beak and a long crest on its head, making it one of the most recognizable birds. The coloration of the head, neck, and chest varies from pinkish to chestnut depending on the subspecies. The wings are broad and rounded, colored with contrasting black and whitish-yellow stripes. The tail is of medium length,
The Return of Zhang Qian Home On a bright September afternoon, four travelers were riding donkeys on the road to Chang'an: two men, a woman, and a boy about nine or ten years old. Each had a bag of oats on one side of the saddle and a basket for provisions on the other. A long leather bundle protruded from the back of one of the men: a spear—maybe a spear, a bow—maybe a bow... The walls of Chang'an soon came into view. The road was becoming busier with carts and pedestrians.
Yellow-headed Wagtail (white, mountain, masked). The yellow-headed wagtails have a bright yellow breast, which makes them easy to recognize in nature. Their tail is shorter than that of white wagtails. The yellow-headed wagtail has a bluish-gray back and a pure yellow head. These insectivorous birds arrive in small flocks and individually during the peak of snowmelt, staying around thawed patches where they gather emerging flies and other insects, which they successfully catch even in the air,
The Fergana Miracle Dawan of that time (Fergana, including the south of Kyrgyzstan) represented a strong state formation, a union of "oasis-cities" led by a local dynasty. The Chinese were accustomed to the idea that real (not felt) buildings, canals, and developed agriculture existed only in their homeland, while neighboring lands languished in barbaric ignorance. Dawan pleasantly surprised them. No, it didn’t just surprise them — it shocked them! They discovered well-tended fields
The Opening of the Great Silk Road “The world is small” — sounds like a truism today. But three thousand years ago, these words would have seemed blasphemous. The Greeks, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Medes, and Sogdians have been connected by cultural and economic interests since ancient times. They traded. And how they traded! Large trading centers, trade routes, trading fleets, and caravans emerged; crafts developed, money appeared, along with banks, moneylenders, and currency exchangers...
Herbivore. A slender sandpiper slightly larger than a thrush. In breeding plumage, gray coloration with dense spotting predominates both above and below. The character of the spotting is subject to significant variation. Bright orange-red legs in all plumages are one of the most important features of the herbivore. The underside of the wings is pure white. The base of the beak is orange-red, while the tip is black. These sandpipers arrive quite early, in small flocks, pairs, and as singles.
How long will the regression of the "pearl of Ala-Tuu" last? The famous aphorism "Plato is my friend, but truth is a greater friend" was uttered by Aristotle after reading Plato's dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias," in which one of the greatest catastrophes in human history—the demise of Atlantis in the ocean depths—is narrated as a credible fact. Aristotle did not believe that such a thing could happen. Debates about whether Atlantis—a cultured and
The Kolpakovsky Glacier is the most significant glacier of the Terkey-Ala-Too range. Its length is about 12 km, consisting of three branches with separate powerful accumulation areas, which represent extensive snow plateaus at an altitude of 4300-4400 meters, dropping to the north with elongated walls. To the south, the glacier gently descends to the moraines, making it wide and mostly calm, forming a small icefall only in the middle part. Right in the center of the glacier, about 20 meters
Black-headed Shrike. The black-headed shrike measures 21 - 23.5 cm in length and weighs 47 - 53 g. It is similar in size to a starling and generally resembles the gray shrike in coloration, with a pale, bluish-gray back, but it has a black crown, a wide stripe on the sides of the head (across the eye), and black wings and tail. The wing spots, tail side stripes, and underside are white with a grayish-pink or pink tinge on the chest and sides. Among the birds returning in spring, the
Owl (white, eared, marsh, hawk). Order of birds of prey, including more than 420 large and medium-sized species, mostly nocturnal birds. The order consists of two families: true owls and barn owls. Brief description: large head, big round eyes at the front of the head, short, predatory beak.
Pink Starling. Its head has a long hanging crest at the back, the neck from the front to the chest, and the back to the beginning of the neck are black, with a dark purple sheen. The wings, tail, upper and lower coverts of the tail, along with the lower part of the thigh, are black with a steel green sheen. All other plumage is pink. The beak is pink-red, and the legs are pinkish-brown. In behavior, it undoubtedly resembles our common starling in many ways, but it differs significantly in many
Categories of Protected Natural Areas in Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan has established 83 special reserves, covering a total area of 761,300 hectares, which accounts for almost 4.45% of the country's territory. - 10 state reserves (288,000 ha); - 10 state natural national parks (276,000 ha); - 10 forest, 23 botanical, 18 geological, 2 complex, and 14 hunting (zoological) reserves with a total area of 325,000 ha.
Natural Flowers in Kyrgyzstan Every year, the number of true nature enthusiasts increases, who cherish both the humble steppe flower and the plants of alpine and subalpine meadows with their bright and colorful blooms. Spring plants attract special attention.
Sizovoronka. A bird of the sizovoronkov family. It inhabits sparse old forests, edges, clearings, glades, along railways and highways, power lines, and is found in old parks and groves. Length up to 35 cm, weight up to 160 grams. The main color of the plumage is bluish-green, with a reddish-brown back. Among the modestly colored birds, the sizovoronka stands out with its special beauty. It seems to have brought enchanting colors from the distant south, the brilliant blue of the sky, and the
Roses Roses belong to the group of ornamental shrubs, and therefore they differ significantly from herbaceous perennials in terms of reproduction methods and cultivation technology. In landscaping, both wild species of roses with non-double flowers (wild roses) and garden varieties are used.
Pogonys. A small bird, slightly smaller than a corncrake, measuring 21-25 cm in length and weighing 80-130 g. The plumage is mottled and generally darker than that of the corncrake Pogonys. The head and the front part of the neck are lead-gray, with frequent light speckles. The upper part of the body and wings are dark brown or olive, with small white and large black spots. The belly is lighter—ochre, sometimes with rare small spots. The undertail is reddish. The wings are short, slightly
Grebes — Family Podicipedidae (little grebe, black-necked grebe, red-necked grebe, gray-cheeked grebe, great crested grebe). They are a family of waterfowl. It includes 22 species, three of which are extinct. The Russian name "поганка" (poganka) comes from the unpleasant taste of their meat, which has an unpleasant fishy smell. The sizes of grebes range from 23 to 74 cm, with an average weight of 120 to 1500 g. There are two main types of grebes: those with long, sharp beaks that
State Natural National Park "Kyrchin" The State Natural National Park "Kyrchin" was established in August 2004 by the Resolution of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 632, covering an area of 35,000 hectares. The purpose of establishing the State Natural National Park "Kyrchin" is to preserve the biological diversity of animal and plant life, and natural complexes in the recreational area of Lake Issyk-Kul, which have special ecological,
Rudbeckia (Rudbeckia L.). It grows wild in North America and Mexico, where up to 30 species can be found. It is a hardy and unpretentious plant. The stem is simple or branched. The inflorescence consists of baskets. The flowers are simple or double, with a diameter of up to 15 cm. The marginal flowers are yellow, brown, or purple. It reproduces by seeds and division of clumps.
Common Quail, A bird of the pheasant family from the order of galliformes. Body length 16-20 cm, weight 80-145 g. Plumage is ochre in color, with the top of the head, back, rump, and upper tail coverts having dark and light brown transverse stripes and spots; there is a reddish stripe behind the eyes, and the throat is reddish. The male has dark reddish cheeks, a reddish throat, and a black chin and throat. The female differs from the male by having a pale ochre chin and throat and the
Peony (Paeonia L.) One of the most popular and beautiful flowering plants. There are 15 species of peonies known in nature, one of which is the intermedia, commonly referred to as "Maryin root," found in the mountainous regions of our republic. The most widely cultivated varieties are those obtained from the Chinese peony through multiple hybridizations. Peony is a winter-hardy plant (it winters well without shelter in our conditions), and it is very demanding of light, so it is best
Green Warbler. A small, delicate, active, and very cheerful bird. The top of the head and back are green, the underside is yellowish, and there is one light transverse stripe on the wing. A narrow yellow stripe runs from the base of the beak to the nape. The green warbler is a common, sometimes numerous migratory bird that nests in various habitats. It inhabits spruce, fir, larch, pine, mixed forests, and occasionally birch groves at altitudes up to 1900 m in Altai and 2700-2800 m in Tien
May Lily (Convallaria majalis L.). Has long been used in decorative gardening. Beautiful not only are the fragrant bell-shaped white flowers, but also the green elongated-elliptical leaves, creating a uniform dark green carpet up to 20 cm high in places where sunlight does not penetrate or barely penetrates. There are varieties with pink and blue flowers.
Pegan. A large waterfowl of the duck family (weight 1.0-1.5 kg) characterized by distinctive plumage with a combination of white, reddish, gray, and black colors. On the main white background, the black head and reddish-brown band across the chest stand out. The bill is red, with a bulge on the forehead in males. It swims well, and only the chicks dive. It flies silently. During migration, it travels in large flocks, in a wedge or an expanded front. The voice is a dull, soft quacking like
Daylily, Hemerocallis (Hemerocallis L.). In nature, it is found on the edges of forests, among shrubs, near water bodies. In the wild, it is distributed in the Far East, Eastern Siberia, China, and Japan. The plant is rhizomatous, with some species having thickened, spindle-shaped roots. The leaves are basal, sessile, linear, straight, or arching. The flower stalks rise above the leaves, sturdy, 50—100 cm tall, ending in a clustered or spreading inflorescence. The flowers, in groups of 2—8,
Pastushok A small bird (weighing up to 170 g), it runs excellently and is closely associated with coastal shrub and grass thickets. Its body is spindle-shaped, strongly compressed from the sides. The back is olive-brown with black stripes, the neck and chest are gray, the rear part of the belly is ochre, while the middle of the belly and sides are covered with transverse stripes (wide black and narrow white). The legs are reddish-yellow, and the eye is orange-red. The beak is long, slightly
Incarvillea (Incarvillea Juss.). Grows wild in China. The roots are turnip-shaped, fleshy, with rosette leaves that are pinnately dissected and on long petioles. The flowers are funnel-shaped, carmine-pink, orange-yellow, and pink-lilac, gathered in loose inflorescences. It grows well in nutrient-rich soils and open sunny places. Two species are particularly interesting: I. Delavayi (I. Delavayi Bur. et Franch.) reaches a height of up to 70 cm, with carmine-pink flowers and a yellow throat;
Osayed (common, crested). A daytime predator of the hawk family from the falconiformes order. A rather rare bird. The osayed got its name because it destroys wasp nests and eats their larvae. Besides them, it can feed on bumblebee or wild bee larvae. It also eats frogs, lizards, rodents, beetles, grasshoppers, and small birds. A large bird with a relatively long tail and narrow wings. The wingspan is about 1.2 m. There are short, stiff feathers on the forehead and around the eyes that resemble
Bergenia (Bergenia Moench). The plant retains its foliage year-round. It prefers semi-shaded or shaded areas, light nutritious soil, and is moisture-loving. The most common variety in cultivation is B. crassifolia. The leaves are rosette-shaped, leathery, shiny, and decorative. In spring, the bushes are adorned with bright pink flowers gathered in corymbs, located on leafless stems. It blooms from early April for 35-40 days. It is propagated by division of rhizomes and seeds. Division is done
Dipper This remarkable diving bird lives along the banks of mountain, fast-flowing rivers and streams. The dipper somewhat resembles thrushes, but it has a very short tail. These small songbirds are capable of diving into icy holes even in winter. It is the size of a small thrush, but more robust. It has a short tail, playfully raised upwards. The top of its head, wings, and tail are dark brown, while its back is aspid gray. Against the overall very dark coloration (almost black on the back,
Sarala-Saz (Yellowish Swamp). Naryn Region. Located 55 km northwest of the town of Kochkor is the pasture Sarala-Saz – a high-altitude pasture. It is situated at an altitude of over 3000 m. Its name, which translates from Kyrgyz as “yellowish swamp,” comes from the characteristic color of the grass that grows here and the virtually complete absence of bushes and trees around. The waterfall is located 6 km from the pasture, hidden among the rocks (1.5-2 hours ride on horseback). Locals have
Perennials — flowering plants that grow in one place and maintain their decorative appeal for several years. Ornamental gardening offers a vast assortment of flowering and decorative perennial plants.
Ogar. A large duck (weight 1.2–1.6 kg) with a rusty-red coloration and an ochre-white head. The flight feathers, tail, beak, and legs are black. It walks well on land. It also swims well, but rarely dives. It flies quickly. A noisy bird. In flight, it emits a ringing, guttural, and mournful "ang... ang." The female hisses in the nest when danger approaches. For most of the year, these ducks stay in pairs. Ogar usually nests in the burrows of foxes or badgers, but often in abandoned
