Sections
Guide sections
The guide is split into four topics. The first two cover who you might meet near your home, the third covers situations when an animal ends up in your path, and the fourth is about the skill of watching itself. Choose the section closest to your question, or work through them in order.
To see more, you usually do not need to walk further, just to stand still a little longer.
These sections only include advice you can follow without special training and without risk to yourself or the animals. Anything that requires veterinary knowledge or special permits we leave to the specialists.
Birds
Birds are the most noticeable wild neighbours of city dwellers. You can hear them from the balcony, spot them easily at the feeder, and they are where most people's interest in wildlife watching begins.
- A feeder that does no harm
How to choose a spot for a feeder, what to put in it, how often to clean it and why birds also need water in winter.
- Questions about birds
What you can and cannot offer birds, what to do with a bird that has hit a window and how not to scare off visitors at the feeder.
- Words for amateur birders
Fledgling, nesting season, migration and feeder: a short look at what lies behind these familiar words.
Animals nearby
Squirrels, hedgehogs, bats, foxes on the edge of town: many animals have got used to living close to people. That does not make them tame. They remain wild and should stay that way.
- How bears spend the winter (in Russian)
A note on dens and hibernation, and on why a large animal must never be fed or looked at up close.
- Encounters on a walk
How to behave when you meet an animal in the woods or the park, and why it is better to keep your dog on a lead around wildlife.
- The park's night life
A collection about those who come out onto the paths after sunset, and how to watch them without switching on a bright light.
Found animals
The hardest moments come when it seems an animal needs help. The main rule here is not to rush, not to pick the animal up bare-handed and not to take it home.
- Fledgling, hedgehog, bat
Short answers about the most common finds and about when to contact wildlife rehabilitation specialists.
- Wildlife rehabilitation
What the term means and why nursing a wild animal at home is a bad idea, even with the best of intentions.
- Bites and scratches
Why any contact with a wild animal's teeth or claws is a reason to see a doctor right away.
Watching
Watching wildlife is a skill, not luck. Silence, patience and the habit of writing down what you see give you more than the most expensive optics.
- Your first observation walk
Five simple steps for anyone heading to the park for the first time not just for a stroll, but to see who lives there.
- Nature with children
A collection on making a walk exciting for a child and teaching them to respect someone else's home: a nest, a burrow or a tree hollow.
- Diary and binoculars
How to keep a nature diary and how binoculars help those who do not want to get too close to animals.
Read next
- Guides
How to set up a bird feeder without harming birds: preparation, steps with sample scenarios, mistakes and a checklist. Plus our article catalogue.
- Questions
Short answers about birds at the feeder, fledglings, hedgehogs, squirrels, encounters in the woods and bites.
- Collections
Reading paths: helping birds through winter, exploring nature with children and who comes out in the park at night.
- Reference
An observer's glossary: fledgling, nesting season, migration, hibernation, den, burrow, tracks, disturbance distance.
Sources
- Popular zoology and ornithology handbooks for nature lovers (general information)
- Rabies prevention leaflets (general guidance)
This guide describes watching animals and birds in general terms as of the date it was prepared. We do not give treatment advice for people or animals: if a wild animal bites or scratches you, see a doctor right away, and leave injured or weakened animals to wildlife rehabilitation specialists.