Rivers are lifelines of our planet!
Winter is a time of food scarcity and freezing day. Many birds have fled to the warm climates, many in remain in northern areas during winter. Geese, ducks, coots, swans flock the rivers, to spend the winter on the rivers.
The European bee-eater (Merops apister) is one of the most colorful birds on the rivers. This gaudy animal breeds on the steep river banks.
The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) is an inhabitant of the barren gravel and sandbars.
One of the most beautiful inhabitant of the rivers in Asia and Europe is the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).
The little tern is a small tern that lives on a gravel and sandbars of the European and Asian rivers. It is widespread, but very fragmented and endangered in many places.
Floodplain flood forests (Freshwater swamp forests) are seasonally inundated by rivers. They are adapted to the long-standing water and host a variety of organisms.
The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) is an inhabitant of the rivers, nesting on the barren gravel and sandbars.
A shy inhabitant of the dense old forests, the black stork is much rarer bird than its cousin the white stork.
Steep banks of the river are extreme habitat, where some very specialized animals and plants live. They are mostly created by river erosion.
Natural rivers support rich biodiversity by constantly renewing themselves and creating diverse habitats for plants and animals to thrive.