European bison - Bison bonasus

Systematics

Occurrence
Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Slovakia, Russia and in Poland in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, the Borecka Forest, the Piska Forest, the Knyszyńska Forest and in the Bieszczady Mountains (about 150 bison are in closed breeding).

Lifestyle
They live in herds, females and young ones form a group led by the oldest cow, males form separate herds or live alone. They communicate using sounds called grunts (chruczenie).

Nutrition
Their food is herbs, grasses, leaves of shrubs, buds and tree bark (especially birch trees), they also eagerly eat acorns. According to research carried out in the Białowieża Park, an adult European bison eats 40 to 60 kg of feed per day. It forages 50-80% of its time from sunrise to sunset.

Reproduction
During estrus (August - September), they form larger herds of 30 - 40 heads. They become physically mature at the age of 2 - 3 (males), 3 - 4 (females). Bison's pregnancy lasts 9 months, the mother takes care of the offspring up to 2 years of age. After birth, the young weigh from 15 to 35 kg.

Red deer - Cervus elaphus

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - mammals
RANGE - artiodactyl 
FAMILY - cervidae 
GENUS - deer
SPECIES - red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Occurrence
Central and Southern Europe, part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, North Africa, Asia from the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Ohotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. Also introduced in many other countries. In Poland, it occurs in all major forest complexes.

Living environment
Lowland and mountain deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests with access to water. Meadows and rushes in spring, oak and beech forests in summer and autumn, pine forests in winter.

Characteristic
Body length up to 2.5 m, tail up to 22 cm, height at withers 75 - 150 cm, body weight up to 350 kg. The color of the coat is red-brown-reddish in summer and fawn in winter. There is an elongated brown-yellow stain called a mirror on the buttocks. The bull's antlers in the form of a wreath (e.g. spitz, club moss, eighth, sixth) are massive, and the number of branches can reach up to 30 pieces. He has a good sense of smell, great hearing and eyesight.

Lifestyle
Adult males are loners that form small herds only during the mating season. They communicate by means of sounds and smells. They only sleep
60 to 100 minutes a night.

Nutrition
Herbivores. Food is mainly grasses, herbs, shoots, leaves, bark and fruits of trees and shrubs. They forage in the early morning and evening, as well as at night, hiding in the forest thickets during the day.

Reproduction
Viviparous animals. They reach sexual maturity in the second year of life. The male gathers harems consisting of a dozen females (hinds) on its territory. The rutting site begins at the turn of September and October. Gestation lasts about 235 days, the female usually gives birth to one young (calf), which she stays with her mother until she is 10 months old. They live up to 20 years.

Threat and protection
The natural enemy is the wolf, lynx and bear. It is subject to periodic protection. It is a game. They are obtained by humans for meat, skins and antlers.

Fallow deer - Dama dama

Fot: M. Hławiczka

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - mammals
RANGE - artiodactyl 
FAMILY - cervidae 
GENUS - fallow deer
SPECIES - fallow deer (Dama dama)

Occurrence
Mediterranean area (southern Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa). Introduced in Poland at the end of the 18th century. Currently, it is rarely found mainly in the western part of the country.

Living environment
Sparse forests and their outskirts sometimes feed on arable fields and meadows.

Characteristic
The length of the body is 130-150 cm, height at the withers is 105 cm. Males (bulls) are significantly larger than females (hinds) and weigh from 65 to 80 kg, females: 30 - 50 kg. The back of the body is reddish-brown in color with characteristic white spots. A dark streak runs along the spine. The underside of the body is white, there is a white spot on the buttocks with a dark border. The tail is black on the top and white on the underside. In winter, the color of the back of the body changes to gray, without spots (the so-called winter coat). There are relatively common individuals that are albino and unusually colored, completely black. As in the case of other representatives of deer, the male has antlers (shovels) in the form of a wreath (e.g. spitzers, spooners, shovels), which he sheds every year (usually in May), and in its place it grows new, larger ones. They are broader, spadey. The female does not have antlers. The largest antlers of 6 - 10 year old fallow deer reach 5 - 7 kg in weight.

Lifestyle
It lives in herds, the older males live alone or in small groups. At the end of summer, they mate with groups of females. They communicate using body language, sounds and smells.

Nutrition
Herbivores. The food is herbaceous plants, young branches of trees and shrubs, as well as mosses and lichens.

Reproduction
Viviparous animals. The mating (rut) takes place in October - November. The female gives birth to one young in June or July, sometimes two, rarely three, after a pregnancy lasting about 230 days. After birth, the young (calves) stay with their mother and suck her milk until her next heat. They reach sexual maturity after 2 years. They live up to 25 years.

Threat and protection
The natural enemy is the wolf. It is subject to periodic protection, it is a game. They are obtained by humans for meat, skins and antlers.

Roe deer - Capreolus capreolus

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - mammals
RANGE - artiodactyl 
FAMILY - cervidae 
GENUS - roe deer
SPECIES - roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Occurrence
The geographic range of the species includes Europe, Asia Minor and the Caspian Sea region. In Poland, the European roe deer is a common species throughout the country.

Living environment
It is found in rare deciduous and mixed forests in both lowlands and and in mountainous regions. In addition to individuals living in the forest environment, you can also meet field deer. They have adapted to life in the conditions of open agricultural crops, meadows and in the vicinity of settlements and cities (they show a high coefficient of synanthropization).

Characteristic
The length of the body is 90 - 140 cm, the height at the withers is up to 100 cm. Males (goats) weigh approx. 25 kg, females (goats) approx. 20 kg. The European Roe Deer is characterized by a medium-sized, slender body with relatively high legs. The coat in summer is reddish brown, while the winter coat is gray-brown or gray-yellow. Easily seen from a distance, it is a white or yellowish spot on the buttocks, the so-called mirror. The goat has antlers (e.g. spitz, club moss, sixths), which it sheds every year (usually in the late autumn period), and new ones grow in its place. The goat has no antlers.

Lifestyle
Roe deer, which live in small groups (in the forest) or larger herds (in the fields) during the winter, separate in spring and lead a solitary lifestyle. They communicate with visual signals, sounds and smells.

Nutrition
It is an eminently herbivorous species. The food is herbaceous plants, young branches of trees and shrubs, roots, mosses and lichens, fruits.

Reproduction
Viviparous animals. Mating (rut) takes place in July-August. The female gives birth to one young in May or June, sometimes two, rarely three, after a pregnancy lasting about 10 months. The young (kids) are hidden after birth, the mother comes only to them for the time of feeding. Plant food begins to eat from the second week of life. They reach sexual maturity after 2 years. They live up to 12-15 years.

Threat and protection
The wolf, lynx, and bear are natural enemies, while dogs wandering about are also a threat (especially for young ones). It is subject to seasonal hunting protection.

Red fox - Vulpes vulpes

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - mammals
RANGE - carnivora
FAMILY - canids
GENUS - fox
SPECIES - red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Occurrence
The red fox belongs to the species with a wide range of occurrence. They inhabit the entire northern hemisphere from the circumpolar regions to Central America and the steppes of the Asian continent. Thanks to the conducted observations of scientists, it is predicted that the red fox will gradually take over the territorial range of the arctic fox and will displace this species in the near future. Researchers say this is due to climate change.

Living environment
In our country, the red fox occurs both in forests in the lowlands and in the mountains, in fields and meadows. It can often be found near human farms - it is an eminently synanthropic species, i.e. easily adapting to the environment transformed by man.

Characteristic
Adult specimens reach an average height of 35-50 cm at the withers and a body length of 50-90 cm, weight ranges from 2.2-14 kg, where females are usually smaller than males. Currently, science distinguishes 45 subspecies of red fox, which are divided into two basic groups - large breeds inhabiting the northern areas and small, inhabiting mainly areas of Asia. Winter fur is thick, soft, smooth, fluffy and relatively long. The underside of the tail is grayish. The black point at the base of the tail surrounds the so-called The "violet gland" from which the secretion comes from which foxes use to mark the area. The tip of the tail is white.

Lifestyle
The species exhibits mainly nocturnal diurnal activity. Foxes are extremely adaptable to any changing environmental conditions. The lifestyle of foxes can be both strictly territorial and migratory. Red foxes live in larger groups, related to each other, sharing one territory, or forming herds in which the so-called the alpha couple adopt foxes rejected by their family. In areas characterized by a poor source of food, such a group may have a strict herd hierarchy.

Nutrition
The fox is an omnivorous species with a very rich menu. The composition of the food changes with the seasonality of the seasons and the availability of individual prey. In highly urbanized areas, the basis of food is the remains of food products thrown away by people (including even food for wild birds and for domestic animals).

Reproduction
Reproduction occurs in the spring period. Gestation lasts an average of 50-60 days. Most often, 4 to 6 puppies are born in a litter. The mother stays with them for the first two to three weeks. At three to four weeks of age, the cubs begin to leave the burrow dug in the ground. The young are fed with milk for 6-7 weeks. At the age of 3-4 months, puppies are independent. When the cubs grow up, they can leave the herd as long as the chances of gaining control over some area are good, otherwise they remain in the family group at the expense of reproductive failure. Red foxes live up to 14 years.

Threat and protection
In the country, foxes are shot by hunters during the current hunting season.

Indian peacock - Pavo cristatus

Occurrence
Originally India, Pakistan and Ceylon. In many places around the world feral birds have built up self-sustaining populations. As a breeding bird, it is often found in collections around the world.

Living environment
Open forests with seasonally shedding trees in northern parts of India. They prefer to live in open forests with dense undergrowth. Specimens were recorded even at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level.

Characteristic
The male is very colorful. The head, neck, chest and belly are blue with a metallic sheen, on the head a feather tip forming a crown, a green back, brown wings with black stripes. Correct tail is relatively short, white-brown. What is called a "peacock's tail" is actually a train formed by the elongated feathers of the tail covers. At the tip of the brown-green feathers are the "peacock eyes" made of concentric circles: black, blue, fawn and yellow. The male train reaches its final length between the ages of 3 and 6. Females have a brownish top of the body and a light underside. They do not have a train, but have a crown on their heads. Peacocks form harems with 2 to 5 females per male. Life expectancy is up to 25 years.

Lifestyle
It exhibits a strong territorial behavior and, therefore, can be aggressive. At night, he stays in the upper parts of the tree crowns, on the roofs of buildings, which is a coded inborn behavior, because in the natural environment of the Indian subcontinent, because in this way they avoid attacks by, among others, ... tigers. Early in the morning, it flies from its sleeping places and begins feeding. During the day, he may take a few naps while remaining vigilant.

Nutrition
It belongs, like most grouse, is omnivorous species. It eats plant and animal food (vertebrates and invertebrates: insects, arachnids, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles, small rodents). It feeds on the ground.

Reproduction
The Indian peacock is a polygamous species. There are about four females per one male. Toki are extremely spectacular. The female builds a nest - a hole in the ground, surrounded by vegetation. Or, as it was the case in the Show Zubry Farm in the Historic Pszczyna Park, on the structural casing of the elevator, or in hay bales. It usually lays 4 to 6 cream eggs. It takes about a month to incubate. Only the female takes care of the offspring. They reach sexual maturity in the second-third year of life.

Threat and protection
A species of least concern, common.

Swan-nose goose - Anser cygnoid

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - birds
RANGE - anseriformes 
FAMILY - anatidae 
GENUS - goose
SPECIES - swan-nose goose (Anser cygnoid)

Occurrence
In the wild, it occurs in the central regions of Asia, China and Japan.

Living environment
It inhabits Asian steppe biomes and mountain valleys near water courses and reservoirs.

Characteristic
In anatomical terms, it is a transitional form between a goose and a swan. Its characteristic feature is a high, fleshy hump at the base of the upper part of the beak, which is larger in gander than in geese. In general, the male is larger and measures approx. 95 cm. Breeding birds of this species can reach a weight of up to 12 kg. Both male and female make a loud honking sound.

Lifestyle
Although it belongs to geese, it swims relatively rarely. Outside the breeding season, it forms small herds consisting of several individuals. May show territorialism in relation to other animals and even humans.

Nutrition
They eat plant food such as grasses, clover, dandelion and tiny invertebrates.

Reproduction
It nests near the mouth of rivers, as well as inland, in the mountains, in the lowlands, but always near rivers and lakes. Lays 5 to 8 eggs, which the female incubates for 28-30 days.

Threat and protection
In case of danger, they can dive very well, and on land they fall to the ground and become still. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has identified the swan goose as an endangered species. This was due to the fact that this bird in nature is decreasing in numbers due to the more and more frequent droughts, resulting in smaller broods, and the transformation of the natural environment by humans and hunting.

Mallard duck - Anas platyrhynchos 

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - birds
RANGE - anseriformes 
FAMILY - anatidae 
GENUS - duck
SPECIES - mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Occurrence
The mallard duck belongs to the species with a very wide range of occurrence inhabiting a vast area of ​​the northern hemisphere. In Poland, the highest nesting sites are located in the Tatra Valley of the Five Polish Ponds.

Living environment
It lives in all kinds of aquatic environments, most often ponds and lakes with shores densely overgrown with aquatic vegetation and rushes. Avoids rivers with rapid currents and water basins poor in nutrients. It is a species that easily adapts to changing environmental conditions, and therefore can often be found in cities.

Characteristic
Smaller than a domestic duck. The weight of adult males is about 1.5 kg, wingspan up to 100 cm. Duck in mating plumage presents the head with the upper part of the neck in green and navy blue with a metallic sheen. The lower part of the neck, along with the goiter, is brown-chestnut with a distinct white ring. Dark black rump with characteristic tucked feathers. Gray-gray wings. The female is colored in rusty-brown tones with black and red spots and bands. Adult specimens change feathers completely after the breeding season, i.e. from the end of May to July. Thus, they lose their ability to fly for about one month. Then they look for safe places, the so-called moulting areas where sometimes large herds gather.

Lifestyle
It is a duck with a herd lifestyle. Only during the breeding season it lives in pairs. Mallard ducks resemble daytime activity, feeding intensively in the early morning and in the late evening hours until dusk. A characteristic feature is their high vigilance and caution. They usually rest in feeding places.

Nutrition
Mallard duck is omnivorous, able to get food almost anywhere (on the surface of the water, from under the water surface, from the surface of the soil, sifting mud with gills in its beak, or catching insects in flight). They eat plant food (both aquatic and terrestrial plants), animal food consists of invertebrates, fish and amphibians. Some individuals also eat garbage floating on the surface of the water.

Reproduction
A polygamous genre. Couples are formed at the turn of winter and spring. After arriving at the breeding grounds, couples use large areas where a given couple focuses in several places of activity and rest. Nests are made on the ground, among vegetation and in hollows, decayed willows or nesting boxes, and wicker baskets especially for ducks. They are lined with down, dry blades of grass and leaves. The incubation starts around March and usually lasts 28 days. Mallards breed one brood a year. They are typical nestlings, which means that the young chicks leave the nest after the first day after hatching and follow their mother foraging on their own. The young are able to fly after about two months and then they become independent.

Threat and protection
It is a very common species in the country. A natural threat to the mallard are predators such as red fox, martens, birds of prey, wandering dogs and cats and ... large fish in the case of young animals.

Common pheasant - Phasianus colchicus  

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - birds
RANGE - galliformes
FAMILY - phasianidae 
GENUS - pheasant
SPECIES - common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Occurrence
The original range of occurrence was in Asia, from the Caucasus to the Black Sea to Taiwan. There is noticeable variation in geographic terms, distinguishing four groups of subspecies. The first information about the occurrence of common pheasants in Poland comes from 1567 from Silesia. Initially, pheasants were kept only in farms called pheasants, the same was true in Pszczyna during the reign of the princes Promnitz, Anhalt and Hochberg von Pless. Currently, thanks to breeding and introducing individuals to the natural environment, it is a relatively common bird.

Living environment
This species is particularly fond of this species, the areas with mosaic-like habitats of fields, meadows and mid-field shelters-shelters, with planted shrubs and species of smaller trees with coppices. A very important condition for its existence in a given area is the availability of water sources.

Characteristic
The body length of males (cocks) varies between 75-90 cm, female (hens) 50-65 cm; wingspan 70-90 cm. There is a clear sexual dimorphism in the species. Both sexes have a long tail. The male is mainly rusty brown, covered with dark spots. The head is dark in color with a characteristic greenish-navy metallic sheen. The cheeks and eyebrow above the eye are very red. The female, in turn, is brown with gray tones, covered with dark spots.

Lifestyle

Nutrition
The pheasant is an omnivorous species with a varied menu. Depending on the season and the availability of food, they eat grass seeds, tubers, roots, tree and shrub buds, young leaves, shoots, fruit and seedlings. They will not despise animal food such as snails, arthropods, earthworms and small amphibians, reptiles, rodents and even carrion. Birds swallow pebbles and hard seeds. As a result, the food in the stomach is mechanically ground and they are also a source of micronutrients.

Reproduction
A polygamous genre. During the lek season (March-April), males are highly territorial and do not tolerate the presence of other cocks in their vicinity. Females choose places for their nests dispersed from each other, often outside the male's territory. These are small depressions in the field, poorly lined, most often established in dense herbaceous vegetation, among shrubs or in hedge plantings. In April and May, the female lays up to 14 eggs, of which the chicks will lay down after about 28 days of incubation. Pheasant belongs to the typical nestbirds, which means that the young leave the nest several hours after hatching. The offspring stay with their mother for up to about two months, after which they dissipate. They reach sexual maturity in the first year of life.

Threat and protection
The greatest threat to pheasants are predators, including wandering dogs and cats. Moreover, chicks are very sensitive to rain and cold.

Bażant złocisty - Chrysolophus pictus

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - birds
RANGE - galliformes
FAMILY - phasianidae 
GENUS - pheasant
SPECIES - gold pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)

Occurrence
It occurs naturally in central and southern mountainous regions of China. Literature reports that it was domesticated several centuries before our era, and around 1740 it was brought to the British Isles for decorative and breeding purposes, among others for gardens.

Living environment
Forest habitats with a mosaic of mid-forest glades and rocky hills covered with thick bushes and bamboo thickets. A very important condition for its existence in a given area is the availability of water sources.

Characteristic
The body length of an adult rooster is approx. 90-110 cm, and its tail is 60-70 cm. The male weighs a maximum of 1.5 kg. Females are much smaller and lighter, reaching approx. 64-67 cm in length and weighing up to 1 kg. Like other species, the golden pheasant is characterized by sexual dimorphism. The adult male has a bright yellow crest and a wide collar, orange with black stripes on his head. The underside of the body and breasts are red, the feathers on the back are green with a dark border. Wing covers are metallic blue, back and rump area yellow. Female (hen) modestly colored, brown-gray.

Lifestyle
The specimens rarely take off and run away on foot when startled. He is very secretive.

Nutrition
They eat mainly plant food of various types, and insects make their diet diversified. They will not despise the seasonal fruits of trees and shrubs.

Reproduction
The male striving for the female's favors raises his orange and black fringe, spreading it like a fan. In such an isolated corner, the hen lays 5-12 eggs. Their incubation period is 22-24 days.

Threat and protection
The greatest threat to pheasants are predators, including wandering dogs and cats. Moreover, chicks are very sensitive to rain and cold.

Silver pheasant - Lophura nycthemera

Systematics
KINGDOM - animal
TYPE - chordata 
GROUP - birds
RANGE - galliformes
FAMILY - phasianidae 
GENUS - pheasant
SPECIES - silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera)

Occurrence
The silver pheasant is native to Southeast Asia, China, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand. This species belongs to the large group of silver clusters, in which 15 subspecies can be distinguished. Unfortunately, it is difficult to assess their origin, because over the years various subspecies have been crossed and purebred specimens are extremely rare in present-day Polish breeding. The history of this genre dates back to ancient times and can be found in Chinese art and literature. They were mentioned as sacred birds to be worshiped. In European literature you can find references to them from the beginning of the 19th century.

Living environment
The natural habitat of silver clusters is mountain regions covered with rare trees, but dense undergrowth.

Characteristic
The males of the silver pheasant are very distinctive colored. The back, back of the neck, showy tail and wings are white. There is a black pattern on the wing tips on the wing and tail feathers. The underside of the body and the upper thighs are covered with black feathers with a metallic bluish sheen. There is a long black tuft on the head. Silver pheasants have prominent head appendages in the form of a strongly colored red mask and earrings. On the entire surface of the appendages there are short red appendages resembling antennae. The eyes are usually orange in color. The beak is white or ivory. The spikes are a little brighter than the appendages, but also red. The legs are strong, armed with long claws. Male pheasants in the reproductive period, wanting to look different from their rivals, change the size of the appendages and their color. Appendices swell and become even more blood red.

Lifestyle
They tolerate winter frost very well, creating numerous families. The specimens rarely take off and run away on foot when startled.

Nutrition
The natural food of the clusters are young shoots, insects, larvae, seeds and forest fruits, but also small reptiles and amphibians.

Reproduction
They nests in bushes or tall grass under old tree trunks, digging up a hole, lining it with small twigs and grass. Most often, the territory of one male is inhabited by 3-4 females. Chickens lay 12-16 light brown eggs, which are lightly spotted with white spots. After a 25-day incubation period, the young hatch, reared only by the female.

Threat and protection
The greatest threat to pheasants are predators, including wandering dogs and cats. Moreover, chicks are very sensitive to rain and cold.