ИСТИНА

Russian atlas is a part of EBCC European atlas project. It is a first real attempt to cover (almost) the entire territory of European part of Russia (c. 1850 squares 50 on 50 kms). Now, in the time between the end of the field work and publication of the final data in Russian volume as well as in EBCC European bird atlas planning at 2020, we can estimate the very first scientific and practical results of this huge affair. More than 1550 squares were covered by surveys, so we will have a rather full impression of real modern distribution of more than 400 bird species on Russian territory. It will be a good addition to the whole European picture and also a first so detailed picture for birds of European part of Russia. Scientific results of bird atlases are well-known, they help us to understand habitat and landscape preferences of birds, to estimate dynamic of their ranges, they provide data for biogeographical analysis and are urgently necessary for planning of bird protection projects. It was also important to examine the possibility of wide cooperation between ornithologists and volunteers from abundant regions of European part of Russia, the possibility of establishing of a really functioning ornithologist network and of forming a basis for future projects of European or even entire Russia, first of all bird monitoring projects. This experience in atlas work and in other activities connected with this project gave us a lot of material for discussion about place and role of volunteers in different scientific projects as well as ideas about ways of cooperation between ornithologists and volunteers in different regions of Russia.