Guest lecture by ornithologist Berdikul Bekzhan Talgatuly for students of ЕP «Tourism»

On September 16, 2025, Berdikul Bekzhan Talgatuly, Acting Head of the Laboratory of Ornithology and Herpetology at the Institute of Zoology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, gave a guest lecture. He delivered a lecture on «Studying birds as part of zoophenological observations» to students of the educational program «Tourism» of groups 231 (4) and 241(3) (lecturer, Ph.D. Faizullina G.Sh.) in the framework of the discipline «Local History and Museology».

The students learned modern monitoring methods: first of all, GPS/GSM tracking (using the example of observations of brown pigeons and other species), then classical banding and a color tagging program (colored rings) for rapid recognition and the involvement of civil science. A separate section considers genetic studies and isotopic analysis of feathers, which make it possible to clarify the origin and migration routes. Urban bird communities were also discussed: why local sparrows disappeared and how this is related to urbanization.

Bekzhan Talgatuly recommended that students and all interested parties participate in specialized competitions, festivals and citizen-science initiatives (including BerdFest on the Ili River) for the practical development of ornithological methods. In addition, volunteer shifts are organized to account for birds at the Shakpak ornithological station (migration monitoring, banding, field training). He also invited me to take excursions in the autumn and spring period for a deeper understanding of the possibilities of developing eco-tourism in Kazakhstan. He noted that only close cooperation between scientists and representatives of the tourism industry can lead to significant results. For independent practice and participation in civil science, students were recommended the following resources: kz.birding.day, ebird.org, inaturalist.com where you can see the birds of Kazakhstan and the world in more detail, and, more importantly, participate in the study of the animal world yourself and, perhaps, contribute to the study of its diversity.