Birds of Prirodnyy park "Dolina reki Shodni v Kurkino"

In the seventeenth century, the Vorotynsky princes established an estate beside the Shodnya and built a stone church dedicated to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God; the church dates from 1672–1678. The estate became a country residence from which nobles set out to hunt, including by falconry. In 1906, Sergey Zakharin rented fields and meadows around his family’s dacha from the peasant community for twelve years, paying the full sum in advance. The peasants kept the right to plough and mow, while the agreement prohibited opening taverns and commercial premises, building warehouses and dumping waste. In the 1980s, researchers surveyed the area ahead of a planned experimental housing development and were struck by the abundance of plants and animals rare in Moscow. In 1985, the area around the Shodnya and its tributaries received protected status.

Eighty-one bird species nest in the valley; those named include the nightingale, tree pipit, white-backed woodpecker and Eurasian golden oriole. The honey buzzard and barred warbler are identified as rare local species. Birds recorded nearby include the white wagtail, common chaffinch and European goldfinch.