Migratory birds flying freely under the wings of its guardians

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China.org.cn

Aug 16, 2024, 09:00 ET

BEIJING, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China:

The East Asian–Australasian Flyway is one of the world's busiest flyways, with tens of millions of birds migrating via this route every year. On this flyway, the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, boasting a diverse ecological system, has been an important resting habitat for the migratory birds.

Migratory birds flying freely under the wings of its guardians

These birds and their guardians have been the witness of what has unfolded here.

Two decades ago, the Oriental storks were rare to be seen in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, Shandong province. Oriental storks are peculiar about their living environments. To satisfy these storks, staff at the nature reserve considerately placed safe bowl-shaped crowns on the tips of utility poles, to attract the Oriental storks to build their nest there, since the birds tend to nest at high spots. While, what really got the Oriental storks to stay was the restoration of the wetlands. In recent years, 17 wetland restoration projects have been launched in Dongying, with the total restoration area covering about 300, 000 mu (over 49,400 acres). In the past, the total number of Oriental storks worldwide was less than 3,000, but now, more than 3,000 Oriental storks have already been born here at the nature. Such an ecological-friendly spectacle makes it hard to link Dongying with its nickname - "the city of petroleum."

Another hard-to-believe truth comes from Shanghai: This Metropolis with soaring land prices has set aside a "fairyland" for the migratory birds measuring more than 7,500 acres – the Chongming Dongtan Birds National Nature Reserve. Here, a special guardian for the birds, Jin Weiguo, can whistle in the pitches of dozens of bird species, dialoguing with them. He is special because he was once a bird captor. In 1998, the Chongming Dongtan Birds National Nature Reserve was founded, and since then invasive species have been eliminated and poaching cracked down upon. That's also when Jin Weiguo's whistling tricks became a great enabler in the scientific research and protection of birds. Jin also talked other former bird captors into joining the bird protection teams, and they have kept up the efforts for several decades. At present, 300 bird species have been recorded in the nature reserve; bird-watching festivals have been held for years, and the nature reserve has become a public education base for birds.

The traits of migratory birds mean every measure taken along their migratory routes determines the outcome of protection efforts. On the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, the spoon-billed sandpipers are the most endangered and hence, the rarest type of wader. They breed in Russia, rest and molt in China's Yellow-Sea and Bohai region, and spend the winter in Myanmar. In 2020, Yancheng in Jiangsu province set aside a 720-mu area in the polders nearest to the foraging area of migratory birds, offering the birds a perch at high tides, turning the area into a concentrated habitat for the spoon-billed sandpipers on their way south. In the meantime, China's bird scientific research teams have engaged in the investigation and protection work at the birds' breeding places and winter shelters in Russia and Myanmar.

Spring is gone but the flowers remain blooming, humans arrive yet birds stay singing. Scenes of harmony between humanity and nature are being painted at the nature reserves for birds.

After the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019, five nominated sites including Migratory Bird Habitats at Chongming Dongtan in Shanghai and Yellow River Estuary in Dongying were added to the list. The addition recognizes the ecological value of the "paradise for migratory birds," while reflecting the outcome of China's decades-long efforts in ecological restoration. Transformation, innovation, collaboration, as well as these natural treasures, are properties of all humanity.

Migratory birds are flying freely, because the guardianship keep them safe and well.

China Mosaic
http://chinamosaic.china.com.cn/index.htm
Migratory birds flying freely under the wings of its guardians
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2024-08/16/content_117371727.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn