Across China: Improved environment makes Beijing ideal habitat for migratory birds

Herons rest at the Beijing Wild Duck Lake Wetland in Yanqing District, Beijing, April 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

On the outskirts of Beijing, there's an ideal habitat for migratory birds.

With a camera on his shoulder and a telescope in his hands, Fang Chun wanders around a wetland reserve in Beijing and observes numerous kinds of migratory birds attentively.

Because of his love for birds, Fang, a former gym teacher, has worked as a bird observer and protector at the Beijing Wild Duck Lake Wetland in the city's suburban Yanqing District since 2005.

He has traveled almost every inch of the area over the years. As a result of his constant observation, Fang has cultivated an ability to make discerning judgments about birds even at a glance from afar.

To help migratory birds in the area get through the severe weather, Fang and his colleagues prepare corn and sorghum every year.

A black-headed gull flies at the Beijing Wild Duck Lake Wetland in Yanqing District, Beijing, April 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

Since the environment has improved and the weather heats up, an increasing number of birds make a short stay at the wetland in Beijing. In late February, whooper swans, grey cranes, bean geese and other migratory birds were observed at the wetland, with the number of grey cranes exceeding 1,000.

As of April 1, more than 1.4 million migratory birds, including many rare species, were spotted in the city's 88 observation stations.

Migratory birds have rested in a wider range of places in the city in recent years, with more birds that did not frequent the capital, such as black storks and white-tailed eagles, spotted in the past two years, according to Zhang Zhiming, an official with the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau.

A heron flies at the Beijing Wild Duck Lake Wetland in Yanqing District, Beijing, April 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

"Beijing has seen its ecological environment improved year by year, which contributed to the jump in the number of migratory birds passing through the capital," Zhang said.

Beijing added about 18,667 hectares of forests and greenbelts, and 803 hectares of urban green space in 2019 as part of its afforestation efforts, bringing the city's forest coverage rate to 44 percent.

Red-crested pochards fly at the Beijing Wild Duck Lake Wetland in Yanqing District, Beijing, April 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

According to Gao Wu, an associate professor from the Capital Normal University, birds are an important index to measure the biodiversity, integrity and eco-quality of an area. An ideal ecological environment is a necessary factor for most migratory birds, including rare species, to choose it as a stopover destination.

The city will continue to strengthen the monitoring of wildlife, such as through increasing daily inspections, expanding the inspecting areas and focusing on key areas of birds' activities.

"Besides routine patrols, we have also introduced drones to prevent illegal hunting and poaching and damage to wildlife habitats so as to provide a safe and sound environment for migratory birds during their stopover in Beijing," Zhang said.