More birds winter in Yichang

By Shen Yuan, Yichang International Communication Studio

A total of 9969 waterbirds belonging to 38 species were recorded in Yuan'an Juhe Wetland Park and Zhijiang Jinhu Wetland Park from January 8 to 14, according to a survey of wintering waterbirds conducted by the Yichang Forestry and Parks Bureau. This total includes 220 birds from six nationally protected bird species.

The survey recorded 98 Chinese mergansers and 55 Baer’s pochards, both national first-level protected species. Baer’s pochards are a diving duck with a distinctive black head and neck with green gloss. The 55 spotted in Jinhu Wetland Park were three times the number observed during the previous winter.

Parks staff also recorded 37 tundra swans, 12 smews, 8 mandarin ducks and 10 baikal teal.

Forestry staff have identified four new habitats of Chinese mergansers in Yichang – the Zhijiang section of the Yangtze River, the Yidu section of the Yuyang River, Wufeng Baixihe Wetland Park and Changyang Qingjiang Wetland Park. "The increase in spots where Chinese mergansers winter indicates that the environment continues to improve," said Wu Yupu, an expert from Yichang Forestry and Parks Bureau.

Yichang is located on the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, near the Three Gorges Dam area and the ecologically sensitive area of the Yangtze River Basin. In recent years, it has become the wintering habitat of many birds.

Chinese mergansers and egrets in Yuan'an Juhe National Wetland Park. Photo by Shu Renqing

A falcon captures a Baer’s pochard in Zhijiang Jinhu National Wetland Park on January 8. Photo by Shu Renqing.

Baer’s pochards in Zhijiang Jinhu National Wetland Park