Endangered Chinese mergansers sighted in Yichang nature reserve
2024-01-18 20:01:00
The endangered Chinese merganser was spotted again in Yichang’s Houhe National Nature Reserve, marking the sixth consecutive winter the birds have been seen in the area.
The Chinese merganser, also known as the scaly-sided merganser, has a long, wispy crest on its head and scaly black feathers on its flanks. With only less than 3,000 remaining globally, these birds are a protected species in China.
The Chinese merganser, also known as the scaly-sided merganser, has a long, wispy crest on its head and scaly black feathers on its flanks. With only less than 3,000 remaining globally, these birds are a protected species in China.
Yichang's environmental commitment has turned the reserve into a biodiversity hotspot, featuring 3307 plant species (76 under nationally protection), and 417 vertebrate species (66 under national protection). The number of different migratory bird species known to spend winter here has increased in recent years.
Photo by Xiang Mingxi, Zu Yu.
