The Hunan Forestry Department announced that, the water birds spending their winter in East Dongting Lake increased by 23% over last year, according to the recent survey.
The survey was jointly launched by the Hunan East Dongting Lake National Natural Reserve, West Dongting Lake National Natural Reserve, Hengling Lake Provincial Reserve, the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Institute of Agriculture, CAS Institute of Zoology, Hunan University, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Nine survey groups were sent to collect data in East Dongting Lake and its surrounding waters, Hengling Lake, South Dongting Lake, and West Dongting Lake.
The survey shows that, there are 226,352 water birds of 54 genera of 12 families of 6 orders overwintering in Dongting Lake, up 23%, an increase of 42,399 than last year .The taiga bean gooses accounts for the most, totaling 50,778.
There are 11,412 birds of 10 genera under state key protection, including 224 white cranes, white-head cranes, oriental white storks, and black storks under first-class state protection. Two critically endangered Aythya baeris and 119 white cranes were observed.
The birds overwintering in East Dongting Lake are the most among all areas of the Lake.
The photo taken on December 2, 2017, shows a large number of pied avocets seek food in Haohe River, Junshan District, Yueyang. (Photo/Xu Dianbo)
Translator: Pang Yuehui