China News Service, Yinchuan, March 13th Telegram: Exploring the "Ecological Code" of the "Station" of Ningxia Migrant Birds
Chinanews reporter Yu Jing
When the river opens in spring, thousands of gray cranes gather in the wetlands on the banks of the Yellow River in Hongyazi Township, Pingluo County, Shizuishan City, Ningxia.
On March 13, the reporter followed the monitoring personnel of the Ningxia Wetland Conservation and Management Center to walk into the Yellow River Wetland to experience the harmonious nature of the "transit station" for migratory birds in Ningxia.
Hongyazi Township, located on the banks of the Yellow River, has become a fixed "stop" for migratory birds on their way. Every spring and autumn, there are tens of thousands of migratory birds with more than ten species, including white swans, geese, grey cranes and other countries. First- and second-level key protected animals.
The monitoring staff of the Ningxia Wetland Conservation and Management Center told reporters that according to statistics, there are currently less than 20,000 gray cranes in the world, and from October to April of the following year, more than 5,000 gray cranes travel long distances to meet each other. Luohuanghe wetlands overwinter, accounting for a quarter of the world's total.
The Yellow River Wetland in Ningxia, as a migratory and breeding ground for birds in western China and East Asia-Australia, has become an important resting and feeding ground for wild birds.
Millions of migratory birds transit here every year.
Li Zhijun, president of the Ningxia Bird Watching Association, told reporters that in recent years, the number of many bird flocks in Ningxia has been increasing, such as white-rumped sandpipers and black-tailed godwits. The Yellow River Wetland, Wuzhong Yellow River Wetland and Yuehai Wetland Park have monitored the continuous migration of 100 to 150 larger clusters.
Wild waterfowl is an important indicator organism for monitoring wetland ecological environment.
In recent years, the continuous improvement of the Yellow River wetland environment in Ningxia has won the favor of more and more migratory birds.
White-tailed sea eagles, grey cranes, bean geese, and grey geese choose to stop in Ningxia on their migration routes, and even stay for the winter; summer migratory birds such as spot-billed ducks and red hemp ducks also stay on both sides of the Yellow River in Ningxia in autumn and winter, becoming "regular visitors" and no longer move south.
At present, more than 320 species of birds have chosen to settle down and reproduce in Ningxia.
Ningxia Qingtongxia Reservoir Wetland Nature Reserve, located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, is the largest natural ecological wetland in Ningxia.
"Herons and egrets used to be considered migratory birds here, but now they are also camping in the reeds in winter," said Li Huimin, deputy director of the Wetland Protection and Construction Administration of the Qingtongxia Reservoir Area in Ningxia.
The disturbance of human activities in the reserve has been reduced year by year, the ecological environment has become better and better, more and more migratory birds have become "resident birds", and the number of bird habitats has also increased significantly. kind.
Ningxia established the Qingtongxia Reservoir Wetland Nature Reserve in 2002, and then established the Qingtongxia Reservoir Wetland Protection and Construction Bureau.
For more than ten years, the reserve has recovered arable land, fish ponds, and pastoral areas, demolished temporary human dwellings and breeding facilities, and recovered more than 120,000 mu of wetlands to restore its natural state through compensation.
At the same time, the reserve has also carried out the restoration and construction of bird food sources to enrich the diversity of bird food.
The Qingtongxia Reservoir Wetland Reserve is just a microcosm of the many wetlands in Ningxia. In order to create a better living environment for birds, Ningxia actively promotes wetland protection, restoration and management, and effectively improves the quality of the wetland ecological environment.
At present, the wetland area of Ningxia is 3.11 million mu, and the wetland protection rate is 55%. A total of 30 wetland-type nature reserves have been established.
The ecological protection of Ningxia wetlands has become increasingly effective, and a variety of rare birds frequently appear in groups.
Many photographers were moved by the peaceful, harmonious, natural and vivid images of “Wan Class Frost and Sky Free”, and they picked up their mobile phones or cameras to take pictures of the beautiful scenery here, and at the same time, they also fixed the picture of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
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