Xinhua News Agency, Xining, August 11 (Reporter Li Zhanyi) A black stork is sitting comfortably in a wetland in Maqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province.

From September 30, 2021 to August 8, 2022, after 312 days, it was born in the plateau from being injured and fell to the ground to soar, with a total distance of 4,181 kilometers from north to south, and is currently in good condition.

　　The black stork is an endangered rare bird in the world, and it is also a national first-class protected animal in my country.

In March 2021, the staff of Qinghai National Park Bird Watching Association observed and recorded two black storks during bird monitoring in the Huangshui River Basin.

　　"Two black storks have begun to lay eggs and hatch. We are very happy that four black storks hatched successfully in early May," said Wang Jianding, president of Qinghai National Park Bird Watching Association.

　　However, one evening in September 2021, a young black stork landed in the yard of a local villager during its flight.

The villagers took the initiative to contact the local forestry department and sent the black stork to the rescue center in time.

After a professional inspection, the black stork has no trauma and is not in serious health condition.

　　Baby birds that have been properly housed are gradually restored to health and released into nature.

On September 30, 2021, the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences put on a tracker for it.

　　Since then, this black stork born on the plateau has spread its wings to the blue sky again and began to explore the vast world.

　　In September 2021, the black stork flew south after its release, passing through Xining City, Guide County, Zeku County, Henan County, and Jiuzhi County in Qinghai Province, and arrived at Maqu County, Gannan Prefecture, Gansu Province on October 2.

At 16:00 on November 6, it arrived at its wintering habitat - somewhere in Myanmar.

In wintering habitats, black storks roost for more than 100 days.

　　On April 16, 2022, black storks began to migrate north from their wintering habitats in Myanmar to their breeding grounds, all the way from Yunnan to Tibet, and then to Batang County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

At 12:00 on May 7, the research team found that the black stork had returned to Qinghai Province. After a short stay, it finally settled in a wetland in Maqu County, Gannan Prefecture.

　　The researchers said that this wetland is one of the migratory stops and habitats of the black-necked cranes, a national first-class protected animal in my country, and speculated that this area may be the habitat of black storks.

　　After spring, summer, autumn and winter, the black stork soars freely, and every trajectory it leaves is clearly recorded on the trajectory and location diagrams made by the staff.

　　"The installation of trackers to monitor activity trajectories and migration routes in real time plays a crucial role in the protection of black storks," said Zhang Tongzuo, a researcher at the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The annual migration route of the black stork reveals the black stork's migration time, spring and autumn breeding and migration strategies, etc., and conducts in-depth research on the black stork's migration law, population dynamics, ecological habits, habitat and resting place selection preferences and other issues.

　　"We look forward to more distant news from this black stork, which will make more contributions to the protection and management of rare and endangered species such as black stork in the country." Zhang Tongzuo said.

　　"In recent years, with the continuous improvement of Qinghai's ecological environment, the species and number of migratory birds have continued to increase, and more and more birds have settled in Qinghai," said Zhang Yu, director of the Wildlife Protection Division of Qinghai Forestry and Grassland Bureau.