Oriental white stork, the "national treasure of the bird world", was detected in Qinghai Lake for the first time

　　China News Service, Xining, March 30 (Reporter Li Jiangning) On the 30th, the reporter learned from the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Administration that the bureau recently observed an Oriental white stork during spring migration monitoring of waterbirds. Literature and historical data were compiled and it was found that this bird is a new record of birds in Qinghai Lake. There are 102 species of waterbirds in Qinghai Lake.

　　As an internationally important wetland, Qinghai Lake is not only an important water body that maintains ecological security in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and a natural barrier that controls the spread of desertification in the west to the east. It is also the intersection of two migratory bird migration routes in Central Asia and East Asia. The breeding ground with the largest population and the most concentrated population.

On March 27, Oriental white storks were on the shores of Qinghai Lake. (Photo courtesy of Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Administration)

　　The Oriental white stork is a bird of the genus Stork in the order Storkidae. It is classified as Endangered (EN) in the "Red List of Endangered Species" of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also included in China's national first-level protected wildlife list. Known as the "National Treasure of the Bird World".

　　The reporter learned that the bird was found in the Ganzi River wetland near Qinghai Lake, surrounded by great egrets, red shelducks and other water birds.

　　"The Oriental white stork is a rare traveling bird. The appearance of the Oriental white stork in Qinghai Lake fully demonstrates that the ecological environment of Qinghai Lake is continuing to improve." Sun Jianqing, deputy director of the Natural Resources Asset Management Division of the Qinghai Lake Scenic Area Protection and Utilization Administration, said, The Oriental White Stork's habitat is shallow water areas or paddy fields on the edges of lakes, reservoirs, ponds, etc. It mainly feeds on small fish, frogs, insects, etc. It has extremely strict requirements on the living environment. Only wetland areas with abundant food, abundant water resources and good ecological environment can become its habitat.

　　As a world-famous biodiversity-rich area, years of protection have resulted in the continuous improvement of the Qinghai Lake wetland ecological environment and wildlife habitat environment, and the overall ecological function has continued to increase. (over)