JINAN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- In the stillness of a misty morning, veteran bird watcher Zhou Kaixu held his breath as he scanned the vast stretch of wetland from his vantage point in the watchtower. With his binoculars in hand, he eagerly participated in a bird-watching contest.
"Look, is that a red-breasted goose?" Zhou let out a cry of surprise. In the distance, a bird distinguished by dark brown head, neck, and white-spotted eyes and beak is foraging in the water among a flock of geese and ducks.
The red-breasted goose belongs to an internationally recognized endangered species. It was spotted for the first time a month ago at the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, located in Dongying City, east China's Shandong province. The bird, whose main breeding ground is in the Arctic tundra in northern Eurasia, is rarely spotted on the Chinese mainland.
By spotting the red-breasted goose, Zhou and his team won an award at the competition during the second Yellow River estuary international bird-watching season, which took place from Tuesday to Thursday. The first prize was awarded to another team that identified 118 species of birds within the premises of the reserve over a 36-hour period. The bird-watching season kicked off with the competition and will continue until January of next year.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the bird-watching season, Solene Le Doze, technical adviser at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said, "This is inspiring to admire the nature that surrounds us and to remind ourselves that it is only by protecting Nature, starting at the local level, with all relevant stakeholders, that we can achieve a sustainable future for us and generations to come."
Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve stretches for about 153,000 hectares, with wetlands making up more than 70 percent of its total area. It is an important wintering and stopover site for migratory birds. Of the nine major flyways around the globe, the East Asian-Australasian flyway and the West Pacific flyway pass through the reserve.
The number of bird species in the natural reserve has increased from 187 in 1992 to 374 today, making it a renowned "international airport for migratory birds" and a key area for their protection.
The rising number of wild birds in the reserve has become a boon for birdwatchers, who can even spot oriental storks and other wild birds from outside the reserve.
In July, at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, the "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II)" was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which recognizes the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve as a World Heritage site.
Speaking of the role played by the nature reserve on migratory bird protection, Jennifer George, chief executive of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, said it has a special significance for her as a New Zealander at the opening ceremony of the bird-watching season.
"Our bar-tailed godwit birds travel for eight continuous days relying that there will be food and place to rest for a few weeks before traveling on to Alaska to breed. So we in New Zealand were hugely excited in 2019 when we heard of the intention of China to nominate so many sites in Phase I along this precious coast," Jennifer George remarked, adding "And now Phase II is done! So many people in many countries on our Flyway celebrate with you."
Meanwhile, China's contribution to global nature conservation efforts was endorsed at the opening ceremony.
"China has contributed globally and nationally to the protection of Nature. China has already established over 11,000 protected natural areas, covering 18 percent of its total land area, and is striving to create the world's largest national park system by 2035," said Solene Le Doze.
"Unfortunately, global biodiversity loss is occurring at a faster rate than any time in history, with as many as one million species at risk of extinction, including birds," said Solene Le Doze.
She noted that habitat loss and degradation driven by human activities, compounded by the impacts of climate change, have placed approximately 1,400 bird species in the threatened category.
In June, China developed its first national-level conservation action plan with a specific focus on four migratory bird flyways across China. The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly released the China Action Plan on Migratory Bird Flyway Conservation and Restoration (2024-2030).
With the strengthening of cross-departmental cooperation and resource mobilization, significant progress will be made in the protection and restoration of migratory birds and their habitats, Solene Le Doze said. ■