XINING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Qinghai Province has integrated the concept of biodiversity protection into the construction of the power grid in recent years, installing bird nests on the electricity transmission poles and towers to provide safe, comfortable and stable home for birds.
Dubbed "the water tower of China," Qinghai is home to the Sanjiangyuan area where the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers originate. It is also one of the regions with the richest distribution of rare and endangered wild animals and plants in the country.
The Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve is rich in rivers, species and aquatic plants. Relying on ecological advantages, it has become a paradise for migratory birds to roost, reproduce and migrate.
The State Grid Qinghai Electric Power Company launched a project to build nests on electricity transmission towers for birds in the Sanjiangyuan area in 2016. Since then, the company has installed a total of 5,018 artificial bird nests, 16 eagle perches, and successfully led birds to build more than 2,300 nests.
"We have installed 12 cameras in the Longbao National Nature Reserve and four cameras in the Jiatang Grassland area, which can record the process of birds nesting, breeding, and feeding young birds, among others," said a maintenance personnel with State Grid Yushu power supply company. "Through big data and internet technology, we can realize real-time online monitoring, collection and analysis of bird activity data." ■