A flock of 33 great bustards, a top-level protected species, was spotted at the Yellow River Wetland Reserve in Mengjin district of Luoyang city, Central China's Henan province, the largest flock ever recorded in recent years.
Despite a rapid global decline that has led to its disappearance from some countries in Europe and North Africa, the great bustard also classified as an endangered species in China has found a reliable haven. The species has been wintering at the Mengjin Yellow River Wetland Reserve for consecutive years, becoming a regular presence there.
The black stork, a first-level protected species in China, has also become a regular sight at the Mengjin Yellow River Wetland Reserve. So far, only about 200 black storks have been recorded in Henan, nearly half of which winter at this reserve, with 73 observed this year.
In recent years, Mengjin has stepped up efforts to protect and restore its ecological environment, with an increasing number of species wintering at the reserve as a result. To date, more than 150,000 birds representing 331 species have been recorded at the reserve, making it an important stopover and habitat on their migratory across route. (Chinese source: dahe.cn Translator: Yang Jiaxin Proofreader: Chen Xingjie and Zhao Hanqing)
