Rare migratory birds flock to Poyang Lake for winter

(ECNS) — Rare migratory birds including oriental white storks, gray cranes, Eurasian spoonbills and white-fronted geese have arrived for the winter at China's Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi province, reserve authorities said Wednesday.

The reserve has recorded more than 10 first-class nationally protected oriental white storks, 100 second-class nationally protected gray cranes and more than 600 Eurasian spoonbills. Large numbers of other waterbirds have also been observed, including green-winged teals, pied avocets and black-tailed godwits.

Abundant food resources across the Poyang Lake wetlands have created favorable conditions for roosting and foraging for southward-migrating birds. Waterbirds are seen feeding and resting in shallow waterfront areas, while flocks wander leisurely across mudflats or glide and hover at low altitudes over the lake.

Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, serves as a critical wintering site for migratory birds in Asia. Tens of thousands of migratory birds spend the winter here annually, accounting for more than 98% of the global Siberian crane population, more than 70% of white-naped cranes and more than 60% of swan geese worldwide.

(By Zhang Dongfang)