138 endangered stork chicks hatch as China, Russia strengthen cross-border protection

(ECNS) -- Honghe National Nature Reserve in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province has bred 138 healthy Oriental white stork chicks this year, as China and Russia strengthen cross-border protection for the endangered migratory bird, the reserve said Thursday.

The reserve recorded 106 breeding pairs this year. The Oriental white stork is under first-class national protection in China and is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)Red List of Threatened Species.

The reserve said global warming and localized spring drought reduced nesting and hatching rates in some areas compared with previous years.

Representatives from 13 national nature reserves across five Chinese provinces and three regions in Russia’s Far East recently signed a cooperation agreement covering breeding grounds, migratory stopover sites and wintering areas. Honghe has built 443 artificial nests and bred 2,997 chicks over the past 33 years.

(By Intern Yang Hongran, Zhang Dongfang)