Wuhan wetland in central China leaves rice unharvested to feed migratory birds

(ECNS) -- About 40 mu (6.6 acres) of rice in Anshan National Wetland Park in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, will be left unharvested to feed migratory birds that winter in the area.

In late autumn, the designated rice fields on Malongzui Peninsula in Shehu village display a mix of green and golden hues. The peninsula juts into a lake like a wedge and lies within the national wetland park.

Dong Pingping, the Communist Party secretary of Shehu village, said the Jiangxia District Garden and Forestry Bureau purchased the rice fields at market prices.

“I've set aside 40 mu of rice fields for the birds. It's a way to protect them, and it also saves me some labor and machinery costs,” said Ge Yingtang, a local large-scale grain grower.

Li Jiayuan, who works at Anshan National Wetland Park in Wuhan, said the rice fields provide food for species including swans, geese and mallards, while the relatively undisturbed location offers a safe foraging ground.

Covering about 1,215 hectares (about 3,000 acres), Anshan National Wetland Park is an important wintering ground and stopover along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

(By Gong Weiwei)