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Migrant birds at Dongtan
February 14, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
THE unique location has turned the reserve into a "living" natural environment. Ma is happy that it is "young and growing," which is rare for a location like this.
Since the reserve is situated on the very east part of Chongming Island, where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea, sediment carried by the Yangtze River allows Dongtan Wetland to continue its growth with the interaction of tide and brackish water. The area's natural resources enable it to serve as a "gas station" for migrant birds to "refuel" on their continuing journey south or to stop and spend winter.
Here are some of the migrant birds observed at Dongtan.
Hooded crane
The hooded crane is a bird species native to southeast Russia and northeast China. They spend their winter in Japan, the Korean Peninsula and around the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
At present, there are only around 10,000 hooded cranes in the world, 90 percent of which spend winter in Japan.
About 1,000 hooded cranes spend winter in China. Each year, Dongtan Wetland hosts around 110. Normally, they will arrive within the period between late October and the end of March, and they will linger in Chongming for 10 days.
Black-faced spoonbill
As its name implies, the black-faced spoonbill has a long, flat black bill, forming a striking contrast with the white of its body.
Confined to the coastal areas of eastern Asia, it was once common throughout its area of distribution. Currently, it has a niche existence on only a few islands off the coast of North Korea, with three major wintering sites in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Since it looks graceful while walking, searching for food and flying, it is nicknamed "Black-face Dancer" in Taiwan.
The endangered species totaled only 294 in the world in the early 1990s. Today, with continuous efforts to conserve the species, the number has risen to 2,000.
The best times to view the bird at Dongtan are from April to May and in October. The highest number of this species migrating to Chongming so far is 62.
Whistling swan
Dongtan used to be the whistling swan's major wintering site in the 1980s, hitting the peak of 3,500. Due to interference by human activities, it underwent a huge decline, reducing the number to the several tens that stop in Chongming in winter today.
Migrating from North China to Chongming in October, they leave in March.
The species breed in North Europe and North Asia with wintering sites in Europe, China and Japan.
Great knot
The great knot forms enormous flocks in winter. They are strongly migratory, wintering on coasts in southern Asia to Australia, in numbers totaling 400,000 annually.
April is the high season for these birds to fly across the west Pacific Ocean to reach Chongming. Sometimes, visitors can see hundreds of the birds resting at Dongtan.
Since the reserve is situated on the very east part of Chongming Island, where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea, sediment carried by the Yangtze River allows Dongtan Wetland to continue its growth with the interaction of tide and brackish water. The area's natural resources enable it to serve as a "gas station" for migrant birds to "refuel" on their continuing journey south or to stop and spend winter.
Here are some of the migrant birds observed at Dongtan.
Hooded crane
The hooded crane is a bird species native to southeast Russia and northeast China. They spend their winter in Japan, the Korean Peninsula and around the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
At present, there are only around 10,000 hooded cranes in the world, 90 percent of which spend winter in Japan.
About 1,000 hooded cranes spend winter in China. Each year, Dongtan Wetland hosts around 110. Normally, they will arrive within the period between late October and the end of March, and they will linger in Chongming for 10 days.
Black-faced spoonbill
As its name implies, the black-faced spoonbill has a long, flat black bill, forming a striking contrast with the white of its body.
Confined to the coastal areas of eastern Asia, it was once common throughout its area of distribution. Currently, it has a niche existence on only a few islands off the coast of North Korea, with three major wintering sites in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Since it looks graceful while walking, searching for food and flying, it is nicknamed "Black-face Dancer" in Taiwan.
The endangered species totaled only 294 in the world in the early 1990s. Today, with continuous efforts to conserve the species, the number has risen to 2,000.
The best times to view the bird at Dongtan are from April to May and in October. The highest number of this species migrating to Chongming so far is 62.
Whistling swan
Dongtan used to be the whistling swan's major wintering site in the 1980s, hitting the peak of 3,500. Due to interference by human activities, it underwent a huge decline, reducing the number to the several tens that stop in Chongming in winter today.
Migrating from North China to Chongming in October, they leave in March.
The species breed in North Europe and North Asia with wintering sites in Europe, China and Japan.
Great knot
The great knot forms enormous flocks in winter. They are strongly migratory, wintering on coasts in southern Asia to Australia, in numbers totaling 400,000 annually.
April is the high season for these birds to fly across the west Pacific Ocean to reach Chongming. Sometimes, visitors can see hundreds of the birds resting at Dongtan.
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