Hydropower plant alters plans to save bird habitat
Print Edition
A HYDROPOWER plant in southwest China鈥檚 Yunnan Province changed its water discharge plan to protect the brooding habitat for River Terns, a type of protected bird in China.
The Hulukou hydropower plant on the Dayingjiang River, an upstream tributary of the Irrawaddy River, started to discharge water from March 26 to April 1 to make room for maintenance and repair. Four days before it began discharging water, nature photographer Cun Zhiyong got worried. The discharge was estimated to be 3 million cubic meters, which was to substantially elevate the water level.
鈥淭his means that the brood habitats of River Terns might become flooded,鈥 said Cun, 58.
The River Tern, mainly found along inland rivers in India, Myanmar and Thailand, has seen drastic population decline in Southeast Asia. Listed under second-grade state protection in China, the birds mainly breed along the Dayingjiang River in Yingjiang County on the China-Myanmar border.
In 2014, 13 River Terns were spotted in Yingjiang but only five were observed in 2018. Last month, an investigation team sent by the county government and the Kadoorie Conservation China recorded seven birds and found a breeding nest.
鈥淩iver Terns have beautiful posture, and they fly pretty fast. When I started bird photography, I improved my skills by following and taking pictures of the River Terns,鈥 said Cun.
The River Terns breed from March to May every year and often nest on bare rocks or sandbanks in rivers. The sudden rise of river water levels or other disturbances including harvesting of the eggs and destruction of the nests by humans and domestic animals threaten its incubation.
鈥淚t will be a great loss if its population continues to decline,鈥 said Cun, who shared the warning in a WeChat message.
His message caught the attention of Yang Zhenghua, deputy director of the Bureau of Forestry and Grassland of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture which administers Yingjiang.
Yang then arranged for officials to contact the Hulukou hydropower plant, and he personally followed the issue.
Nature reserve workers were sent to monitor the water level around three bird nests and kept human and domestic animals away from the nests.
The water release plan was changed to make sure that the water level is below the nests and the incubation is undisturbed.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
