Forestry

The Yellow River Estuary Wetland is an important "transfer station", wintering ground and breeding ground across the two migration lines of "East Asia-Australasia" and "Pacific Rim", and is called "Bird International Airport". A flock of swans gather in the snow, just like a fairy falling into the dust. (photo by Sun Jinsong)

This is where the mother river flows into the sea, where the river meets the sea. Yellow and blue embrace each other and the sea changes. There are lush fields, hundreds of rivers race and thousands of birds gather here. This is the wetland in the Yellow River Delta. In this land of 153000 hectares, vitality and poetry are everywhere.

The Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, located on both sides of the Yellow River estuary, is one of the most widely distributed and well-preserved wetland ecosystems in the warm temperate zone of China. Its unique natural conditions provide an ideal growth environment for birds, and it is an important "transit station", wintering ground and breeding ground across the two migration routes of "East Asia-Australasia" and "West Pacific Coast", so it is called "Bird International Airport".

There are abundant bird resources and many rare and endangered birds here. At present, there are 37/kloc-0 species of birds, including 25 species under national first-class protection and 65 species under national second-class protection. The number of 38 species of birds exceeds 1% of the global total, and it is the southernmost border of the world's largest breeding ground for oriental storks, the second largest breeding ground for black-billed gulls, the second largest wintering ground for white cranes and the wild breeding of red-crowned cranes in China.

In 2005, the oriental stork, a national first-class protected bird, naturally propagated in nature reserves for the first time. By 202 1, 324 chicks were breeding in 120 nests, with a total of 2278 birds.

In 20 13, the black-billed gull, a national first-class protected bird, began to breed in the nature reserve. There were 2278 chicks and 324 chicks in the nest of 202 120.

In March 2020, flamingos were newly discovered in nature reserves; From June 5438 to February 2020, the white pelican was discovered; In August of 20021year, the spoonbill snipe was found again.

The Yellow River Delta is born of the river and the sea. All kinds of waterfowl and woodbirds can be watched and photographed all year round.

Spring and autumn are the most lively and beautiful seasons in the Yellow River Delta. Birds that migrate from the south to the north and fly back must transit here to rest and replenish their strength. At this time, most of them are waterfowl, ducks, geese, swans and various cranes cover the sky in the wetland and dance in the Yellow River estuary.

Summer is the breeding season for resident birds here, mostly forest birds, such as Chinese finch and Sinian crow. In recent years, beautiful blue jadeite has been discovered and become the favorite of birdwatchers and photographers.

In winter, birds with swans, gray cranes, wild ducks and geese as the main force dance in the snowy Yellow River estuary wetland, showing infinite vitality.

With the continuous improvement of the ecology of the Yellow River Delta, the oriental stork, known as the bird of Dongying City, has also changed from a migratory bird to a resident bird. Oriental storks can be seen all year round in the Yellow River Estuary, and their activities have expanded from protected areas to Shengli oilfield production areas, becoming new partners that local people love and care for in every way.

(Author Sun Jinsong Editor Wang Qiang)