The Yellow River estuary has become a paradise for birds over the
past three years where over 20 rare species have been spotted by
experts. This is due in part to the Yellow River basin remaining
water-filled since the unified Yellow River water resources project
began in 1999.
With the summer coming and the water and vegetation resources of
the Yellow River estuary abundant, the area has something of a
paradise for birds. However, what is unusual this year is that
black storks, under first-level state protection, have been seen in
the area for the first time this year, along with snow geese and
white cranes who are returning after a very long absence.
According to sources from the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve
Administration in Dongying City, east China's Shandong
Province, over 20 rare bird species have appeared at the
estuary over the past three years since the state reinforced water
controlling along the Yellow River valley to stop the river from
drying out.
The Yellow River Delta has China's most completely preserved
wetland eco-system, covering 153,000 hectares. Being a "transfer
station" for Asian birds during migration, the area has 256 bird
species with a total of 4 million birds perched all year round.
From the 1970s, the Yellow River estuary suffered from an increased
worsening of its eco-environment with fresh water wetlands
decreasing and saline wetland enlarging. This was due to successive
years of natural droughts along the Yellow River valley. The worst
effect was on bird species structure which changed dramatically
with some rare birds disappearing from the estuary all
together.
Relevant water resource authorities, especially the Yellow River
Water Resource Committee, implemented unified controlling of water
resources of Yellow River in 1999. Up to now, the whole river basin
has not been allowed to run dry for three consecutive years.
The flowing river seems to be a prime living area for birds. Around
the Yellow River estuary, there are vast stretches of reeds, where
clear sea water pours into terrestrial furrows; birds footprints
can be seen everywhere on beaches; flocks of red-crowned cranes
walk leisurely or hunt for food on lower beaches further away,
while some of them just flutter in a refreshing breeze.
"It was the three consecutive years' water flow that enlarged the
freshwater wetland and shrunk the saline wetland area in the lower
reaches of the Yellow River, which has improved the local
eco-environment gradually," said Lu Juanzhang, head of the
scientific research station of the Yellow River Delta Nature
Reserve Administration.
Although some birds have disappeared for many years such as the
snow goose and white crane, the good news is that they have now
begun to reappear at the estuary over the past three years, with
some birds, which have never been seen there such as the black
stork, have made it their home. According to observational
statistics, the bird species structure of the estuary has been
added to with over 20 extra species having arrived in the past
three years.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, May 14, 2003)