Black-necked cranes spend winter in southwest China nature reserve

Black-necked cranes are pictured at the Yunnan Dashanbao National Nature Reserve for Black-necked Cranes in Zhaotong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Wu Taiping/Xinhua)

KUNMING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,800 migratory black-necked cranes were spotted at the Yunnan Dashanbao National Nature Reserve for Black-necked Cranes in southwest China's Yunnan Province as they arrived to overwinter, the nature reserve has said.

A total of 1,873 black-necked cranes, a species under first-class national protection, had arrived to overwinter at the nature reserve by Thursday. The rare cranes began wintering at the reserve on Oct. 31 this year, according to Wu Taiping, an engineer at the nature reserve's management and protection bureau.

A peak number of 2,260 cranes was recorded on Nov. 27, the highest number since the reserve was established in 1990. Some cranes have flown to other areas to overwinter, using the reserve as a kind of transfer station, Wu said.

The reserve, located in Zhaoyang District of Zhaotong City, is the most significant wintering habitat and transfer station for migratory black-necked cranes on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

Continuous efforts have been made to intensify monitoring, epidemic prevention and control, and emergency rescue work to protect the wintering habitat for the cranes and other wild animals.

Over the past three years, an average of more than 1,500 black-necked cranes have been spotted wintering in the reserve, and numbers and categories of other migratory birds are on the rise thanks to local conservation efforts. 

Black-necked cranes are pictured at the Yunnan Dashanbao National Nature Reserve for Black-necked Cranes in Zhaotong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 18, 2022.(Photo by Wu Taiping/Xinhua)

Black-necked cranes are pictured at the Yunnan Dashanbao National Nature Reserve for Black-necked Cranes in Zhaotong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 17, 2022.(Photo by Wu Taiping/Xinhua)