Decade of migratory bird conservation progress in Hunan

A bird flies around flowers in Hengyang City, central China's Hunan Province, on March 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Cao Zhengping)

CHANGSHA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Huang Yongqiang, a forest ranger in Chenzhou City, central China's Hunan Province, has always done much more than guard the green mountains. He is always extra vigilant when flocks of birds migrate southward every year.

The dense forests that Huang is so familiar with are part of the ancient migration routes of birds. From September to December annually, more than 240 species of migratory birds fly from Siberia to Australia via Hunan.

The migratory season of birds had also become the time when poachers ventured deep into the wilderness and killed hundreds of birds every year.

"In those days when the night came, it was as if the mountains were lit up, especially during rainy and foggy days," said Huang. Bird hunters used flames or LED lights to attract birds and a large net was set up to capture the confused creatures, he added.

In the Luoxiao Mountains, traces of bird hunting could be easily found.

Some densely vegetated hills were topped with exposed sandstone, indicating that bird hunters had lit fires and built nets there. Halfway up the mountains, a number of small caves made by humans could be seen. Known to locals as "birding holes," these caves were dug by poachers needing shelter from the rain.

In 2012, local governments vowed to jointly crack down on the rampant poaching. In Chenzhou's Yanling County, a migratory birds' protection station was set up -- the first of its kind in the county -- said Chen Yilong, a local official. Six staff members worked in shifts around the clock every day, said Chen.

Chen added that Xiacun Township alone had hired 30 full-time bird rangers and that hundreds of villagers had volunteered to protect the birds.

Across the province, dozens of protection stations were set up in 11 counties including Yanling, with high-tech measures to monitor the birds, while forest rangers routinely went out on patrol in the mountains.

A series of activities were held in public spaces and at schools, in order to publicize the importance of protecting birds. Many former bird hunters also joined the campaign and worked as tour guides for volunteers and research teams, as the former hunters knew the mountains and habits of migratory birds very well.

"Large-scale and organized bird hunting has been efficiently curbed," said Wang Caiping of the forestry bureau of Yanling.

In recent years, the priorities of Huang's job have shifted to collecting ecological data and treating injured birds. He said this change reflected the significant progress made in bird conservation over the past decade.

"It is really spectacular to see hundreds of birds flying overhead during the migration season," Huang said. "I guard not only the ancient migration routes of birds, but also valuable ecological wealth."