Migratory birds in the Snake Island-Laotieshan National Nature Reserve in Lyushunkou district of Dalian in Liaoning province. [Photo provided to China Daily]
As autumn arrives, the Snake Island-Laotieshan National Nature Reserve in Dalian, Liaoning province, has seen a large influx of migrating raptors. This area is globally renowned as a key stopover and gathering point for raptor migration, with hundreds of thousands of raptors passing through here each year.
As a crucial hub in the East Asia-Australasia Flyway for migratory birds, in late August, species such as sparrowhawks and accipiters start passing through the reserve; in early September, species such as buzzards begin to appear; from mid-September to late October is the peak period for raptor migration, with various falcons and eagles arriving one after another.
On Sept 23, Laotieshan set a new record for Chinese mainland by recording over 11,000 raptors in a single day.
Before dedicated bird protection teams formed when the national-level reserve was established in 1980, bird trapping used to be traditional customs passed down through generations in the local community. Around the 1960s, bird trapping even evolved into a specialized occupation.
Now bird protectors not only patrol day and night to prevent bird trapping, emphasizing the importance of ecological conservation, they also utilize drones, monitoring equipment, and other tools to detect and punish any instances of poaching they discover, said Wang Xiaoping, deputy director of the reserve's management bureau.
Nowadays, there are no longer bird traps on the mountain.
In 1999, Yang Jiazhen, known as "Bird Uncle" by the locals, spontaneously set up a wild bird rescue station specifically for receiving and treating injured birds.
Over the past two decades, he has treated over 2,000 injured birds, with more than half being nationally protected species. After recovery, these birds embark on their migration journeys once again.
The reserve has also established a professional raptor rescue center.
"If citizens discover injured raptors during migration, they would contact us. After we provide professional treatment, we release them to the wild. Some birds with severe injuries are kept here and receive excellent care for the rest of their lives," Wang said.
As part of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II), the Snake Island-Laotieshan area was included in the World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee meeting in July.
