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The oriental white stork habitat in Gaoyou, a county-level city in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, recently made the first list of top bird-watching sites in Jiangsu, according to the provincial forestry administration.
Located at the intersection of Gaoyou, Baoying, and Jinhu counties, the habitat sees over 200 storks migrate through the area annually for nesting and breeding.
Thanks to abundant food sources and suitable nesting conditions, the stork population has been on the rise. Currently, there are approximately 230 oriental white storks in Gaoyou, with over 70 nests built exclusively on transmission towers. The prime bird-watching season runs from November to June the following year.
"We've observed 44 nests this year, with storks showing a preference for nesting on transmission towers," said Wang Wei from the Gaoyou Power Supply Company, a subsidiary of the State Grid Corporation of China.
To ensure a comfortable living environment for oriental white storks in Yangzhou, the power supply company has adopted a win-win approach that balances power grid safety with ecological conservation. Measures such as installing bird protection shields, enhancing routine line inspections, and launching volunteer services have been implemented to attract more storks to stay in Yangzhou.
According to records, Yangzhou is currently home to 313 species of wild birds, with the oriental white stork being the most prominent. Recognized as a nationally protected species and listed in the international endangered animal directory, the oriental white stork has only two protected habitats nationwide, one of which is located in Gaoyou.
A pair of adult oriental white storks and their young nest on a transmission tower.[Photo/ourjiangsu.com]