As the mercury drops on the thermometer, many migratory birds have started their journey southward.

Tumuji National Nature Reserve in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a key natural habitat of great bustards — a species under state-level protection in China. 

As there are only about 1,000 great bustards in China, the species is also dubbed "the giant panda of birds." To cope with cold weather, female great bustards fly southward with their young every autumn while the males stay behind at the nature reserve in winter.

Currently there are around 100 great bustards in the reserve. Many of them are male, and the female birds are preparing for migration. 

In northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the first swans have arrived for winter. 

In Xinjiang's Manasi National Wetland Reserve, the swans arrived 10 days earlier than the previous years. It is mainly because of the recent cold current.

Besides swans, thousands of demoiselle cranes and common cranes under China's state-level protection have also been spotted in the reserve which has 331 kinds of wildlife. 

(Cover image via VCG)

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