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The Manas National Wetland Park crew observed and documented whooper swan breeding on June 16, and it was the first time that the wild whooper swan had successfully reproduced by natural means in the area.
The whooper swan is a second-class protected animal in China. They leave the breeding grounds in November and migrate to the wintering grounds, returning in March. The swan was a wintering migratory bird in Manas Wetland in the past. This year, the bird was discovered nesting and hatching here.
"To see whoopers breed here is a rare occurrence in China. It is even unusual in Xinjiang since the swan breeds mostly in areas like the Arctic or Siberia. It's surprising that it breeds in such areas," said Ma Ming, professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography. "I will keep looking into the case and try to figure out why this is happening – is it the better environment, climate change, or they are more accustomed to human activity?"
The Manas National Wetland Park is an important habitat and breeding location for migrating birds, and it also functions as an "energy replenishment station" for migratory birds traveling across the Tianshan Mountains.
(Cover image via VCG.)
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Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466