Flocks of migratory birds, including white spoonbills, in the wetlands of Poyang Lake, Hukou County of Jiujiang City in east China's Jiangxi Province, October 26, 2023. /CFP
Recently, thousands of migratory birds from all directions have gathered at Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province, commencing their nearly six-month winter residence. Over the past two years, local conservation authorities in the Poyang Lake area have further upgraded their intelligent management platform to provide "safeguard" services for the wintering birds.
According to the latest monitoring data from the local protection area, there are a total of 44 bird species recorded within the Nanji Wetland, with a total population exceeding 40,000. In various sub-lakes, such as Changhu Lake and Donghu Lake, winter migratory birds like the oriental white stork, egret, wild geese, and mallards have been spotted. They gather in shallow water areas, grassy islands, or sandy beaches due to their feeding and living habits.
Li Jianxin, head of the Nanshan Management Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Wetland Nature Reserve, said due to enough rainfall this year, the habitat for migratory birds has expanded as there are more feeding areas with mudflats and marshes. The population of shorebirds, such as sandpipers, is predicted to increase this year.
A mudflat at Poyang Lake. /CFP
To further protect these "guests," the local authorities have implemented an integrated "sky-ground" monitoring network this year. This includes high-definition cameras, 5G livestreaming and drone and ground monitoring. The monitoring network helps closely track the living conditions and movements of the birds and promptly gathers information on the distribution of important bird species, providing scientific assessments for bird conservation.
Migratory birds at Poyang Lake are categorized as summer and winter migratory birds. The population of winter migratory birds can reach over 70 different species at its peak. Qiu Weiheng, deputy head of the Wucheng Conservation Station at the Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Wetland Nature Reserve, said that through AI image recognition, each bird has a distinct and significant characteristic, and algorithms can identify the species. With more images collected over time, the system will become more precise in the future.