Avian Guardian: Welcome back to Kunming, black-headed gulls

Kunming City in southwest China's Yunnan Province serves as a crucial wintering habitat for the migratory black-headed gull, enhancing the city's charm with their winter presence for over 30 consecutive years. The first batch of black-headed gulls had already arrived in mid-October, and it's anticipated that the main group will arrive in late November.

Researchers from the Kunming Birdwatching Association state that over 10,000 black-headed gulls have already reached Kunming, with the overall estimated number expected to reach 40,000 this year. The birds will first gather around Dianchi Lake, and later spread to various parks and wetlands in the city. From November to next March, Kunming will be in its prime season for bird watching.

Feeding mainly on fish and shrimp, black-headed gulls store energy during winter and gain 30 percent to 50 percent of their body weight. In March, they embark on their long journey back north. Observers can distinguish the fledglings and adults by their body size and feather patterns.

Various departments in Kunming are working together to ensure protection for the gulls. The local government has even tailored seven regulations, effective since November 1, to deter disruptive and harmful behavior towards the birds, marking legislation for the protection of this particular wildlife species.

To better understand the migration patterns and reproductive habits of the black-headed gulls, researchers have equipped them with "backpack-style infrared trackers" that will not affect their daily lives. During the 2018-2019 winter, 92 black-headed gulls were tracked by these satellite trackers. Wang Xiaodan, a graduate student from Yunnan University's School of Ecology and Environment, says that the data revealed four migration routes of the black-headed gulls: eastward to Russia and the Far East, to Lake Baikal in central Russia, to Lake Ubsu-Nur in Mongolia (a favored destination), and to Bosten Lake in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

(Cover via CFP, designed by CGTN's Liu Shaozhen.)