Endangered heron found in SW China's mountains for 4-years running

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The white-eared night heron, one of the most elusive members of the heron family, was recently spotted again in the Ailao Mountains in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Indigenous to China and Vietnam, the bird has now been seen in this region for four consecutive years, said Li Xingzhi, an official with the Ailao Mountains National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province.

The species is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. It is also under first-class state protection in China.

Li said a spotted adult bird weighing 594 grams and measuring 63.2 centimeters in length was recently captured in the reserve by a team of experts.

"Bird calls could be heard nearby that night, indicating the presence of more than one such bird," said Zhao Xuebing, a PhD student from Yunnan University, who participated in a bird-banding operation that was taking place when the sighting happened.

The captured heron has since been released back into the wild, equipped with a satellite tracker to monitor its movements.

A view of the Ailao Mountains in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, southwest China, February 19, 2023. /CFP

The Ailao Mountains are rich in biodiversity and are home to 86 mammal species and 323 bird species, including the western black-crested gibbon, clouded leopard and green peafowl.

Currently, the authorities have only opened the outer areas of the Ailao Mountains to tourists, as much of the inner area remains a vast, untouched forest with potentially dangerous terrain and wild animals.

(Cover: A white-eared night heron is rescued in Shiyan City, Hubei Province, central China, July 23, 2017. /CFP)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency