Two migratory birds under national first-class protection were spotted Dec 12 by members of the Zhuhai Bird Watching Society at Xinerwei in the Leizhu Reclamation Area of Fushan Industrial Park. This is reportedly the first time a bird under national first-class protection has been found in Zhuhai.

Wildlife photographers, senior bird experts, birdwatchers, and ecological consultants spotted the black storks (ciconia nigra) on the Doumen District lake. They were there to conduct an ecological coastline survey of the 5,000-mu (333-hectare, 823-acre) body of water.

The large wading bird has a long head, neck and legs; short tails, and wide wings. An adult is distinguished by its black head, neck, and upper parts with green and purple luster, a white chest and abdomen, as well as red pointed beak, legs, and bare red skin around the eyes. The upper part of a juvenile bird is brown.

Black storks [Photo by Zhang Fuqing to Guanhai App]

Previously widespread, the black stork population has decreased sharply over several decades due to deforestation, reclamation of swamps and wetlands, pollution, human interference, and illegal hunting. The global population is estimated at 3,000 with about 1,000 in China.

The species mainly lives in Northeast, North, and Northwest China, and will migrate to South and Southwest China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and southeast coastal areas for winter.

The black stork is fond of freshwater bodies and seldom enters wetlands with a mixture of salt and fresh water. It usually feeds in streams, lakes, ponds, farmlands, marshes, and grasslands with little disturbance. The reason it appeared in the Leizhu Reclamation Area may be because the wetlands west of the Pearl River Estuary are near migratory routes, and have appropriate water depth, abundant fish and shrimp, and little human activity, according to a Macao senior ecological consultant.

Guo Jungong, president of the Zhuhai Bird Watching Society, called upon the public to protect coastal wetland resources and biodiversity. The waterfowl is listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora and China's Catalogue of Wildlife under State Key Protection as a first-class protected animal.