Great news in the bird world: the population of red-crowned cranes has exceeded 10,000!

The reporter recently learned from the "Ecological Hanzhong, Beautiful Ibis World" 2023 Crested Ibis Cultural Exchange Event held in Hanzhong, Shaanxi: According to statistics from the National Innovation Alliance for Crested Ibis Protection of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, the global population of Crested Ibis has reached 11,000, and the threat level has been adjusted from critically endangered to endangered. The habitat has gradually recovered from Yaojiagou, Yangxian County, Shaanxi, where it was first discovered, to the historical distribution area in East Asia, showing a good trend of double growth in population and habitat area, creating an ecological miracle that has attracted worldwide attention.

The crested ibis was once widely distributed in my country, Japan, the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East. Due to environmental changes and human interference, the crested ibis disappeared in the last century. In 1981, Chinese experts rediscovered seven wild crested ibis in Yang County, Shaanxi Province. After 42 years of continuous protection, the crested ibis population has grown from 7 when it was discovered to more than 10,000 worldwide, and the wild population habitat area has expanded from less than 5 square kilometers when it was discovered to 16,000 square kilometers.

White-crowned ibis resting on a plant (Source: Tuchong Creative)

Through unremitting efforts, Shaanxi has successively established self-sustaining wild populations, and carried out wild release in Ankang Ningshan, Tongchuan Yaozhou, Baoji Qianyang, Xi'an Zhouzhi, Weinan Huayin Linwei and Xi'an Lantian. The crested ibis thus crossed the Qinling Mountains and expanded from the Yangtze River Basin to the Yellow River Basin. Two years ago, traces of crested ibis were found in Fu County, Yan'an. In October this year, 40 crested ibis were introduced to Nanniwan, Yan'an and Hengshan, Yulin. So far, 560 crested ibis have been released into the wild in Shaanxi, and the total number of wild crested ibis has reached more than 6,600; the number of crested ibis in the country has reached more than 9,800.

In recent years, Shaanxi has exported a total of 158 crested ibis species and helped build more than 20 artificial populations of crested ibis. Among them, 14 crested ibis have been used to establish ex situ populations or conduct cooperative research in Japan, South Korea and other countries. While promoting the protection of crested ibis, it has also built a bridge of friendly exchanges with the world.

Planning and production

Source: People's Daily Online

Editor: Yang Yaping