World Migratory Bird Day | Rare than the giant panda? How much do you know about this "world's most mysterious bird"?

May 13 is the first World Migratory Bird Day in 2023. This year’s theme is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life”. World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated twice a year, on the second Saturday of May and October respectively.

(Photo source: World Migratory Bird Day official website)

One out of every five bird species in the world is a long-distance migratory bird. Migratory birds use the stars, polarized light from the sun, geomagnetism, mountains, rivers, and man-made landmarks to navigate for themselves.

(Copyrighted image from the gallery, no permission to reprint)

Water is fundamental to life on our planet, and the vast majority of migratory birds rely on aquatic ecosystems during their life cycles. Inland and coastal wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, swamps and ponds are important places to forage, drink or nest, as well as places to rest and replenish energy during long journeys.

At present, there are eight migratory routes for migratory birds around the world, namely:

Atlantic Migration Route, Black Sea/Mediterranean Migration Route, East African and Western Asian Migration Route, Central Asian Migration Route, East Asian/Australasian Migration Route, American Pacific Migration Route, American Mississippi Migration Route and American Atlantic Migration Route.

Among them, there are three migration routes passing through China: the East African and West Asian migration route, the Central Asian migration route, and the East Asian-Australasia migration route.

Nature is full of wonders, and the migration of migratory birds is full of unknowns and mysteries. Let us learn about the most mysterious bird in the world!

Hainan bittern

(Photo source: Xinhuanet)

The Hainan bittern is a bird endemic to China. It is a resident bird in Hainan and a summer migratory bird or a migratory bird in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang and Anhui. There are only about 1,000 of them in the wild, which is even rarer than the giant panda. Therefore, it is listed as one of the 30 most endangered birds in the world.

Because of its habits of hiding during the day and coming out at night, not liking to live in groups, and not liking to sing, it is rarely observed by people, so it is also called "the most mysterious bird in the world."

On September 16, a rescued Hainan bittern, a first-class national protected animal, was successfully released back into the wild in its habitat of Qingyuan, Guangdong after recovering from its injuries.

Image source: Xinhuanet

According to Wei Chentao, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Life Sciences of Sun Yat-sen University, the Hainan bittern is a typical nocturnal heron, and foraging and feeding chicks are mainly done at night. In addition to a high-quality ecological environment, relevant policies and residents' protection and care for the Hainan bittern are also essential conditions to ensure its reproduction and growth.

China has vast rivers and lakes, which provide safe habitats and migration routes for countless migratory birds. However, due to pollution, climate crisis and increasing human needs, the "safe haven" for migratory birds is facing danger.

Therefore, we should pay more attention to the protection of water resources and related ecological environment, protect the habitats and migration channels of these lives, and allow migratory birds to survive and reproduce in a healthy and stable environment.

Protect migratory birds

Our Initiative

Migratory birds are sentinels of environmental health

The wild animal that is closest to humans

Because of them

Adding beauty to our lives

On World Migratory Bird Day

Call on everyone to protect birds

Strengthening awareness of migratory birds

Raising awareness of protecting migratory birds

Let us make our home more civilized

A better ecology

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, WWF World Wildlife Fund, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve, etc.