Feathered friends bring good fortune to rural residents

Actions raise awareness

Since 1981, China has hosted Bird Week every spring to raise awareness of and participation in the protection of avians. In addition, a number of education campaigns have been promoted nationwide to encourage people to pay more attention to wildlife.

Spring and winter are crucial seasons, as the former is a critical time for bird reproduction and the latter features mass migration and bird gatherings.

At these times, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration requires local forestry and grassland departments to become familiar with the routes of migratory birds by close monitoring and observation. They also need to clear away nets and traps and prohibit illegal hunting.

As a scientific method of studying bird movements and migration, banding plays an important role in research and protection.

China started banding birds in 1982, and so far, nearly 3 million from more than 700 species have been recorded through the method.

By placing a strong, lightweight metal band－distributed by the national bird breeding center－on the leg, scientists can gather information about each bird via a unique number stamped into the metal.

After banding, the information－including species, beak length, wingspan and weight－is sent to the center, then the bird is released back to the wild.

As one of the country's biggest such facilities, the Weishan banding station in Dali, Yunnan, had handled more than 48,000 birds by the end of last year.

"As we get to know more about birds through scientific studies, we can figure out better ways to further protect them," said Yang Jianbo, an engineer at the Wulipo forest farm in Weishan.