Birders compete for views in reserves

During a bird race in March in Wuhai city, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Zhao found himself teamed up with two students from Central South University of Forestry and Technology, as they needed a driver for the competition. "The two students couldn't drive, and I am a pretty good driver," Zhao said.

His teammates were Huang Canxia and Zhou Jiaxi, both senior students from the university in Changsha. Huang, who delved into bird-watching in 2023, quickly developed a deep fascination for the hobby. Having already taken part in a dozen bird races, she boasts a list of 652 wild bird species spotted in the country.

The trio's synergy in Wuhai was remarkable. Upon learning about a bird race organized by two nature reserves in Hunan and Guangdong provinces during the Wuhai race, they decided to apply as a team once more.

As a result, they became one of the 32 teams participating in the fourth Nanling Bird-watching Carnival.

"I took part in the third Nanling bird race last year, which was exclusively hosted by the Nanling reserve in Guangdong," Huang said. "This year's event is much bigger."