“The number of Lady Amherst's pheasant in the Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve of Huize reaches about 1,000 this year, growing about 30 times in the last 15 years,” Yang Hua, founder of a bird protection volunteer association, inferred after years of field observation. 

The beautiful paradise for birds

A Lady Amherst's pheasant (photo by Yang Hua).

Yang Hua has invested more than 100,000 yuan in setting up a scientific research and shooting base of Lady Amherst's pheasant in Nian Lake (Yuejin reservoir) in the Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve of Huize. Photographers who have visited there give it a poetical name - the paradise for birds.  

A Lady Amherst's pheasant and a turtledove 

In the base, the air is fresh and Lady Amherst's pheasants, magpies, crows, laughing thrushes, squirrels and some other animals forage and play lightheartedly. Among them, the male Lady Amherst's pheasant is the most eye-catching, which has an elegant gesture and colourful tail feathers. 

Great Tit

Lady Amherst's pheasant

“ I come here to feed them twice a day at fixed time, and I don’t think this is a hard work because I really like birds,” Yang Hua said. “I hope what I do can raise people’s awareness of birds protection.” 

Yang Hua was scattering birdseed out. 

In order to find a good place for the base, Yang Hua had traveled nearly every corner of the reserve and comprehensively considered the influential factors, such as water sources, ecological environment, transportation,human disturbance and so on, before finally deciding the site. 

Change identities to protect birds

The rapid growth of the population of the Lady Amherst's pheasant in the reserve is closely related to the good ecological environment, and it is also the result of the exploration and practice of a new management mode.

The surrounding areas of Daqiao area and Changhaizi area in this reserve are covered by a large amount of national forests and collective-owned forests. Because of the good ecology, more and more wild birds choose to habitat here. For example, two new bird species greater flamingo and great bustard have settled down since last year, increasing the amount of species in the reserve to 181, with a total population of over 30,000. 

Turtle Dove

In 2006, the Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve of Huize was upgraded to a national protection zone, covering an area of 12,910.64 hectares. Since then, the Daqiao area of this reserve has attracted an increasing number of tourists who want to photograph the wintering black-necked cranes. 

Red-billed Blue Magpie

Elliot's Laughingthrush

Squirrel

To prevent visitors from disturbing the birds, the local management department provides comprehensive services for visitors free of charge, such as registration for birds protection volunteers, display of animal and plant specimens and popular science education, which can help regulate the photograph activity and raise visitors’ awareness of birds protection. 

Black-billed Magpie

“Our work is not simply to prohibit and restrict human activities in the reserve, but also seeks for the harmonious coexistence between human and nature,” Zhang Tingmei, deputy director of the management bureau of Huize Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve, said. “After more than two years of efforts, our reserve’s ecological environment and biodiversity has improved.” 

Blue Whistling-thrush

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(Editors: Alison, Christine)