Ithaginis cruentus

Melanochlora sultanea

Buceros bicornis

Podiceps cristatus

Xiphirhynchus superciliaris

Aegithalos concinnus

Spizixos canifrons

Black-necked Crane

April 1 is International Bird Day. It has become an inescapable responsibility for human beings to protect birds and the biodiversity of the Earth. Yunnan is home to a great many rare birds. Yunnan has over 1,000 bird species accounting for over 2/3 of the number of bird species in China and 9% worldwide. More than 6% of birds are distributed in Yunnan.

At the first part of the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference held in 2021, Yang Xiaojun, a researcher at Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, attributed the increase in the number of bird species to the result of Yunnan's emphasis on ecological environment protection, especially setting up the construction of wetland parks.

Due to the special geographical location, the vast difference in altitude, and complex topography, Yunnan has a variety of ecological environments ranging from tropical to frigid, where all kinds of birds can inhabit suitable environmental conditions accordingly, thus giving birth to the diversity and abundance of bird species. Meanwhile, Yunnan is one of the centers of origin and differentiation of bird species, the confluence area of two natural geographical regions in the world (Gubei region and Dongyang region). Yunnan is also a significant land migration channel for birds in South Asia, Southeast Asia, North Area, and Central Asia, with over 40 important gathering places for migratory birds. These show that Yunnan plays a vital role in bird protection in China and the world.

Click here to view Chinese report

(Editors: Ines, Amy)