The bird population and the number of bird species in the Hongze Lake National Nature Reserve in Sihong County, Suqian City increased from 200,000 in 2013 to 500,000 and from 147 to 226, respectively, according to the latest survey led by Professor Lu Changhu of Nanjing Forest University.  

A new book based on the year-long survey shows the number of bird species under class-one and class-two state protection also doubled to 8 and tripled to 32 respectively. As of March 2022, 226 species of birds has been spotted, including 15 named on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 

(CFP Photo)

The nature reserve, which consists of mudflats, rivers, marshes and lakes, is the largest inland freshwater wetland in eastern China. It forms part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, a key route that migratory waterbirds traverse on an annual basis, and serves as stopover sites for rare and endangered bird species. With diverse natural ecosystems, the nature reserve is one of Jiangsu’s most biodiverse habitats.  

Since winning the national recognition, the site’s management and local government have strengthened wetland ecological restoration, with fishing activities phased out in more than 17,700 hectares since 2008. Meanwhile, more efforts have been made to control invasive alien plants and promote the publicity of wetland science and bird protection through on-site and online programs.