This autumn, Qilihai Wetland in the northern Chinese mainland’s Ninghe District, Tianjin Municipality, is making waves among conservationists and bird lovers. As the largest natural wetland in the Beijing-Tianjin region, it’s now a critical stopover for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds.
Recent monitoring data revealed a record 308 species—up from 258 just two years ago—soaring past previous highs. Experts link this surge and an unusually early migration to an early cold snap farther north, where frozen habitats are pushing birds south sooner than ever.
Han Kewu, from the reserve’s management committee, explains that lower temperatures inland have expedited food shortages at breeding grounds, prompting storks, spoonbills, and godwits to seek refuge here. In early October, oriental storks—under the Chinese mainland’s top-level national protection—arrived nearly ten days ahead of schedule.
The wetland is currently at peak season, with massive flocks of Eurasian spoonbills, pied avocets, and black-tailed godwits painting its marshes. Notably, spoonbill numbers have doubled to over 3,000 this year, setting a new record. Rare visitors such as the white-naped crane and the common crane have also been spotted.
Sitting along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Qilihai is expected to see upwards of 600,000 birds this season. To safeguard these travelers, reserve managers are intensifying ecological restoration—regulating water levels, increasing patrols, and deploying drones via a smart monitoring network for real-time insights.
“We’ll keep fine-tuning support measures to ensure every bird finds a safe haven,” says Tian Xiujing, director of the reserve’s management committee. As the wetland thrives, its rising biodiversity story offers a hopeful glimpse into how targeted conservation and data-driven strategies are reshaping the migratory landscape.
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China's Qilihai Wetland reports record bird counts, earlier migration
cgtn.com
