Yunnan Birds and Weishan Bird Banding ( Ringing) & Observation Station

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Yunnan Birds 
Weishan Birding Longqing Pass (Longqingguan, Grand Birds Pass) 
Zhaotong Black-necked crane Reserve 
Kunming for Larus ridibundus

Yunnan Birds 
In China, there are about 1260 species of birds. Due to its special geological location and multi-climate conditions, Yunnan is a province with  802 species of birds recorded, account for about 64% of China's total species, about 9% of the World wide species.

Yunnan  locate at the junction between Qingzang Highland in the north and the middle east peninsula in the south, with it's quite complex & special topographies and climates, diverse natural environment as well as rich biodiversities, there are 18 species of National Protected Birds as category 1st, and 118 species of category 2nd in Yunnan.

As to species number (802), Yunnan is No.1 in China, and more above the 2nd Sichuan (628 species of birds)

Yunna holds two main migration routes for the birds across Yunnan: One from Sichuan Basin down to the south along the valley to Jinsha River (upstream of Yangtze River), another  from Qingzang Highland to down along the Henduan Mountain range, then to the south by Ailo Mountain and Red River Valley. In spring, birds fly to the north for breeding and in autumn migrates to the worm  north for winter, some fly through Yunnan and some wintering in Yunnan. 

Weishan Birding Longqing Pass (Longqingguan) 

Migration is the biggest risk behavior in the life of migratory birds. Birds migrates between the breeding places and wintering areas twice a year. But in Yunnan, due to the topography, birds has to fly through the Henduan Mountain Range area, with it's unique climate, and migration period just falls on the heavy fog season without any moon light for orientation, so many birds killed on the mountain and trees, as well as the fire nets and traps, and called "bird hunting mountains" and "bird killing mountains". When the birds are exhausted and confused in their flight directions, the local people make bonfires, attracting the birds by fire light, and birds killed by nets, bamboo poles in a large numbers, even 1000 birds by one local people one night as its most. And this activity in autumn lasts about 1200 years, in some place and some family this captured birds can feeding local people (Yi People) one year!

To protect the wild birds, in 1997, more than 40 bird experts from  Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand came to Longqing Pass birds channel to carry out scientific research and surveys. Since the Weishan Birds Protection & Banding Station has been established then the bird-killing was banned.

Longqing Pass, locate Weishan county, Daili, Yunnan Province, about 12KM to the county township, its Grand Birds Pass Nature Reserve covers an area of 292ha, with its banding station, altitude about 2440M, 25º18`N and 100º22`E, this site has been listed as No.32 station in bird banding station network of China.

And the wild birds easily be watched in the field at the station, and recorded about 60 species of migratory birds passing through the station.

The time for flight starts from August to earlier November, and about average 10 foggy nights per month.  And now, local villagers still light small fires not for killing birds but to guide the migratory birds, also using electric lights which safer and brighter for the birds to fly in autumn.

The best time to watch  birds in Weishan: date from middle Sep to middle  Oct. time around 24:00- 02:00. You must bring flashlight, heavey cloth etc.

Zhaotong Dashanbao Black-necked crane Reserve
Located Zhaoyang District, Zhaotong, Yunnan, covers an area of 19200 ha, 79km from Zhaotong city, alt from 2210m to 3364m, set up in 1991. The Black-necked crane here are wintering birds in Zhaotong, fly here in Sep and Oct for winter, and fly to the north in China in Apr for breeding, about occuring here about 5mounthes.
Also you can watch birds in Zhaotong and around area.

Kunming for Larus ridibundus 
From Nov to Mar, Larus ridibundus fly to Kunming for wintering, this birds can be watched in Dianchi pool, Cuihu Lake and Caohai lake.

 

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