Yangzhou Gaoyou high-pressure tower on the Oriental white stork couple nest in the snow to hatch the baby

The Oriental White Stork couple hatches their baby in the snow

It was snowing in Yangzhou, and it was snowing heavily. On a high-pressure tower in Gaoyou, an oriental white stork couple is braving the wind and snow, using their body temperature to give birth to new life. According to the observation records of Wang Wei, a line guard at the Gaoyou Branch of the State Grid Power Supply Company, after a while, the oriental white stork baby will peck the eggshell out of the shell.

In the early hours of yesterday morning, it snowed heavily in Yangzhou. From the public video on the high-voltage tower of the power supply company, it can be seen that at 6 a.m., the wheat field around the tower is already white. At this time, two eastern white storks are in the nest, one standing next to the nest and one lying in the nest.

Wang Wei said that the pair of Oriental White Storks have been sitting in the nest since January 18, and yesterday, he once again "passed" the Nest of the Oriental White Stork, and the birds are still guarding the Nest. "To be honest, this time is really quite cold, the lowest temperature is mostly at zero or below zero, it is not easy to think about."

Yesterday at about 9 a.m., the nesting eastern white stork briefly came out of the nest, "it should be alternate hatching." Yangzhou Green Poplar Bird Photography Art Center Bird Friend Hang Dequan introduced that the Oriental White Stork couple are female birds and male birds take turns to hatch, but the female birds are the main ones.

"There was a lot of snow today, and there was snow on the nest." Wang Wei said that the birds that hatched in the nest were basically motionless, and there must be snow on their bodies.

Why do birds hatch in winter?

For most birds, they do not choose to breed in winter. Eastern white storks are used to go north in the spring and breed in the north of the continent. For most eastern white storks in Yangzhou, March to April is the peak period for their nesting and breeding, and there are not many who choose to give birth to new life in January and February.

The most important thing in the hatching of birds is the temperature, and it is a relatively constant temperature, which is transmitted to the eggs through the body temperature of the parent birds. How do birds do it in such cold weather?

Bird feathers can act as a cold shield. In winter, birds will change into thick "winter clothes" to reduce the loss of body heat, and their winter feathers can be called natural "down jackets". Birds will "eat and drink" before winter, making themselves fat, so as to increase the thickness of fat. Because of this, birds during the breeding period can not eat or drink for a long time.

"Even with cold protection, such a wind and snow day is a challenge for the incubation of eastern white storks, which means that they need more heat to ensure the temperature of the eggs in the nest." Wang Wei said that with the passage of time, they also have a lot of worries, "After the birth of the baby bird, the temperature in Yangzhou will still be relatively low, which is a new challenge for the Oriental White Stork couple." ”

The Eastern White Stork belongs to the late adult birds, and the late adult birds have poor body temperature regulation ability in the first month, which requires the parent bird to adjust in time according to the temperature situation in the nest.

"After the bird is born, we will further strengthen the observation." Wang Wei said that he also wanted to further understand the ecological habits of the Eastern White Stork in Gaoyou through observation. Correspondent Zeng Fei Reporter Xiang Jiafu