Seven people hunted the painted ibis, a national first-class protected animal
A few bird watching enthusiasts estimated that the time was just right, and it was in the breeding period of birds, so they went together to a field in Haichao Town, Luxian County, Sichuan Province, to ambush and hide, and did not ask for any rare birds, as long as some good photos were very satisfied. Their patience was extremely strong, and Len had been ambushing in the field for a morning, and in the distance they actually saw a black and unsound cinnabar pacing on the field.
It's very familiar! Several bird watching enthusiasts exchanged views with each other, and after consulting the online information, it was finally true that this was actually a national first-class protected animal painted ibis! Boy! I haven't seen this bird in ten years! This must not be quick to take more pictures. That's when things happen.
"Snap!" After a sudden air gun sound, the colored ibis stumbled and fell, and the bird watchers were stunned, daring to openly hunt and kill the first-class protected animals in broad daylight? They did not dare to speak up, and could only grit their teeth and continue to ambush and shoot evidence. Soon a man dressed in blue stepped forward and picked up the painted ibis, put it in his satchel, and left in a car.
Several bird watchers immediately called the police and gave the photos taken to the police as evidence and clues. The police acted quickly, quickly stripped away the cocoon, seized the hunting rifle and several criminals hunted the wild animals, and finally caught 7 suspects, they are not unaware that the painted ibis is a protected animal, but with a fluke mentality, these people have been taken criminal compulsory measures according to law, I hope that a few bird watching enthusiasts can get rewards.
As a national first-class protected animal, the painted ibis, at first glance, looks a bit unassuming, which will make people wonder how the "color" in its name came from? And in fact, they are widely distributed, their numbers are very stable, and they are listed as non-endangered in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN), so why are they classified as first-class protected animals on the mainland?
Painted ibis
With its heron-sized size, dark feathers and downward-curved beak, painted ibises are less likely to be confused with other birds. They have deep feathers from a distance, but in fact, the color scheme on their bodies is very rich. If you look closely, their feathers are actually chestnut purple, shining green and purple metallic luster in the sunlight. As long as you've seen a picture of a painted ibis in the right light, you won't doubt its name.
They are widely distributed in the warmest temperate and tropical regions of the world. It is common in southern Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and much of the Atlantic and Caribbean regions of the Americas. Its preferred habitat is shallow freshwater or brackish wetland areas, where there is tall, dense emerging vegetation such as reeds, papyrus or rush grass, as well as low trees or bushes.
They may form large flocks of 24 and congregate in public habitats, taking turns guarding the edges of the habitat, warning them if predators approach. This behavior will be more frequent during the breeding season.
Why is it a Grade I Protected Animal?
Decisions on protecting animals at the national level are never determined solely on the basis of scarcity, but only on the clearest understanding of the data. In fact, the level of protected animals mainly depends on two points: one is the significance and scientific research value of the species to the ecological environment; the other is the distribution of the species on the mainland and the stability of the population.
Painted ibises have higher requirements for the ecological environment, because they mainly feed on various aquatic species, especially various types of aquatic insects, and their feeding needs can only be met in areas with good environment, so they can assume the role of similar indicator species. Because of the love of eating aquatic insects, it also helps to curb their numbers.
Although the painted ibises are extremely widely distributed, almost spanning the northern and southern hemispheres, their numbers are really small on the continents. Originally, they were not very distributed on the mainland, and with the development of society, the habitat of the colored ibises gradually shrank and became polluted, and they had no meaning to come back, so the continent once believed that the colored ibises had disappeared on the mainland. It wasn't until 2009 that bird watchers photographed them again.
So it makes sense that they are classified as protected animals at the national level.
postscript
Although painted ibises are classified as non-hazardous by the IUCN, they can alert the threat of wetland habitat degradation and losses from drainage, irrigation and invasive alien plants.