News depth 丨 Why did the blue-headed diving duck "settle" in Baiyangdian

On July 24, 2022, in the waters of Baiyangdian, blue-headed diving ducks played on the water. Hebei Daily reporter Li Dongyu photographed

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"Giant panda among birds" Blue-headed diving duck settled in Baiyangdian!

In July this year, the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau found the brooding of the world's critically endangered species and national first-class protected animal Blue-headed Diving Duck in Baiyangdian, and experts confirmed that this was the first time that Baiyangdian found the breeding of Blue-headed Diving Duck, which proved that Baiyangdian Wetland has become one of the breeding grounds for Blue-headed Diving Ducks.

From the first observation of two blue-headed diving ducks in the barley dian area of Baiyangdian in May 2018, to the observation of the habitat of blue-headed diving ducks in eight areas of Baiyangdian in May this year, and then to the first discovery of the activity images of females and chicks of blue-headed diving ducks, Baiyangdian has brought more and more surprises to people.

As a migratory bird, why did the blue-headed diving duck change from a migratory bird to a resident bird to settle in Baiyangdian? What are the untold stories behind his settlement? The reporter investigated.

■ Baiyangdian first found brooding of blue-headed diving ducks

On July 30, Qi Ming, a staff member of the Baiyangdian Wetland Conservation Center of the Anxin County Natural Resources Bureau, took a small boat to a small boat and carefully went to an area north of Baiyangdian to conduct an inspection.

Suddenly, a flock of birds flew through the air, "This is a herd of diving ducks!" Unfortunately, the camera capture is not ideal, specifically white-eyed diving duck or blue-headed diving duck, it is not clear in the camera screen, you need to go back to the computer to carefully identify it and then make a record. Qi Ming said excitedly.

Summer is the season when Baiyangdian shows its charm. The water is clear, the reeds are green and red, and there are more leisurely gulls, birds, geese and ducks active in different waters, forming a vibrant picture of Baiyangdian. In this picture, the most eye-catching thing is the world's critically endangered species and the national first-class protected animal blue-headed diving duck.

The blue-headed diving duck has a round body and a large head, and the male has a black head and neck, and has a green luster and white eyes. Its upper body is dark brown , the lower back and shoulders are mixed with brown insect beetle-like spots , and the abdomen is white , distinct from the maroon thorax , and extends upwards in front of the two flanks.

On May 22 this year, when the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau conducted a monitoring and inspection of birds in baiyangdian wetland, more than 10 blue-headed diving ducks were found in many waters. "Because it's the breeding season for birds, we wonder if there will be any chicks of blue-headed diving ducks." Monitoring has since been intensified. Liu Xun, director of the Wildlife Conservation and Wetland Management Division of the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, said.

On July 2nd, something lucky happened. In the early morning of the same day, when Liu Xun and related staff came to the water where the blue-headed diving duck was found the day before, a female adult duck of the blue-headed diving duck appeared in his telescope lens with 4 cute ducklings, and Liu Xun quickly took out the camera that had already installed the telephoto lens and took this precious picture.

In addition to the excitement, Liu Xun and his colleagues calmed down again, and the next step was to constantly find experts in various related fields to confirm. After consulting and seeking verification from 13 top experts in different fields such as natural resources, ecological environment and bird protection in China, Zhang Zhengwang, professor of Beijing Normal University, chairman of the Expert Group of Bluehead Diving Duck of East Asia-Australasia Migration Zone, leader of the Working Group of China Bluehead Diving Duck Conservation and Monitoring, Professor Ding Changqing of Beijing Forestry University, Professor Li Feng and Wang Huai of Northeast Forestry University unanimously gave the conclusion: It was determined that it was a young bird of the blue-headed diving duck. This proves that Baiyangdian has become a breeding ground for the blue-headed diving duck.

Tian Yongchang, deputy director of the Anxin County Natural Resources Bureau, said that there is now more and more evidence that the blue-headed diving duck is "settling down" in Baiyangdian, changing from a migratory bird to a resident bird.

"The blue-headed diving duck mainly inhabits lakes and ponds with gentle water flow and abundant aquatic plants, which have extremely high requirements for water quality and are a very picky water bird for the living environment." The relevant person in charge of the Anxin County Natural Resources Bureau said that due to climate, environmental changes and human factors and other interferences over the years, the number of blue-headed diving ducks in the wild has been decreasing, and in 2021, it will be listed as a national first-level protected animal.

"At present, there are three litters of 10 blue-headed diving duck chicks that have been identified in the Baiyangdian area, and the suspected blue-headed diving duck chicks observed in other regions are being further confirmed." According to the relevant person in charge of the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, more than 100 blue-headed diving ducks were found in Baiyangdian last autumn and winter, and in addition, there are also records of blue-headed diving ducks found in Hengshui Lake, Zhangjiakou Kangbao, Xingtai Nangong and Cangzhou Nandagang in our province.

Ding Changqing said that the historical breeding ground of the blue-headed diving duck is in Russia and the northeast of the mainland, but for many years, it has been difficult to find its breeding traces in these two places. In the early 1990s, there were reports of the discovery of breeding nests in Xianghai, Jilin Province, the historical breeding site of the blue-headed diving duck, but in recent years, there have been no more follow-up monitoring.

"The discovery of the Baiyangdian breeding grounds is of great significance, mainly distributed in China, and it is the northernmost of the breeding grounds found in recent years." Ding Changqing said that the blue-headed diving duck has high requirements for the environment, and the lakes and wetlands with abundant aquatic grasses are its favorite environments, and aquatic plants, lotus buds, small fish, shrimp and crabs are its favorite foods.

The ecological picture of Baiyangdian is slowly unfolding, so that many rare birds of migration stop and linger, and migratory birds become resident birds. In Ding Changqing's view, the management of the ecological environment of Baiyangdian, the cleaning of fishing nets and shrimp cages, and the reduction of human interference are important reasons why the blue-headed diving duck is willing to stay. In the next step, the China Bluehead Diving Duck Conservation and Monitoring Working Group will arrange new blue-headed diving duck protection work nationwide. In order to strengthen the protection of the blue-headed diving duck, in April this year, an artificial population of blue-headed diving ducks has been established in the Beijing Zoo, breeding a total of 54 blue-headed diving ducks, and when the time is ripe, the wilding will be released and returned to the embrace of nature.

■ Birds are the "ecological test strip" of the environment

In July, a large number of wild birds in Baiyangdian enter the breeding period. Birds are busy nesting, hatching and breeding offspring in their respective waters.

"The environment has become better, and there are more and more blue-headed diving ducks in Baiyangdian." Speaking of the blue-headed diving duck, He Youshun, a photography enthusiast in Anxin County who has been photographing birds for ten years, gushed endlessly.

Although more than 4 years have passed, He Youshun still clearly remembers the scene when he and Qi Ming first discovered the blue-headed diving duck during bird observation in 2018. He said that birds are close friends of human beings, "ecological test strips" for the environment, and indicators of biodiversity monitoring.

In this regard, Professor Hou Jianhua of Hebei University, who has been committed to the monitoring of Baiyangdian Bluehead Diving Duck, believes that the ability of Qingtou Diving Duck to "settle" in Baiyangdian Wetland is inseparable from the increasingly improved ecological environment of Baiyangdian Wetland and the improvement of local residents' awareness of bird protection, and also fully reflects the remarkable results of local bird protection and management.

A good ecological environment and suitable climatic conditions are the reasons for attracting blue-headed diving ducks.

Since the establishment of Xiong'an New Area in 2017, Baiyangdian has carried out the largest systematic ecological governance. Nowadays, the ecological environment of Baiyangdian water has continued to improve, the function of "kidney of North China" has been accelerated, the water quality has continued to improve, biodiversity has increased significantly, and the ecological environment governance has achieved phased goals. At present, the water level of Baiyangdian District is stable at about 7.2 meters, the area of Diandian District has been restored to about 290 square kilometers, and the overall water quality has been raised to the standard of Class III or above, entering the ranks of good lakes in the country.

The improvement of the ecological environment has promoted the significant improvement of biodiversity, and more and more wild birds have "settled" here.

Not only the blue-headed diving duck, but also more and more national and provincial key protected animals such as little swans and gray cranes have appeared in Baiyangdian. Observation data show that at present, the number of wild birds in Baiyangdian has increased to 237, an increase of 31 species compared with before the establishment of xiong'an New Area in 2017, including 10 species of wild animals under national first-level key protection and 43 species of wild animals under national second-level key protection.

At the end of June, the special meeting on the construction of Baiyangdian bird habitat was held, and the construction of Baiyangdian bird protection and habitat restoration was proposed.

In order to better let birds "stay", Xiong'an New Area recently designated 9 important habitats for birds in Baiyangdian, and also built a number of wetland parks and pocket parks, with a variety of topography and rich vegetation, providing good habitat and breeding conditions for wild birds of different habits.

Today, biodiversity has increased significantly, not only birds have settled, but also more and more fish, and indicator fish such as salmon, blackfish, and gayu that have not been seen for many years have reappeared in Baiyangdian.

Recently, after the monitoring of the Provincial Academy of Marine and Fishery Sciences, it was found that Baiyangdian added northern loach and Chinese spiny fish, and Baiyangdian fish has recovered to 46 species, an increase of 19 species compared with before the establishment of Xiong'an New Area, and the biodiversity of Baiyangdian fish has reached a high level.

The evaluation of Baiyangdian water body has changed from a single water quality element to a comprehensive water ecology element. Starting this year, our province will vigorously implement biodiversity conservation projects, in addition to the in-depth construction of bird habitats in Baiyangdian, it will also promote the ecological protection and restoration of The Dian District, and present the natural beauty of "Lotus Pond Reed Sea and Bird Paradise" as soon as possible.

■ Build a large protection pattern of loving birds and protecting birds, openness and inclusiveness

On August 2, in the rescue area of the baiyangdian bird monitoring station, four young geese with a full moon were taking a nap, one tender yellow, three black and gray, and the furry smoke was gratifying.

Ji Hongjun, the leader of the rescue team of the monitoring station, whistled, but the cubs shook their newly grown tail feathers and swam towards him. "I raised them all, recognize me." He was happy.

Looking at this scene, the wife who came to visit Ji Hongjun also laughed, but did not hold back the "complaint" sentence: "Love to obsession, there is a room in the family that he uses to rescue birds, and now there are a bunch of young birds with bone-top chickens inside." ”

Ji Hongjun simply explained the origin of these young birds: most of them were abandoned nest eggs found by villagers and specially sent for rescue. "In recent years, the villagers' awareness of bird love has become stronger, and when they encounter injured and abandoned birds, they will send them to us."

Ji Hongjun said that after the establishment of the monitoring station, 68 birds of various kinds have been rescued, including the giant bustard, a national first-level protected bird, and a swan, a national second-level protected bird. At present, the rescue area of the bird monitoring station is being cleaned and renovated, the environment is improved, and the birds rescued in various places and the eggs of abandoned nest birds that are artificially hatched are about to be occupied, and standardized rescue is implemented uniformly.

Today's Baiyangdian is not only a rescue area, nor is there only one Ji Red Army.

The story of Han Zhanqiao, a primary school teacher in Tongkou Town, Anxin County, hatching and releasing spotted-billed ducks, and Chen Siqi, a college student in Longhua Township, taking care of wild Dai Sheng, is widely known in Baiyangdian. And bird observer Zhou Longshan has been making voluntary inspections for many years, township cadre Ma Jiuzhou has made ecological bird nests, entrepreneur Ma Yonglei has planted thousands of acres of rice to create bird feeding grounds, and the party branch of Guolikou Village has set up volunteer teams, created allegro books, and drawn special cultural walls, etc. From the government to enterprises, from non-governmental associations to the masses, the atmosphere of loving birds and protecting birds has been constructed.

There are more people who love birds, and the courage of birds is also greater. When He Youshun's boat turned into a reed swing along the main channel of Baiyangdian, a long-necked heron stood on a reed about ten centimeters high from the water, a few meters away from the boat, but calmly like an old man at the mouth of the village, without even the meaning of flapping his wings. The boatman smiled and said, "This 'long-necked old man is waiting,' well-informed, and bold." ”

In He Youshun's view, these birds are spiritual. "Like the blue-headed diving duck, in the past two years, everyone's awareness of loving birds has become heavy, and it knows that it can come." It can be said that it is precisely in the past few years when people's concept of bird love has changed, and the number of blue-headed diving ducks has increased exponentially. He Youshun said.

Indeed it is. Five or six years back, at that time, no one in Baiyangdian dared to think that there could be blue-headed diving ducks in The lake. Nowadays, walking on the surface of Baiyangdian, "clean" is the biggest feeling - there are no bird nets, bird traps, etc., which is the result of a long period of competition between relevant government departments and private volunteers and poachers.

"Especially after the discovery of the blue-headed diving duck last year, the relevant conservation and monitoring work has been launched immediately." In July this year, our bird habitat protection patrol operation jointly organized by the County Natural Resources Bureau, Anxin Town and Dawang Town Circle Township has been officially launched, and the bird love patrol team established will start regular inspections every day. Tian Yongchang said.

In order to further strengthen the monitoring capacity of birds, including the blue-headed diving duck, the Baiyangdian Bird Monitoring Station has also carried out the upgrading of monitoring equipment, and has completed the installation of wooden boardwalk, Peach Blossom Island, Shili Lotus, Algae Pingdian Monitoring Equipment and Monitoring Station Visual Large Screen, which has been put into use recently.

On July 11, the Natural Resources Bureau of Anxin County and the Wildlife Research Expert Group of Hebei University signed a cooperation agreement on the monitoring and overwintering monitoring of the breeding of the Blue-headed Diving Duck in Baiyangdian to monitor the population and living habits of the Blue-headed Diving Duck more scientifically.

"Protecting the blue-headed diving duck is only part of the work, and more importantly, in the direction of protecting the blue-headed diving duck, we will build a large protection pattern that loves birds and protects birds, is open and inclusive, and reproduces the beautiful scenery of Baiyangdian's 'bird paradise'." Tian Yongchang said.

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