The picture shows the Indian pond heron. Photo by Gong Quanming
Xining, December 2 (Sun Rui Gong Quanming) The reporter learned from the service center of Qinghai Keluk Lake-Tosu Lake Nature Reserve in Qinghai Province on the 2nd that local photographers accidentally photographed a rare domestic bird - Indian pond herons when collecting wind in the reserve for the first time.
The picture shows Indian pond herons basking in the sun by the lake. Photo by Gong Quanming
According to reports, the Indian pond heroon is a medium-sized wading bird, usually hunchbacked. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, fish, and tadpoles. It inhabits swamps, rice paddies, ponds and other waters, and is of great value for maintaining ecological balance and scientific research, and is one of the "three haves" protected animals in China. It is mainly distributed in Eurasia and northern Africa, the Indian subcontinent and southwest China, the southwestern region of Xinjiang in China, the Indochina Peninsula and the southeast coastal areas of China.
The picture shows the Indian pond heron observing by the lake. Photo by Gong Quanming
The Indian pond heron usually inhabits the waters of floating plants in swampy wetlands, and the requirements for the habitat environment are extremely strict. This is also the first time it has appeared in Qinghai after being discovered in Kashgar, Xinjiang in 2014 and appearing in the Dali Jianhu Wetland in 2020. The photographing of Indian pond herons in the Keruk Lake Provincial Nature Reserve not only increased the species of national key wildlife, but also provided scientific basis for the next targeted scientific research, monitoring and protection of the reserve.
Located in the northeast of the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province, about 50 kilometers from Delingha, the capital of Haixi Mongol-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the Kluk Lake - Tosu Lake Nature Reserve plays a huge role in regulating the climate and maintaining ecological balance. (End)