In the Dianchi Lake Scenic Area and surrounding wetlands in Kunming, Yunnan Province, tens of thousands of red-billed gulls fly from breeding grounds such as the Vilyuy River in Eastern Siberia to winter every year until they fly north the following spring. March is the peak time for red-billed gulls to leave Dianchi Lake. At this time, the appearance of the red-billed gull will change significantly.
Zhao Xuebing, lecturer, College of Ecology and Environment, Yunnan University: The head of the adult red-billed gull has turned black, so its English name is also black-headed red-billed gull. The blackening of its head is actually a precursor to its beginning to reproduce.
Zoologists believe that this season, the red-billed gull's white head feathers turn black, and the two paws also change from a reddish color to dark black, which is caused by the secretion of sex hormones. Many migratory birds undergo this change in feather color after entering the breeding season.
In addition, red-billed gulls preparing for long-distance migrations also gain significant weight.
In the past, it was thought that the red-billed gulls would all leave the wintering grounds of Dianchi Lake in the spring and fly north, spawning, hatching and brooding in the northern breeding grounds until they returned to Dianchi Lake the following autumn. In order to monitor the migration route and physical condition of the red-billed gull, scientists once put a satellite monitoring backpack on the red-billed gull's upcoming northbound flight in 2019. By monitoring the satellite signals continuously transmitted back by the small backpack, it was found that not all red-billed gulls will follow the large army to the northern breeding grounds, and many red-billed gulls that do not participate in breeding will stay and rest during the northern migration of the large army to spend the summer breeding period.
Zhao Xuebing, lecturer, College of Ecology and Environment, Yunnan University: The main stopping places are in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, such as Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and the Hetao Plain.
Through the monitoring of wetlands around Dianchi Lake in recent years, the scientific research team also found that hundreds of young red-billed gulls under the age of one stay in the waters of the Dianchi Haihong wetland every year, and do not migrate north with the large army population.
This finding shows that migratory birds will choose the most optimal survival strategy according to the external environment and their own conditions. It is also a reminder to implement seasonally targeted conservation measures for the natural environment where red-billed gulls stay and live.
The second season of "Great Beauty China, Migratory Birds Return to the North" was broadcast live by CCTV News New Media and CCTV News Channel from March 28 to April 2. On the third day of the live broadcast series, you will follow the endangered migratory bird black-necked crane into Napa Sea in Yunnan and Longbao Beach in Qinghai, rising from 3200 meters to 4200 meters above sea level, and from the wintering home of the black-necked crane in Napa Sea to the hometown of black-necked cranes in Longbaotan Province. Why is the Napa Sea wetland an important wintering ground for migratory birds in the west? What are the migratory bird stars here? With an average altitude of 4,200 meters, why is Long Bao Beach the main breeding ground for many migratory birds such as black-necked cranes? Poke live broadcast to follow CCTV news into the plateau and approach Napa Hai↓
Source: CCTV News Client