Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, is located in the hinterland of southwest China, is a region rich in wildlife resources, of which there are 19 species of national first-level protected animals, up to 69 second-level protected animals, and star species are well-known at home and abroad giant pandas, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys, snow leopards and so on.
Luhuo Xianshuihe National Wetland Park is one of the natural reserves in Ganzi Prefecture and a place where migratory birds like to stop and forage.
No, photography enthusiast Yeshe Cili photographed hundreds of black storks collectively resting and foraging in the Xianshuihe National Wetland Park, and it is reported that this is also the fifth time in recent years that the photographer has photographed a large scene of hundreds of black storks gathering.
Thanks to the ecological construction over the years, the county ecological red line in Luhuo County has been changed from 24% to 74%, and the Xianshuihe National Wetland Park has become a fixed stop for migratory birds in the northern hemisphere to fly to the south for wintering.
Every year around November, a large number of migratory birds will come here one after another, including the protagonist of this article, the black stork, and the Xianshuihe National Wetland Park has naturally become a photography paradise for bird lovers, and whenever the migratory birds arrive, it is the golden age of photographers' masterpieces.
A large number of black storks appear in the Xianshuihe National Wetland Park, they sometimes fly and dance, sometimes look down to feed, all of which show people the ecological beauty of nature.
Black stork common name "black old stork", some places also call it "black stork" or "pot stork", belongs to the national first-level protected animals, and other first-level protected animals are often scarce in number, the state of endangerment is different, the number of black storks is still relatively rich, according to the IUCN assessment, their endangered level is not endangered.
The black stork is similar to the white stork, but the color of the feathers is different. The feathers on the black stork, except for the pure white of the chest and abdomen, the rest of the places are black and shiny, and under the light from different angles, it will show a variety of changing luster, common bronze, purple, green, it looks very beautiful.
The black stork has a very graceful posture, the most notable features are a long pointed mouth, and a pair of long legs, both red or brownish gray.
The black stork has a long, thick beak, a thicker base, thinner and thinner as it goes up the farther it goes, and its beak is sharp and sharp. The black storks have long feet and the lower part of the shin is bare, which has a feeling of standing out from the crowd, and in the process of foraging, they lift their feet out of the water and walk, looking very elegant.
The black stork is widely distributed all over the world, and there is also a large distribution in China, they are migratory birds, but in Spain they are resident birds, and it has been observed that it does not migrate in winter.
The adult black stork weighs about 5 pounds, has a body length of about 1 meter, and its long pointed beak and feet are all for better foraging in the wetlands and water surfaces, so the black stork is undoubtedly a large wading bird.
The black stork is alert and timid, the hearing and vision are very developed, once it detects the abnormality of the surrounding environment, it will immediately flee, so it is not easy for people to observe the black stork at close range, because it has flown away when people are still far away.
Although its ability to fly in the air is very strong, the take-off phase is more difficult, and it needs to run a certain distance to obtain upward force before it can fly.
People have seen hundreds of black storks staying in one place more than once, but if you think it's also a social bird, you'd be wrong. The Black Stork is a very lone bird, often acting alone, paired in pairs.
More than a hundred black storks, it looks like a large group, but in fact it is a scattered sand, there is not much connection between them, and there is an essential difference between the group formed by flamingos, geese and other social birds, which is like a variety of pedestrians in the downtown, it looks like a large group of whining, but they are independent of each other.
Storks are water birds with strong fishing ability, and black storks are the best of them, and we can imagine the relationship between ordinary cards and black cards.
Black stork fishing mainly relies on strong visual ability, it is in shallow water, standing on the surface of the water, can clearly see the bottom of the water of the small animals, and then quickly extend the head, the long pointed mouth like two chopsticks can play a huge role, the small fish tightly, and then throw up, swallowed into the stomach.
Therefore, in the place where black storks are infested, they can often be seen walking and stopping, sometimes bowing their heads and sticking their mouths into the water, sometimes swallowing with their heads held high. In deep waters, the black stork sneaks in and preys on a webbed base of its foretoes and is good at swimming.
The food of the black stork is mainly some small and micro fish in the water, such as crucian carp, white stripe, tuantou bream, loach, maw, dufa, etc., but it has also been observed to peck at frogs, lizards, shrimp, crickets, snails, rodents and other small animals.
Simply put, most of the fish, insects, shrimps and crabs in the swamp wetlands are foraging objects of the black stork, and when food is scarce, it even eats chicks.
Most birds are good at singing, but the black stork is not familiar with this, it is not good at singing, and it is quiet when moving.
Every year from April to July, it is the breeding season of black storks, which will build their nests in forests, wastelands and other places where human interference is very small, especially overhanging rock cliffs, which are common places for black storks to nest.
They breed a litter a year, one nest usually lays 4-5 eggs, the hatching rate is about 60%, paired with two birds, one bird is incubating the eggs, and the other is on the side to guard.
Although the population of the black stork is relatively large, on a global scale, due to habitat destruction, environmental pollution and other factors, the population is significantly decreasing, especially in Western Europe, which has reached the point of endangerment.