White cranes pay annual visit to Tumuji Nature Reserve

White cranes flock to a lake at Tumuji Nature Reserve in Jalaid Banner, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Oct 16, 2017. [Photo/nmgnews.com.cn]

More than 1,800 white cranes have recently arrived at lakes and wetlands at the Tumuji Nature Reserve in Jalaid Banner, Hinggan League to eat and rest. They will then fly to Poyang Lake in Jiangxi province to avoid the cold temperatures in North China.

With a wide span of longitudes, Inner Mongolia boasts over 180 nature reserves and 49 national-level wetland parks, all of which attract flocks of migratory birds seeking rest.

From Juyan Lake to Horqin Grassland, the swans, geese, egrets, mallards, cranes and gulls gather in the wetlands and lakes.

In recent years, officials in the region have worked hard to protect the water and air environments through retrieving grasslands from reckless grazing and planting of drought-resistant trees to control desertification. Thanks to these measures, the region has hosted over 50 new species of birds.

Now a crowded paradise for migratory birds, the region houses over 500 species. Nearly 420 of them are migratory, while 80 are wild domestic birds, according to local wildlife conservation institutes.