Momoge Wetland welcomes rare birds

Over 600 migrating oriental white storks arrive at Momoge Wetland to spend winter in southern China. [Photo/Xinhua]

More than 600 oriental white storks recently arrived at Momoge Wetland where it's cool and fresh. They fly over the vast lakes covered with reeds and sometimes lower their heads, searching for food.

The oriental white stork is under State first-class protection in China. There are only about 3,000 such birds in the entire world.

Most of them live in Far-East regions of Russia and NE China and migrate to the Yangtze river basin in winter.

Zou Changlin, head of the Administrative Committee of the Momoge National Nature Reserve, explained that oriental white storks are large aquatic birds and can only live in vast space and with enough food.

Oriental white storks fly over the vast lake in Momoge Wetland Park and sometimes lower their heads, searching for food. [Photo/Xinhua]

In addition, they are easily frightened. Once scared away, they will never return.

Momoge was an important habitat during the birds' migration until the end of the 20th century when damage to the environment reached serious levels.

With the improvement of the ecology in Momoge in recent years, the number of returning storks has risen, particularly since 2014.

Momoge Wetland is separated into various parts to better protect all kinds of birds, such as white cranes, red-crown cranes, grey cranes and demoiselle cranes. The east area is for oriental white storks.

To date, 298 species of birds have been identified in Momoge Wetland and the park is listed among the most significant wetlands in the world.