Flocking to catch a glimpse of the flock

The island is presently one of the country's top destinations for bird watching.

Wang Huo, deputy secretary general of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation and a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, said birdwatching and photography are important civic science activities that provide valuable information to research on bird conservation and ecological environments.

She pointed out that there are many other popular birdwatching spots in the country. For example, hundreds of spoonbill sandpipers, an endangered species with no more than 500 left in the world, spend up to three months in the wetlands of Dongtai County in Jiangsu province every year.

"Birdwatchers and photographers are an important group of people because they play a part in monitoring the bird population and the protection of the habitats," said Wang.

The popularity of birdwatching in Shanghai has been on the rise. In 2005, there were just 82 people from 14 teams who took part in the Citizen Bird Watching Contest in April. This year, 300 bird watchers from 35 attended the event.