Calls and conservation

Despite the patchy rain and persistent mist, 45 keen bird-watchers, draped in raincoats, cameras, lenses and binoculars, set off into the wilds of the Lancang Lahu autonomous county in Southwest China's Yunnan province on Nov 1.

Their task, split into 12 teams, was to document as many bird species within the area within 60 hours. This, the second Yunnan Lancang Bird-watching Festival, held within the city of Pu'er, would yield some impressive results.

Almost three days later, when the teams emerged from the wilderness, a record 273 bird species had been identified, including seven species that had never been recorded in the area before, such as the elusive spotwinged starling.

The Yunnan Lancang Bird-watching Festival falls under the auspices of the "Our Yunnan" project, an endeavor launched in 2023 to fill data gaps in local wildlife, enhance conservation efforts and explore sustainable forest resource management practices that benefit local communities while protecting biodiversity.

This collaborative effort between governmental bodies, nongovernment organizations and corporate sponsors involves rigorous, field-based surveys to create an accurate snapshot of local wildlife populations.

Lu Wen, director of the Nuozhadu Provincial Nature Reserve in Pu'er, which extends into part of Lancang, said both iterations of the bird race so far have added new species to the area's list.

"Pu'er's existing bird checklist contains around 470 species," Lu said. "Prior to 2023, the reserve's own record stood at 233 species. The first Lancang bird race in 2023 had added 47 species to our checklist."

Lei Jinyu, secretary-general of the Rosefinch Center, a nonprofit dedicated to bird-watching and a key implementer of the "Our Lancang" project, told China Daily: "In less than three days, we documented more than half the bird species known to inhabit Pu'er and a significant portion of those found within the Nuozhadu reserve. This clearly shows that organizing a bird race is an exceptionally quick and effective method for conducting bird surveys."

Since the "Our Lancang" project's launch in 2022, supported by the Lancang county government, Huatai Futures Co and the Huatai Foundation, the initiative has concentrated on biodiversity monitoring in the area.

Speaking of the project, Pang Tao, project coordinator from the Shan Shui Conservation Center's Yunnan office, said it aims to fill data gaps and enhance wildlife surveys, providing scientific guidance for future conservation efforts. The Chinese NGO is dedicated to species and ecosystem conservation and addressing human-nature coexistence issues, and it manages the "Our Lancang" project.

The project also investigates sustainable forest resource management and biodiversity conservation practices, benefiting local communities and paving the way for ecotourism development, Pang added.

"We have installed 23 infrared cameras at various sites in Lancang to collect data," she said.

"However, the cameras can only monitor wild animals and a few large bird species. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the area's avian life, bird surveys are essential. The success of the first Lancang bird-watching festival inspired us to incorporate a bird race into our project areas."