On the morning of November 22, five Siberian cranes, a critically endangered species and a Class I protected animal in China, were discovered in the Quanzhou Bay Estuary Wetland Nature Reserve (Shishi section) in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. This marks the first visit of Siberian cranes to Fujian this year, and their numbers have broken historical records for the province.
The white crane is entirely white, with a bright red chest and forehead, and a dark red beak and legs. In China, they are mainly winter migratory birds and transient birds. In autumn, they fly to southern my country from early to mid-November to overwinter, and in spring, from late March to early April, they leave their wintering grounds in shallow marshes and wetlands.
The Siberian crane is known as a "living fossil among birds," with a global population of less than 4,000 individuals. It is listed as a critically endangered (CR) species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is also a Class I protected animal in my country.
The Quanzhou Bay Estuary Wetland Nature Reserve boasts diverse ecosystems including estuaries, mudflats, mangroves, reclaimed areas, and nearshore areas, providing an excellent habitat for rare birds such as the Siberian Crane, which migrate there for the winter. Going forward, the local authorities will conduct continuous monitoring and recording of the Siberian Crane population, wintering duration, and lifestyle habits, contributing to biodiversity research.
