Reed Parrotbills Reappear in Our City's Coastal Wetlands: Ecological Restoration Paints a New Picture of a "Paradise for Migratory Birds"

From: Lianyungang Daily Updated: 2025-02-28 08:46

In the early spring, the crisp chirping of birds echoes through the reed marshes of Haizhou Bay coastal wetland in Ganyu District. Photographer Zhang Mingyu captures the lively figures of a flock of reed parrotbills through his telephoto lens. These "wetland fairies", once listed as near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, now appear in significant populations in the coastal wetlands of Lianyungang.

Currently, our city's total wetland area is 233,000 hectares, where over 300 species of birds dance gracefully under the blue sky, their figures outlining a vibrant ecological landscape in the wetlands of Lianyungang city. In recent years, our city has adhered to the principles of ecology first and green development, scientifically promoting wetland restoration by combining natural and artificial restoration measures, and vigorously implementing vegetation restoration and controlling the spread of Spartina alterniflora. The protection effectiveness indicators, such as wetland area, wetland protection rate, and wetland ecological status, have significantly improved. Taking Ganyu District as an example, the wetland protection rate has increased from 63.2% to 66.2%, with 13 wetland protection areas established, and it has taken the lead in completing the task of controlling Spartina alterniflora in the province. With continuous efforts in wetland ecological protection and restoration, the ecological environment of Ganyu's wetlands has become increasingly better, attracting many birds to "settle down", with nationally protected species such as red-crowned cranes and swans frequently appearing in the mudflats of Linhong River.

The wisdom of ecological restoration not only resides at the technical level but is also integrated into the fabric of urban development. In the morning at Yueya Island Wetland Park in Haizhou District, birdwatchers set up their "long guns and short cannons" (telephoto lenses) as they pass by joggers. What was once a fly ash dump has been ecologically reshaped into the city's "green lung". In 2019, Yueya Island implemented comprehensive ecological environment remediation, planting over 200 species of trees, shrubs, and aquatic plants across the island, creating an 870-acre water surface, and stocking over 30 species of fish and shrimp. As the ecosystem of Yueya Island continues to recover, more and more rare bird species appear here, and visitors often catch sight of rare and endangered species such as Reed Parrotbills, Falcated Ducks, and White-eyed Pochards. To protect these birds, our city has initiated the development of a biodiversity monitoring network construction plan, installing observation equipment in key ecological functional areas such as Yuntai Mountain, Linhong River Estuary, and Shilianghe, scientifically delineating sample plots and transects, and using multiple means to monitor and assess the city's biodiversity baseline. This year, our city plans to establish two ecological security buffers and is planning key projects for the "ecological island" pilot areas in Shilianghe, Guanhe Estuary, and Linhong Wetland, with a focus on promoting the construction of the "ecological island" in Yuntai Mountain.

The relevant responsible person from the Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau stated that our city will continue to adhere to the principles of ecology first, protection supreme, and natural restoration, employing diversified means such as river dredging, retreating from enclosed areas to restore wetlands, controlling Spartina alterniflora, and restoring bird habitats to jointly protect the biodiversity of coastal wetlands. We are committed to creating a stunning "paradise for migratory birds" along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.