Nature Reserve to Protect Rare BirdsA nature reserve to protect 1,000 brown-colored rare birds will be built in forest area in Hancheng City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.These rare birds--crossoptilon mantchuricums--confirmed as an endangered species, only live in China and are on the national protection list, according to ornithologists. The nature reserve is expected to cover an area of 56,500 hectares. The adult bird weigh some five kg with a body length of one-meter and a tail resembling a tail of a horse. In recent years, more than 1,000 such birds have appeared in the Leisizhuang forest area in central Shaanxi. Groups of crossoptilon mantchuricums have been often witnessed flying around in the forest with an estimated number of approximately 1,000. The city has applied to the provincial government to build a nature reserve and to conduct further researches on these birds and other 100 species of wild animals living in the forest. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |