Cranes welcome the arrival of spring in NE China's nature reserve (5)

Photo shows a red-crowned crane foraging in the Momoge National Nature Reserve. (People’s Daily Online/Li Chengwei)

Momoge National Nature Reserve, known as China's hometown of white cranes and situated in northeast China's Jilin province, plays a vital role in protecting rare and endangered birds as well as maintaining the ecological balance of the region.

The reserve is home to 298 species of birds from 55 families and 17 orders, including 22 species of national first-class protected birds and 49 species of birds under second-class protection. The key targets for protection on the reserve include rare water birds, including the white cranes, as well as the wetland ecosystem itself that they inhabit.