Migratory birds arrive at China's largest freshwater lake

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 21, 2021 shows swans swimming at the Duchang water area of the Poyang Lake, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Fu Jianbin)

NANCHANG, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- As of Sunday, more than 637,000 migratory birds had arrived in east China's Jiangxi Province to winter at Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, local authorities said on Wednesday.

Seven wild species under first-class state protection were spotted, including the white crane, the white-naped crane, and the black stork, according to the provincial forestry bureau.

Poyang Lake has an intact ecosystem and is an important wintering spot for waterfowl in Asia. The peak migration period for birds heading to the lake begins in mid-December and continues into early January.

Local authorities have launched annual joint law enforcement operations to crack down on illegal damage to the wetlands and the hunting of migratory birds to protect these species.