China’s Hainan continuously shatters record of rare species thanks to enhanced wetland ecology

Cotton pygmy geese, a bird species under second-class state protection in China, forage at the Haiwei National Wetland Park in Changjiang Li Autonomous County, south China’s Hainan Province. (Photo/Xue Meili)

Cotton pygmy geese, a bird species under second-class state protection in China, were recently spotted foraging at the Haiwei National Wetland Park in Changjiang Li Autonomous County, south China’s Hainan Province.

A new high of four cotton pygmy geese have been monitored at the wetland park so far this year.

There are less than 2,000 cotton pygmy geese across China. Since 1898, the species has been spotted only three times in Hainan, including the most recent one in September 2021, and only one was discovered each time.

In January this year, bluethroats, also a national second-class protected animal species, were spotted at the wetland park. It is now inhabited by 180 bird species.

In recent years, Hainan has continuously shattered the record of species at wetlands, as the province has intensified efforts to restore and protect wetlands and has regularly monitored some important wetlands.