Black-necked cranes spotted in Caohai National Nature Reserve in SW China's Guizhou

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 17, 2023 shows black-necked cranes at the Caohai National Nature Reserve in Weining Yi, Hui and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Han Xianpu)

Migratory black-necked cranes, a species under first-class state protection in China, were recently spotted at the Caohai National Nature Reserve in Weining Yi, Hui and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Caohai is an important wintering ground for black-necked cranes. In recent years, the number of black-necked cranes and other migratory birds overwintering in the nature reserve has been increasing yearly, thanks to the county's intensified ecological protection efforts.

Caohai had seen over 13,000 migratory birds as of Nov. 20, including more than 2,000 black-necked cranes, according to the latest data from the management committee of the Caohai National Nature Reserve.