China's second-largest freshwater lake sees rise in migratory birds

CHANGSHA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, China's second-largest freshwater lake, has seen an increase in both the number and diversity of migratory birds this year, according to the provincial bureau of forestry.

A survey that began in January recorded 381,800 waterbirds across 80 species, marking an increase of 3,500 birds and eight species compared to the same period last year.

This year, 33,000 nationally protected birds from 19 species were recorded. Seven of these species are classified as national first-class protected birds, including the Baer's pochard, Chinese merganser, white crane, white-naped crane, black stork and Oriental stork.

In recent years, the local government has carried out multiple restoration projects and made every effort to create a safe habitat for migratory birds.