China's public stewardship delivers crested ibis conservation miracle

XI'AN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- In the lingering morning mist, Zhou Fakui, almost 80, made his first stop after getting up, stepping into the backyard woods to greet his "neighbors," the crested ibises. Once nearly extinct, the birds are now a first-class protected species in China and revered as an "oriental gem."

About 20 years ago, two crested ibises landed near the rice fields in Siyinba Village of Shiquan County in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. "These are birds of good fortune. Better days are coming to our village!" Zhou, who spotted them, thought to himself back then.

Zhou suspected the two crested ibises had traveled from Yangxian County in the city of Hanzhong in Shaanxi, a drive of about 100 km from his village. This speculation was later confirmed by experts.

Historically widespread in East Asia, the crested ibis nearly disappeared from the wild due to environmental changes and human activity. In 1981, an expedition team led by Liu Yinzeng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered seven wild crested ibises in Yangxian, marking the beginning of decades-long efforts to save the species.

Latest statistics from the Shaanxi provincial forestry bureau show that by the end of 2025, the global population of the crested ibis had exceeded 12,000, and its habitat had expanded to more than 20,000 square km. The status of the crested ibis has, notably, been improved from "Critically Endangered" to "Endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

POPULATION RECOVERY

"After the rediscovery of this species, the county enforced strict ecological protection rules, banning hunting, logging, the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and land clearance and blasting," Li Jie, deputy head of Yangxian.

To protect the crested ibis, the county enforces stringent ecological rules and has built a science-based protection system combining conservation, rewilding, multi-stakeholder collaboration and human-bird harmony.

"In the early days, researchers lived under the very trees where the ibises nested, meticulously documenting their feeding, egg-laying and incubation routines until they cracked the species' entire breeding code," said Gao Jie, head of the artificial breeding center at the Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve.

During the crested ibis breeding season from March to June each year, researchers remain in the field around the clock to observe the birds and provide emergency care at the first sign of trouble -- a practice that has helped increase the survival rate of chicks.

A 24-hour emergency rescue mechanism is now in place at the artificial breeding center. "Since 2000, most reports of wild crested ibises being injured have come from local people, and our staff immediately head out to rescue them," Gao said.

The Shaanxi crested ibis rescue and breeding center was built in Yangxian in the early 1990s, launching formal research into captive breeding. "Two years later, we had our first successful artificial hatching," Gao said.

By integrating wild protection with captive breeding, the crested ibis population has, over the past 45 years, made a remarkable leap, from the brink of extinction to slow growth and now accelerated recovery.

FULL RETURN

Conservation efforts have gone beyond simply increasing numbers. According to Gao, to address challenges such as low genetic diversity and highly concentrated distribution, her artificial breeding center is now exporting crested ibis breeding stock to other areas while intensifying rewilding training to further strengthen the population.

"We could say that Yangxian is now the source of crested ibis breeding stock for the entire world," Gao said, adding that all 10 cities in Shaanxi have established wild crested ibis populations. Across China, the species has spread to 15 provincial-level regions including Henan, Hunan, Zhejiang and Sichuan, steadily advancing toward a systematic recovery.

On May 11 this year, 10 crested ibises set off from the Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve for a new home, namely the Longqishan National Nature Reserve in east China's Fujian Province. It marked the first return of the species to Fujian since it had gone locally extinct.

Currently, Yangxian has exported more than 300 crested ibises as breeding stock to help rebuild populations not only in multiple regions across China but also in Japan and the Republic of Korea. Niu Kesheng, director of the Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve Administration, expressed confidence in achieving the goal of fully restoring the species to its historical range by 2035.

As a child in Russia, Yan Zi grew up hearing stories of the crested ibis. Now in her late fifties, the Russian-Chinese painter said the bird has become part of her longing for home. After she first encountered the bird in Shaanxi in 2009, she began spending years in the rice paddies of Yangxian, painting the ibises, and has since created nearly 1,000 oil paintings of them.

"The rebirth of the crested ibis is a story of harmony between humans and nature," she said. "Every time I see them flying across the fields, I feel it is the most beautiful gift nature has to offer."

IBIS EFFECT

When the crested ibises first arrived in Siyinba Village, some villagers worried that the birds would eat the loaches and small fish in the rice paddies, thus reducing their harvests. "But later, we heard that the ibises came precisely because our village has a good ecosystem," Zhou said.

The village then set up regular patrols and villagers were advised not to chase away ibises foraging in the fields, so as to allow the birds to nest in peace. "Now, protecting the ibises is a habit for the whole village. They've even built nests in the big trees right outside our homes," said Zhang Tao, the village Party chief.

"We protect the crested ibises, and they have been watching over us all along in return," Zhou said. One of the first villagers to join the protection efforts, he has witnessed the ibis population in his village grow to more than 70.

To keep the ibises around, villagers have grown more environmentally conscious. They've modernized their toilets and installed systems to collect and properly treat all household wastes.

In addition, they've abandoned chemical pesticides and fertilizers in favor of traditional farming, converting 300 mu (about 20 hectares) to organic farming and setting aside foraging areas for the ibises. Though crop yields have dipped slightly, the village has developed several organic brands, with the average output value per mu of land increasing by over 5,000 yuan (about 734 U.S. dollars) compared with conventional farming.

A better ecological environment has also boosted rural tourism. Siyinba Village has developed the Caochiwan Crested Ibis Village, an integrated rural complex project.

"We've divided the village into four functional zones: a core ibis protection area, an organic farming area, a wellness and homestay area, and a nature-education area for farming and cultural experiences," said Zhang Benkang, Party chief of Chengguan Town, which administers Siyinba Village. "This way, we've both protected the environment and found a way to develop."

Since the project began its trial operation in 2023, it has received over 70,000 visitors a year, generating 3.5 million yuan in tourism revenue.

Even more striking than the numbers is the return of local people. "The crested ibises have lured back those who had left for jobs in cities," Zhang said. "Previously, more than 70 percent of villagers worked away from home. Now, the majority have come back."

Zou Jingge currently runs a bird-watching tea house. "No more working far away. I can look after my family here," she said. "All the cleaners and kitchen staff here are locals, earning approximately 3,500 yuan a month."

Rui Reis, a 68-year-old Swedish music therapist, came to China for a conference early this month. Invited to experience rural ecological restoration practices in the village, he fell hopelessly in love with the place.

"The ecology here is so good. It is very peaceful. The birds fly all around us, like our neighbors. Yesterday I even went swimming in the river," said Reis, who is visiting China for the fourth time. "After I return home, I will tell the Swedish people about the real and beautiful Chinese countryside."