Coming to Yueyang for Birdwatching
The best time for going birdwatching is at 6:00 am to 8:00 am and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm from November to January the following year.
In recent years, Yueyang Municipal PeopleĄŻs Government and East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve have taken series of effective measures and publicity campaigns to protect the Nature Reserve with closed-end management, intensified wetland research and comprehensive law enforcement. The East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve as the main venue for the Dongting Lake International Bird-watching Festival was rated as one of the first batches of 23 green protected areas granted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2014. It is the first of its kind in China winning such international honor.
At East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, bird watchers can observe bean goose, little swan and pied avocet at Big West Lake and lesser white-fronted goose, oriental white stork, Eurasian spoonbill and white crane at Small West Lake.
More places for watching birds:
East Dongting Lake
Located in Junshan District, Yueyang, East Dongting Lake covers an area of more than 190,000 hectares. It is known as the largest and best preserved natural seasonal lake among the lakes in Dongting area. It is an internationally important wetland boasting rich biodiversity. The major birdwatching sites here include Junshan Island, Dingzi Dyke, Caicang Lake, Hongqi Lake, JinĄŻe Park, and Nanhu Park.
West Dongting Lake
Photo source: sohu.com
A total of 1,680-sqkm wetland of South Dongting Lake adjacent to Yuanjiang City, Yiyang is home to 863 marshy plants, 164 bird species, and 114 fish species. The area of 24,000 hectares of reeds, the world's largest reed area, becomes the best habitat for birds. Birds under first-grade state protection including Siberian white crane, hooded crane, and Chinese merganser can be found.
Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn; hunan.voc.com.cn
In recent years, Yueyang Municipal PeopleĄŻs Government and East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve have taken series of effective measures and publicity campaigns to protect the Nature Reserve with closed-end management, intensified wetland research and comprehensive law enforcement. The East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve as the main venue for the Dongting Lake International Bird-watching Festival was rated as one of the first batches of 23 green protected areas granted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2014. It is the first of its kind in China winning such international honor.
The file photo shows flocks of lesser white-fronted gooses flying over the Dongting Lake.
More places for watching birds:
East Dongting Lake
Photo source: yueyang.gov.cn
West Dongting Lake
Photo source: sohu.com
Photo source: shidi.org
Photo source: shidi.org
Photo taken by Shi Xuwei (Photo source: shidi.org)
Located in Hanshou County, Changde, West Dongting Lake, with a total area of more than 35,000 hectares, is one of China's freshwater wetlands with the richest biodiversity. It is named as "West Dongting Lake National Urban Wetland Park" by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Every year tens of thousands of migratory birds spend winter in the area. Among them, more than 20 bird species are under first-grade and second-grade state protection. The most distinctive birds often seen in the area are black stork, Siberian white crane, and other rare and endangered species.
South Dongting Lake
South Dongting Lake
Photo source: shidi.org
A total of 1,680-sqkm wetland of South Dongting Lake adjacent to Yuanjiang City, Yiyang is home to 863 marshy plants, 164 bird species, and 114 fish species. The area of 24,000 hectares of reeds, the world's largest reed area, becomes the best habitat for birds. Birds under first-grade state protection including Siberian white crane, hooded crane, and Chinese merganser can be found.
Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn; hunan.voc.com.cn
Photo source: shidi.org; yueyang.gov.cn; sohu.com