On February 2 — the 27^th World Wetlands Day, south China’s island province of Hainan published the results of the census of waterbirds wintering on the island: A total of 32,036 birds of 71 different species were recorded this year, including 4 species under national first-class protection and 10 species under national second-class protection.

Hainan has some of the richest wetland resources of any Chinese province. Recent years have seen multiple wetland parks built across the province as well as the conservation and restoration of wetlands and mangrove forests.

According to the Forestry Department of Hainan Province, a total of 12 national-level and provincial-level wetland parks have been established or are under construction on the island. These parks provide excellent habitats and places to spend the winter for many endangered and rare birds such as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Black-faced Spoonbill.

Let’s check out some of the bird species spotted in Hainan over the past winter:

(Spotted in the Lin’gao Wetland mangrove area)

(Spotted at Danzhou Bay)

 

(Spotted at the Haikou Dongzhai Harbour National Nature Reserve)

 

(Spotted in the wilds of Sanjiang Town, Haikou)

 

(Spotted in the Haikou Sanjiang Bay wetlands)

(Spotted on the Danzhou Xinying Bay beach)

(Spotted in the Danzhou Bay wetlands)

 

(Spotted at the Haikou Dongzhai Harbour National Nature Reserve)

 

(Spotted at the Changjiang Haiwei Wetland Park)