Rongcheng, Shandong Province, is seeing more hustle than usual as thousands upon thousands of whooper-swans get ready for their journey to Siberia.
“Flapping wings and calling, the whooper Swans used to be quiet but these days they’re restless,” said Liu Zhibin. She has been working at Rongcheng Swan National Nature Reserve since 2005.
The 68-year old and his wife patrol the reserve twice daily to check on the swans and their living conditions.
He said that some whooper swans had shown signs they were preparing to embark on their migrations. Most will begin migrations in March.
The 16.7-square-kilometer reserve has several rivers, which makes the site rich in habitat diversity, including tidal flats, an estuary and sandbar lagoon.
According to reserve management, over 20,000 birds visit the reserve each year.
Each year, thousands of whooper-swans migrate from the Siberian area to Rongcheng. They spend around five months in Rongcheng, making it one of the largest wintering grounds in the world for whooper.
Liu stated that a healthy living environment attracts more swans to Rongcheng’s winter season.
“Changes to the environment are obvious. Ten years ago, sewage was drained into bays and lakes by people who didn’t care about the environment. Today, however, all water is clean.
The campaign was launched by the local government to improve sewage treatment and river quality in China’s 2015 efforts to emphasize ecological development as a foundation for sustainable socio-economic development.