An essential stopover on a global flyway
In Anhui province, along the southern bank of the Yangtze River, lies Shengjin Lake, a critical freshwater wetland. This body of water is a designated National Nature Reserve and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, recognizing its value to global biodiversity. The lake system is an important stopover and wintering ground for a vast number of migratory waterbirds using the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Each year, conservation scientists and ornithologists conduct a census to count the visiting bird populations.
The primary focus of the annual count is the Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus. Shengjin Lake and the surrounding wetlands of the Yangtze River floodplain host approximately 75% of the East Asian flyway population of these swans during the winter. The annual census, part of the larger Asian Waterbird Census, involves teams from organizations like the Anhui Forestry Department, Anhui University, and Wetlands International. In one census from January 2016, observers counted 24,506 waterbirds from 39 different species. Overall, the number of migratory birds wintering at Shengjin Lake has grown from around 60,000 to approximately 100,000 due to habitat protection efforts.