Millennium Bird Migration Corridor Scenic Area

Millennium Bird Migration Corridor Scenic Area

In Yingpanwei, on the western border of Suichuan County, there is a migratory bird flight corridor known as the "Millennium Bird Migration Corridor." Around the Qingming and Bailu solar terms each year, due to the influence of winds blowing from southeast to northwest, which create air currents guiding birds flying south to north and vice versa, people often see numerous birds flying together in flocks, a spectacular scene resembling a great migration.

According to expert research, the formation of the "Millennium Bird Migration Corridor" is first attributed to the area’s unique topography and landforms. To the north of Yingpanwei lies the southern peak of the Luoxiao Mountain Range, Nanfengshan (2,120 meters above sea level), to the south is Qiyunshan of the Zhuguang Mountain Range (2,061 meters), and to the southwest is Bamianshan (2,042 meters). Between these three majestic mountains lies a series of low mountains and high hills ranging from 600 to 1,200 meters in elevation, forming a west-east oriented concave valley that provides migratory birds with clear navigational landmarks. Additionally, the area benefits from its natural ecological landscape where land and water environments alternate. Yingpanwei features dense forests with well-preserved vegetation, and a rich diversity of habitats including forest communities, forested wetlands, shrub swamps, rivers, and reservoirs, all of which offer birds excellent conditions for foraging, hydrating, and resting. Moreover, the area’s remote location means minimal human activity and disturbance, ensuring the safety of bird populations.

The discovery of the "Millennium Bird Migration Corridor" was the result of years of investigation and exploration. In the summer of 1998, Liu Xinzhoing, a senior engineer from the Provincial Wildlife Conservation Bureau, and others helping the city wildlife conservation station organize a wildlife survey training course, happened to hear that large numbers of birds flew through the western mountainous areas of Suichuan every autumn. They keenly suspected it might be a major migratory bird corridor. In September 1999, the city wildlife conservation station organized a special bird survey in the western mountains of Suichuan, where the existence of a migratory bird corridor was discovered and preliminarily confirmed. By the end of September 2002, after nearly two years of preparation and research, the "China-Japan Suichuan County Yingpanwei Bird Banding Symposium" was held as scheduled, marking the official launch of efforts to unravel the mystery of this “Millennium Bird Migration Corridor.” Over the following three consecutive years, ornithologists and banding professionals from across the country conducted bird banding and other scientific research activities here, ultimately confirming that Yingpanwei is a crucial migratory "bottleneck" for birds passing through central China, and one of the key points along the routes connecting birds migrating between Russia and northeastern China to Southeast Asia and even Australia and New Zealand. It is also an important stopover site for migratory birds in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In December 2004, the National Bird Breeding Center confirmed this as the country’s second major migratory bird corridor following the one discovered in Weishan, Yunnan in 1997. After nearly a decade of expert research, the "Millennium Bird Migration Corridor" was finally discovered and confirmed, lifting the veil on its long-held mystery.

Over the years, domestic and international bird experts, as well as officials engaged in wildlife protection from provincial, municipal, and county levels, have visited Yingpanwei multiple times to study the concentrated habitats and population changes of birds. A bird banding research and observation station has been established, where mist nets are used to capture migratory birds. These birds are then observed at the banding station before being released, allowing researchers to track their migration patterns and behaviors. To date, a total of 19,937 banded birds have been captured, representing 171 species including the Chinese Pond Heron, Yellow Bittern, Cuckoo, Peregrine Falcon, Kingfisher, Fairy Pitta, Long-tailed Crow, Barn Swallow, and Red-billed Leiothrix. Among them, over 30 species are classified as national second-class or higher protected birds. Research on the Millennium Bird Migration Corridor has provided significant reference value and scientific importance for promoting bird banding techniques, raising awareness of bird banding, and fostering bird and mountain conservation as well as environmental improvement.

1. Scenic Area Ticket Price: Currently no tickets are sold

2. Scenic Area Inquiry Phone: 07966486201

3. Tourist Route: Millennium Bird Migration Corridor Scenic Area, Tonggu Village, Yingpanwei Township (may also include visits to the Shili Ecological Tea Sightseeing Corridor in Tonggu Village, Yingpanwei Township; the Migratory Bird Ecological Culture Square in Yingpanwei Township; Leigongyan in Daxia Village, Yingpanwei Township; and the Stone Men, Stone Horses, and Stone Golden Bell in Meizhu Village, Yingpanwei Township)

4. Transportation Routes (including both major transport and public transit routes), Self-driving Routes

① Suichuan – Dafen (Hot Water Zhou Scenic Area) – Daijiapu (Nanfengshan Scenic Area) – Yingpanwei Township (Millennium Bird Migration Corridor Scenic Area)

② Yanling County, Hunan Province (Yandi Mausoleum Scenic Area) – Yingpanwei Township (Millennium Bird Migration Corridor Scenic Area)

③ Gao Ping Town, Suichuan County (Eagle Pan Mountain Scenic Area) – Guidong County, Hunan Province (Bamianshan and Qiyunshan Scenic Areas) – Yingpanwei Township (Millennium Bird Migration Corridor Scenic Area)

Yingpanwei Township: Located in the southwestern part of Suichuan County, Yingpanwei Township sits at the junction of two provinces and three counties (Jiangxi and Hunan, Suichuan, Yanling, and Guidong). According to the Zeng family genealogy: during the Xianfeng era, when Quancheng fell in the year of Bingchen, the local magistrate Bo Hou sought refuge here to escape bandits, setting up camps to train militias, which later led to the place being called Yingpan (military camp). Later, a market town was established here, hence the name Yingpanwei (military camp market). Before liberation, it was under the jurisdiction of Daisheng Township; in the later stages of liberation, it belonged to Dafeng District and was called Guankou Township (named for the treacherous access, symbolizing “one man holds the pass, ten thousand cannot get through”). In 1958, it merged with Daisheng Township to become Daisheng People’s Commune; in 1959, it split again to become Guankou Commune. 19... More detailed information on Yingpanwei Township ++