Duchang Migratory Bird Reserve

Duchang Migratory Bird Reserve

Duchang County is situated on the northern shore of Poyang Lake, where the waters of the five major rivers—the Gan, Fu, Xin, Rao, and Xiu—meet. The county features extensive wetlands, numerous rivers and lakes, and a dense network of water channels. It covers an area of 2,669.5 square kilometers, with water bodies accounting for 1,390.3 square kilometers, or 52% of the total land area. The county administers 24 townships with a total population of 782,800, of which 600,000 people in 21 townships live along the lake. The county has jurisdiction over 1.85 million mu (about 123,300 hectares) of Poyang Lake waters, accounting for over one-third of the lake’s total area of 5.38 million mu (about 358,700 hectares). Its shoreline stretches 185 kilometers, nearly one-sixth of Poyang Lake's total shoreline of 1,200 kilometers. The vast water area, abundant wetland resources, and unique geographical location provide an ideal habitat and ample food supply for migratory birds wintering in the Poyang Lake region, making it a crucial wintering ground for these birds. Every autumn and winter, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds fly thousands of kilometers from places such as Siberia, the Mongolian grasslands, and Russia to winter in the Poyang Lake area of Duchang County. Within the wetland area, there are 230 species of birds, including 7 species under national first-class protection—represented by the Siberian crane—as well as 38 species under national second-class protection, mainly comprising the tundra swan, great egret, common crane, and greater white-fronted goose, with the tundra swan being the most numerous. There are also 69 species under provincial-level protection. In April 2012, the China Wildlife Conservation Association designated Duchang County as the "Hometown of the Tundra Swan in China."

The Duchang Migratory Bird Nature Reserve is a provincial-level wetland wildlife and wild animal nature reserve approved by the provincial government on April 30, 2004. Its geographical coordinates are between 116°2'24" to 116°36'30" east longitude and 28°50'28" to 29°10'20" north latitude. Covering an area of 616,500 mu (about 41,100 hectares), it includes a core zone of 123,000 mu (about 8,200 hectares) and an experimental zone of 493,500 mu (about 32,900 hectares). The primary conservation targets are the wetland ecosystem and wintering migratory birds within the area. In 2006, the reserve was listed as one of the first members of the Yangtze River Basin Wetland Network. Due to the presence of globally and nationally rare and endangered migratory bird species and its unique wetland ecosystem, the reserve serves as an ideal site for biodiversity research, nature conservation, education, and training. Its strategic location plays a vital role in soil and water conservation, water source protection, and climate regulation within the Poyang Lake system and the Yangtze River Basin. Its rich biodiversity holds significant value for scientific research on natural ecosystems.

To protect this beautiful ecological home and promote harmony between humans and birds, as well as between humans and wetlands, in 2008 the county Party committee and government actively responded to the development requirements of the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone by establishing the Duchang Migratory Bird Nature Reserve Administration. This sub-department-level organization moved the protection of wetlands and wintering migratory birds into a track of professional conservation and dedicated management. In the more than four years since its establishment, the administration has received strong support not only from the county Party committee and government but also from the provincial departments of environmental protection, forestry, and finance. At the same time, adhering to the principle of running the institution thriftily, the administration has carried out a series of targeted initiatives—including capacity building, public awareness campaigns, conservation efforts, patrols, management, resource surveys, monitoring, and overall development planning—in line with the guiding principles of “prioritizing protection, strict management, rational utilization, and sustainable development.” These efforts have brought about substantial changes in the protection of wetlands and wintering migratory birds in the Duchang Lake area. Key outcomes include: first, the gradual strengthening of infrastructure, resulting in offices, field stations, patrol equipment, and financial support; second, the continuous improvement of a conservation team network, with 22 patrol and management personnel from the reserve administration and three management stations, along with 20 additional farmer-based bird protectors hired for key sections; third, ongoing publicity and education efforts have fostered a strong conservation atmosphere, significantly raising public awareness, attention, and support for the protection of wetland resources and migratory birds, thereby enhancing the visibility and influence of the reserve; fourth, the protection of wetlands and migratory birds has been achieved in a safe and orderly manner, with increased field patrols effectively eliminating threats such as poisoning and “sky nets” that endanger wintering birds, while injured or sick birds receive careful care, ensuring their habitat remains secure; fifth, the decline in wetland area and degradation of functions have been effectively curbed, with a steady increase in the population of wintering migratory birds, particularly rare and endangered species such as the Siberian crane, common crane, and tundra swan, which serve as indicators of wetland ecological health; and sixth, the migratory bird reserve has been strictly managed, with no development activities, resource destruction, or landscape exploitation that could harm the ecological function of the protected area. Due to solid work and evident conservation results, in 2011 Duchang County was honored as an Advanced County in the Protection of Wintering Migratory Birds and Wetlands in the Poyang Lake Region. To date, two individuals have received the Subaru Ecology Conservation Award, one has been recognized as a National Advanced Individual in Forest and Wildlife Conservation, and eight individuals, three townships (administrative units), and four administrative villages (stations) have been awarded as Advanced Individuals and Units in the 2011 Provincial Wintering Migratory Bird and Wetland Protection Efforts.