Yiluo National Nature Reserve

Yiluo National Nature Reserve

Yiluo National Nature Reserve is a national-level nature reserve.

Yiluo National Nature Reserve

The Yiluo National Nature Reserve in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, is situated in the central part of Ordos City, with geographical coordinates between 109°14′E to 109°23′E and 33°25′N to 34°00′N. It is a nature reserve of the plateau inland wetland ecological type. The total area of the reserve is 14

770 hectares, with the core zone covering 4

753 hectares, the buffer zone 1

627 hectares, and the experimental zone 8

397

hectares. The reserve was established in 1998 and was upgraded to a national-level nature reserve in 2001 with approval from the State Council.

The main lakes within the reserve include Taolimiao-Alashanwan Haizi, Houjia Haizi, and Sujiagebu Haizi. The largest of these, Taolimiao-Alashanwan Haizi, is located in the center of the nature reserve. The lake is surrounded by sand-binding forest belts of Salix psammophila and Caragana intermedia. The lake area is camel-hump shaped, with a broad water surface and charming scenery. The typical plateau desert and semi-desert wetland ecosystem provides favorable conditions for the habitat and breeding of Yiluo and many other migratory birds. The area boasts rich bird resources, with the main conservation targets being 83 bird species, primarily the Yiluo, a Class I nationally protected wild animal. The vegetation in the reserve is sparse, mostly consisting of psammophytes. The animal population mainly includes wetland birds, grassland animals, and reptiles. According to surveys, there are 83 species of wetland birds in the reserve, including three Class I protected animals: the Yiluo, Oriental White Stork, and White-tailed Sea Eagle. There are also more than ten Class II protected animals, such as the Lesser Kestrel, Red-crowned Crane, Great Egret, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Hobby, Red-footed Falcon, Demoiselle Crane, Northern Goshawk, and Black-winged Stilt. Typical grassland animals mainly include the Mongolian Gerbil, Steppe Polecat, Siberian Weasel, Red Fox, Pallas's Cat, Hedgehog, Mongolian Weasel, Five-toed Jerboa, Vole, and Sand Lizard, among others, which are the dominant species.

The Yiluo is the main conservation target in the reserve. It belongs to the Laridae family under the order Charadriiformes, with a body length of 430–460 mm. Its iris is black, the area around the eyes is white, and its beak and feet are dark red. Summer plumage: the head is blackish-brown, with a white triangular patch above and below the eye, the upper body is pearl gray, the waist and tail feathers are white, the wings are pearl gray, and the primary flight feathers have black spots. It inhabits lakes and marshes in grasslands, deserts, and semi-deserts, and is distributed in desert saline lakes and alkaline lakes at elevations of 1

200–1

500 meters on the Ordos Plateau. The Yiluo is a Class I nationally protected wild animal in China and is one of the latest bird species to be discovered by humans.

in 500-meter desert saltwater and alkaline lakes. The Relict Gull is a first-class protected wild animal in China and one of the latest bird species to be discovered by humans.