In recent years, more and more migratory birds have flown to Lhasa for the winter, and flocks of these birds have become a beautiful sight in the city. Visiting Lhasa in winter to see the migratory birds has emerged as a new highlight for travelers.
A 30-year-old tourist named Zhang De, from Baoding, Hebei, came to Lhasa for a vacation at the end of the year to relax. “After getting off the plane, while riding in the car past the Lhasa River, I suddenly heard a chorus of bird calls. I rolled down the window and saw hundreds of water birds gathered on the nearby riverbank.” The driver told him that they were migratory birds spending the winter there, flying to Lhasa in flocks every autumn to escape the cold.
It was Zhang De’s first time seeing migratory birds on the plateau. Looking around, he saw numerous birds leisurely wandering, resting, playing, or foraging across the wide riverbanks and on the water’s surface. Most of them were ruddy shelducks and bar-headed geese, often seen in groups of dozens or even hundreds. The sight of them flapping their wings and calling out was truly spectacular.
“If you’re lucky enough, you might even spot black-necked cranes,” the driver told Zhang De. Black-necked cranes are regarded as auspicious birds by Tibetan people. They are the world’s only crane species that live and breed on the plateau and are classified as an endangered species and a Class I protected animal in China.
It is understood that Lhasa is located in a river valley alluvial plain at an altitude of nearly 3,700 meters. Every autumn, the warm and humid Lhasa River Valley attracts tens of thousands of migratory birds to spend the winter here, until they leave around April of the following year.
Hu Xi, director of the Office of the Lhasa Tourism Bureau, said: “Winter in Lhasa has become a paradise for birdwatchers. Whether in the urban area of Lhasa or the surrounding counties, wherever there is lush water and grass, it’s easy to spot flocks of migratory birds spending the winter, including nationally protected species such as black-necked cranes and bar-headed geese.”
At Longwangtan Park at the foot of the Potala Palace, migratory birds can be spotted everywhere. On the relatively small lake, groups of bar-headed geese, black-headed gulls, and ruddy shelducks are commonly seen. Some tuck their necks under their wings to sunbathe, others stand on the ice preening their feathers, and some swim back and forth looking for food.
Stopping by the lakeside, leaning on the railing, and watching the migratory birds in the warm sunlight is a delightful and relaxing experience shared by many visitors. A senior university student from Wuhan said: “Sunbathing while watching the birds sunbathe too—thinking about how they’ve flown thousands of miles to get here—gives you a feeling like you’ve stepped into another world.”
