Our Greater Hangzhou Reporter Zhou Chenlu Correspondent Zhang Lei Lin Xiao General Yushang Linshui Another national first-level protected animal was discovered in Yuhang! What was discovered this time was the "giant panda among birds" - the white-necked long-tailed pheasant. Star

Our Greater Hangzhou Reporter Zhou Chenlu Correspondent Zhang Lei Lin Xiao Comprehensive Yushang Linshui

Another first-level nationally protected animal has been discovered in Yuhang! What was discovered this time was the "giant panda among birds" - the white-necked long-tailed pheasant.

Starting from 2022, the Yuhang District Forestry and Water Conservancy Bureau commissioned the Hangzhou Yuanxiang Wildland Ecological Protection and Research Center to conduct a three-year background survey of wild animals and plants. It was this survey project that discovered the white-necked long-tailed pheasant in the fourth quarter of Jingshan Town. Infrared cameras installed in Lingcun.

"At the end of 2021, the Chinese serow, a national second-level protected animal, was photographed in Siling Village. Therefore, we placed a camera here for long-term monitoring. During the data processing process, we saw this The very beautiful bird that just broke into the camera was confirmed through comparison and verification to be the white-necked long-tailed pheasant, a national first-level protected animal," said Shen Qiu, head of the Hangzhou Wilderness Ecological Protection and Research Center.

It is reported that this is the first time this species has been discovered in Yuhang District.

China's unique bird species

Folks call it the "White Fairy"

The white-necked long-tailed pheasant is a special bird in China. It has been included in the list of China's national key protected wild animals and is a national first-level protected bird.

often travels in and out of rugged mountains and valleys with dense forests and complex terrain. Because of her timid and alert character, she is known as the "Hermit in the Forest", and the people call her the "White Fairy" who sees the dragon but never sees its tail.

Due to the logging of a large number of forests in the past, deforestation, land reclamation and forest transformation, the habitat of the white-necked pheasant has been greatly damaged. In addition, large-scale hunting has caused the population to decline day by day and become extremely rare. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN) is listed as near-threatened.

There are 21 species of first-level protected animals in Yuhang District

“The discovery of the white-necked pheasant brings the number of first-level protected animals in Yuhang District to 21 species. The white-necked pheasant is a pheasant that lives in the forest. It has colorful feathers and long tail feathers. It is very beautiful and has high requirements on the habitat environment. The discovery of the white-necked pheasant here shows that the ecological environment and biodiversity of Yuhang District continue to improve. I hope that their population will continue to improve in the future. can continue to grow." said Chen Yilin, deputy director of the Forest Wetland and Nature Reserve Station of the Hangyuhang District Forestry and Water Conservancy Bureau.

A distant view of Siling Village/Photo by Liu Huangen

In addition to the white-necked long-tailed pheasant photographed this time, previously, the black-faced spoonbill, one of the world's endangered birds, appeared in Caodang, North Lake, Yuhang. It mixed with a group of white spoonbills and rested and foraged in the wetland together with the white spoonbills.

A group of "national treasure" visitors - bald cranes - hovered over Beihu.

Photography/Tang Ronghua

Photography enthusiasts once photographed the white crane, known as the "living fossil" of birds, in Beihu.

National protected animal - colorful ibis (huán)

There is also the yellow-breasted bunting (wú), a national first-level protected animal. This is also the first time that the Zhejiang Wild Bird Society has clearly recorded a Yellow-breasted Bunting in Beihu.

In addition to birds, black muntjacs (jǐ), a national first-level protected animal, have been found in Jingshan.

Cats such as golden cats, clouded leopards, big civets, small civets, jackals, leopards, pangolins, etc. have historical records of appearing in Yuhang.

(Source: City Express Orange Persimmon Interactive)