China to launch three-year campaign to strengthen bird protection

BEIJING -- China is set to launch a three-year nationwide campaign to strengthen bird protection. The campaign will primarily focus on enhancing the conservation of birds and their habitats, combating illegal hunting, and promoting public awareness.

The initiative is jointly issued by 17 government bodies, including the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

China will enhance field patrols and monitoring efforts for birds. Patrols will be fully ensured across the four major migratory flyways passing through China and 1,140 key sites and areas with frequent bird activity.

The country will advance the development of a bird protection and its monitoring network, conduct wintering waterbird surveys, and restore critical habitats.

China will tighten the management of artificial bird breeding and intensify crackdowns on illegal activities such as bird poaching and trading.

Public awareness efforts will also be expanded, including a variety of educational activities aimed at fostering a culture of loving and protecting birds.

As one of the countries with the richest bird diversity in the world, China is home to over 1,500 bird species, or 13 percent of the world's total, and over 800 of them are migratory. Four of the nine major migratory flyways globally pass through the country.

China attaches great importance to bird conservation and has implemented a range of initiatives. These efforts have yielded significant progress, with notable improvements in bird habitats and overall biodiversity conservation. In 2024, the number of overwintering waterfowl in China reached a record high.