Compared with previous years, winter migratory birds arrived earlier in 2022 in many places of East China's Jiangsu Province. Screenshot of Modern Express

In late autumn, all parts of East China's Jiangsu Province have become the "show place" for winter migratory birds. Sometimes they perch on the lake, sometimes they soar, and sometimes they stand by the water, drawing a vivid picture of migratory birds.

Compared with previous years, winter migratory birds arrived earlier in 2022 in many places of the province. At the same time, hooded cranes, black storks and other rare birds were found for the first time in Taizhou, Suzhou, Changzhou and other places.

Hooded crane is one of the key protected birds in China, with only 6,000 to 15,000 remaining in the world. 

Cao Mingchang, a researcher at the Yangtze River Biodiversity Conservation Scientific Observation and Research Station, said the discovery proves that the wetland in Taizhou has a favorable environment for the cranes, which have strict environmental requirements. 

At the end of October, when an ornithologist was observing birds in the wetlands along the Yangtze River in Suzhou, he was surprised to find a helopsaltes certhiola in transit, a new bird species found in Suzhou. 

Observers say it is a sign of the success of wetland conservation in recent years. 

"The appearance of these rare birds has also brought new vitality to the lives of people in Jiangsu," a netizen said. "I believe not only will the ecology of southern China improve further, but that more species will find suitable habitats in northern China."