First record! Five glossy ibises are spotted at the Haifeng Wetlands

Recently, staff members of the Guangdong Haifeng Avian Natural Reserve recorded the presence of five glossy ibises, a species under national first-level protection. According to the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province, this is the first discovery of these rare birds in Haifeng and even the wider Shanwei region, marking an important milestone in bird research in Guangdong.

The glossy ibis is a wild bird species under national first-level protection, a medium-sized wading bird measuring approximately 50cm to 70cm in length. Its head is feathered except for the bare facial skin, and its overall plumage is glossy chestnut-brown. The upper back, wings, and tail are dark coppery-green, while the forehead and area around the eyes turn white during the breeding season. It has a long, downward-curved black beak and long legs with bare lower parts, which are yellow-brown in color.

Reporters observed through a monitor that the glossy ibises were seen walking near the wetlands, foraging in the water, or soaring in a V formation across the sky. "Haifeng Wetlands have welcomed new visitors. As of now, 251 bird species have been recorded within the reserve," said staff from the Guangdong Haifeng Avian Natural Reserve Administrative Office.

According to Zhang Qiang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, glossy ibises are distributed globally but are not abundant in China. They were once extinct in China for nearly 70 years until rediscovered in Sichuan in 2009. Since then, they have been sighted in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other places. In recent years, glossy ibises have also appeared in Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhanjiang, Huizhou, and other parts of Guangdong, but there have been no signs of breeding within the province yet.

"The presence of glossy ibises in Shanwei once again demonstrates the continuous improvement of Guangdong's ecology. Currently, there has been a significant increase in the number of newly recorded and newly distributed migratory bird populations in the province," said a person in charge from the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province, "Guangdong has recorded 584 species of wild birds, with 412 species possessing migratory characteristics."

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

首次记录！5只彩鹮现身海丰湿地

近日，广东海丰鸟类省级自然保护区工作人员监测记录到5只国家一级保护野生动物彩鹮。据省林业局透露，这是海丰乃至汕尾地区首次发现这种珍稀鸟类，对广东鸟类研究具有重要意义。

彩鹮是国家一级保护野生动物，中等体型涉禽，体长约50cm-70cm。头部除面部裸出外皆被羽，通体主要为铜栗色而富有光泽；下背、翅和尾暗铜绿色，眼先和眼周在繁殖期为白色。嘴细长而下弯、呈黑色，腿较长，胫下部裸出，黄褐色。

记者通过监控画面看到，彩鹮或在湿地旁漫步行走、在水中探觅食物，或呈“V”字队形翱翔天际。“海丰湿地又迎来新朋友，截至目前，保护区内记录到的鸟类已达251种。”广东海丰鸟类省级自然保护区管理局相关工作人员表示。

据广东省科学院动物研究所副所长张强介绍，彩鹮广布全球，但在我国数量不多，曾一度绝迹近70年，直至2009年才在四川再次被发现，后常见于河北、山东、江苏、上海、香港等地。近年来，彩鹮也先后在广东珠海、东莞、湛江、惠州等地露面，但还没有发现在省内繁殖的迹象。

“彩鹮在汕尾市的出现，再次证明广东生态持续向好。如今，广东省新记录、新分布的候鸟种群数量大幅增加。”省林业局相关负责人表示，广东记录分布有野生鸟类584种，其中具有迁徙属性鸟类412种。

文、图｜记者 张爱丽 通讯员 林荫译｜林佳岱