Changsha Evening News, Changsha, December 21 According to Hunan ** news, in the past month, many wetlands in our province have monitored the Chinese merganser duck, a national first-class key protected animal. Today, the Provincial Forestry Bureau reported that in the past ten years, the number of Chinese mergansers who come to Hunan for wintering has increased by three times, and the latest survey statistics show that more than 400 Chinese mergansers have wintered in Hunan this winter, accounting for about 10% of the global total, and the habitat covers 30 counties and cities in the four major water systems of Hunan, Zi, Yuan and Li.
The global population of the Chinese merganser duck does not exceed 4,500 individuals, and it is listed as a globally endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This endangered bird got its name from the fact that it was first recorded in our country in 1864.
According to experts from the Provincial Biodiversity Conservation Center, the Chinese merganser duck has very strict requirements for the habitat environment, especially water quality, requiring mountains and waters, beaches, rapids, and forests, and no human interference, once the water area is polluted, they will leave immediately. Such Xi habits have led to a sparse population of Chinese mergansers, which also makes them considered a typical ecological indicator species.
In 2014, the provincial forestry department found that the wintering grounds of Chinese mergansers in our province were limited to a narrow area such as Hubian Mountain in Shimen County, Fengtan Power Station in Yuanling County, Lingjintan Hydropower Station in Taoyuan County and Riyue Lake in Shuangpai County in Yongzhou City, with a total of about 100 birds. This year, the range of Chinese mergansers to winter in Hunan has expanded significantly, and the distribution range of its population has been recorded in the province to cover 30 counties and cities in 11 cities and prefectures.