In the southeast sea area of Yantai, Shandong, there is a bird island. It is the largest island nature reserve in China and one of the most important migratory bird corridors in the world. Every spring and autumn, millions of birds fly by, including rare and endangered birds of prey such as white-tailed sea eagles, white-bellied sea eagles, and gray-faced [gf]9d5f[gf] eagles, which stop, feed, and breed here, adding endless vitality and charm to this marine ecosystem.
It is also known as a "bird's paradise" for bird lovers, but it has also become a hunting ground for poachers.
In recent years, some unscrupulous poachers, in order to make huge profits, do not hesitate to use cruel means such as sticky bird nets to kill these innocent birds. They even twisted off the head and neck of the birds by hand, separating the head from the body of the bird to facilitate transportation and sales. According to statistics, in 2019 alone, more than 2,000 birds of prey were killed here, and Bird Island has become a "graveyard".
Some of these poached birds are used as game**, some as toys or decorations, and some even as medicinal herbs. Fortunately, the local forest police department discovered the situation in time and opened a case for investigation and criminal detention of the poachers involved, bringing justice to the birds.
Changdao, Shandong Province, where Bird Island is located, is an important passage for migratory birds around the world, known as the "East Asian-Australian Migratory Bird Migration Corridor". The corridor connects Siberia, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and other places, involving more than 300 species of migratory birds, with a total of 1 billion birds. These migratory birds fly thousands of kilometers every year, cross many countries and regions, experience various climate and terrain changes, and are under great physical and psychological pressure.
Migratory bird migration is a natural phenomenon and a survival strategy. By migrating, they can find a more suitable living environment, avoid the lack of food and water, escape the cold and hot climate, and improve their reproductive success.
However, in the process, they also face a variety of dangers, such as storms, lightning, starvation, disease, predation, impact, etc. It is estimated that more than 10% of migratory birds die each year during migration, and half of them are due to human-caused reasons.
There are some natural or man-made obstacles on the migration pathways of migratory birds, which pose a great threat to migratory birds. For example, on Snake Island near Bird Island, there are a large number of venomous snakes and rats that attack and devour the birds that rest on the island. Another example is that in some coastal areas, some people will light fires or turn on headlights at night, ** migratory birds descend, and then catch them with tools such as nets or guns. These actions are not only illegal, but also extremely cruel, causing immeasurable harm to migratory birds.
There are eight major bird migration routes in the world, three of which pass through China, namely the East Asia-Australia Migratory Bird Corridor, the Central Asia-India Migratory Bird Corridor, and the West Asia-East Africa Migratory Bird Corridor. On these passages, there are some historic migratory bird sanctuaries, known as the "Millennium Bird Path". For example, in Xinhua County, Hunan Province, there is a wetland park covering an area of more than 2,000 acres, where more than 200,000 migratory birds inhabit every year, including rare species such as white cranes, black storks and white-naped cranes. The local people here have actively carried out publicity and education on the protection of migratory birds, and established migratory bird monitoring stations and volunteer teams, effectively curbing poaching and destruction. This is a model of migratory bird conservation, which is worth learning and learning from.
The impact of poaching on migratory birds and ecology is far-reaching, even deadly. First, poaching can lead to a decrease in the number and variety of migratory birds, or even extinction. According to statistics, nearly 40% of the world's bird species are declining, nearly 10% of bird species are endangered, and nearly 2% of bird species are extinct. The disappearance of these birds will upset the balance of nature and affect the survival of other species.
Poaching can also lead to changes in migratory birds' migration routes and timing, affecting their ability to adapt and reproduce. Some migratory birds change their migration direction and speed due to fear and stress, thus missing out on optimal living conditions and breeding opportunities. Some migratory birds may even abandon their migration because of the difficulty of migration, thus facing a greater survival crisis.
Even if some birds are lucky enough to escape the nets, the bacteria stained with the tools can cause infection to the wounds of the migratory birds, and different species of migratory birds are mixed together, resulting in cross-infection of parasites and viruses. These diseases and parasites not only endanger the lives of migratory birds, but also spread to other regions through the migration of migratory birds, and even affect human health.
Migratory birds are a precious treasure of nature and a good friend of humans. They play an important role and value in nature, pollinating, dispersing seeds, regulating the climate, purifying water, beautifying the environment, and increasing biodiversity.
What would the world look like if migratory birds disappeared? We will not only lose some beautiful scenery and beautiful birdsong, but the entire food chain will be destroyed.
Therefore, we should cherish and protect migratory birds, protect their living environment and migration routes, oppose and stop any form of poaching and destruction, support and participate in any form of migratory bird protection and education, so that migratory birds and humans can live in harmony and share this beautiful earth.
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