Climate change poses huge challenge to avian migration

Delicate balance

Over the past century, sightings of the rainbow-hued ibis were extremely rare in China. However, in recent decades, the birds have been consistently reported in a vast area of the country, ranging from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the north to southern parts of Yunnan province in the south, the China Meteorological Administration said.

Jia said avian species are trying to adapt to human-dominated environments, adding that the delicate balance between human activities and conservation efforts determines the fate of bird populations.

"Migratory birds are smarter than we thought. Some can adapt to climate change well. For example, cranes, which have good migration capabilities, often live for more than 20 years. The fact that they live longer than other birds contributes to their wealth of field experience and resilience in adverse conditions," he said.

While efforts to mitigate global warming are crucial, Jia said the focus remains on adapting to the inevitable changes and providing sufficient habitats for migratory species to thrive.

He added that as birds migrate globally, a consensus on offering them sufficient habitats is needed in the international community.

"Humans and other creatures share the global ecosystem as biodiversity. This plays a pivotal role in supporting various aspects of life," Jia said.

"Ensuring the preservation of biodiversity is not just an ecological imperative, but also contributes to the well-being of cultures and the fundamental functioning of the planet."

In November 2022, during the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, held in Wuhan, Hubei province, a China Bird Migration Channel Protection Network Initiative was announced. The initiative called for priority to be given to protecting wetlands on avian migration routes.

The Chinese Academy of Forestry said China is one of the world's most biodiverse countries, hosting 1,445 avian species, or about 17 percent of the global total. Among them, more than 800 species exhibit migratory behavior, underlining the nation's crucial role in global bird ecology.

Four of the nine major bird migration routes in the world pass through China. To protect them, the nation has built more than 2,200 wetland nature reserves and numerous wetland conservation communities, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said.

Meanwhile, the International Crane Foundation has worked with Chinese nature reserves and scientists to maintain water and vegetation in four key wetlands on the Songnen Plain, which is situated between Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.

This work was reported by Rich Beilfuss, the foundation's president, in an article titled "A Risky Climate for Cranes, Wetlands and Our World", which was published in 2018.

Jia, from Beijing Forestry University, added: "We have a long way to go to properly manage the ecosystem. For example, in addressing the issue of drought in bird habitats, authorities are trying to find a middle ground that both safeguards the ecological system and sustains economic benefits, as it is difficult to assess the outcome of ecological gains."