Oriental storks find shelter in Shandong

Habitat creation

As a wading bird species, the oriental stork is between 110 and 120 centimeters tall, weighs 4 to 5 kilograms and has a wingspan of up to 220 cm. However, its timid, vigilant and solitary nature leads it to favor habitats far from human activity and high up in buildings or trees, Zhao said.

"High soil salinity in the Yellow River Delta means the region is unsuitable for tall trees to grow, and oriental storks opt to nest on top of power line poles, which is an electricity hazard," she said. "In addition, the lack of nesting materials makes the nests less secure."

To tackle the problem, the nature reserve has built artificial nests designed especially for the oriental stork since 2007. Positioned on 15-meter-high cement poles, each nest is made of galvanized steel, resembling a bowl with a top diameter of 2.4 meters, a bottom diameter of 1.2 meters and a depth of 35 cm.

Small-scale terrain adjustments have been implemented in the area to cater to the diverse living habits and feeding behaviors of different bird species, enabling waterfowl to frolic in deep waters and wading birds to stand and feed in shallow waters.

Fish fry are released into wetlands every spring to meet the oriental storks' elevated demand for food reserves during the breeding season, Zhao said.

Advanced technology such as artificial intelligence recognition systems and 5G internet have been employed to automatically monitor bird populations and capture real-time data on environmental factors including hydrology, meteorology and air quality. In addition, some key birds have been banded to keep track of their migration patterns.

"Empowered by technology, we can reduce human disruption in wildlife habitats, enhance our understanding of these animals and take prompt action when they are in danger," Zhao said, adding that the rescue principle in the nature reserve is to preserve their wild nature and release them back into the wild once it is possible to do so.