On January 13th, CBCGDF launched the first season of “Great Bustard Survey in the New Year” event, got positive responses from 17 teams all over the country. Among them, the team led by Mr. Yu Lian that has experience of tracking gray crane and great bustard wintering population in Jinzhou, Liaoning province, observed 51 great bustards.
 
Jinzhou is a traditional overwintering land for great bustard, over the years there are large groups of great bustards wintering in Jinzhou Binhai new-developed area farmland. The species of the population is about 50 or so. There are red hemp duck, common merganser, spotted merganser, green-headed duck and other species. There are 8 kinds of national-level protected animals recorded in Jinzhou observatory, including great bustard, golden eagle, red-crowned crane, white-headed crane, oriental white stork, white-tailed sea eagle. In addition, every year thousands of national second-level protected gray crane form a spectacular “crane column” phenomenon here!
 
In order to protect this important grand wintering land, Mr. Yu Lian formally applied to CBCGDF for the establishment of “Community Conservation Area for Great Bustard at Jinzhou”, this will be the fourth Chinese great bustard protected land after the “Community Conservation Areas for Great Bustards at Changyuan/Tumuji/Hulunbeier”, which are of great significance. After receiving the application materials, CBCGDF will be in accordance with the relevant procedures for serious review, and thanks again for the strong support from Mr. Yu’s team!

Foraging great bustard

The gray crane in the winter

Great bustard in sleep

The spectacular "crane column"

by/Niu Jingmei, Shuya