A serene home for birds and other wildlife
Print Edition
IT’S not easy to find a small plot of undisturbed land in Shanghai.
Last week, I went to the Jiading Liudao Habitat located in Huating Town by the border of Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, a 2-hour trip that included 15 stops on Metro Line 11 and eight more on the Jiatanghua bus line.
I took a hike inside the nature reserve with Zhang Hang, a birdwatcher who surveys the area monthly, Wang Zheng-huan, associate professor of East China Normal University who specializes in ecology study, and Lu Wanpeng, a wildlife conservation specialist of Jiading Wildlife Conservation Station.
On our hike, which was quite effortless due to well-kept walkways, I saw common moorhen, long-tailed shrike and swallows as well as a Siberian weasel.
At this time of the year, most birds chirping in the woods are resident forest birds such as the blackbird, long-tailed shrike, yellow-billed grosbeak and spotted dove.
“We have some wildlife species you wouldn’t find elsewhere. The forest birds fly around a lot and they mainly decide their habitat depending on the kind of food and trees. There are also migratory birds that winter in the habitat,” Lu said, adding that out of the around 100 species here, 24 are winter migratory and 20 summer migratory birds.
Amur hedgehogs, Chinese hares, Siberian weasels, frogs and some reptiles can also be found in the reserve.
The reserve is a breeding site for egrets in the summer thanks to its tall trees and its proximity to water. Species like the cattle egret, little egret, striated heron, black-crowned night heron and the Chinese pond heron come here annually to breed.
Sometimes, the habitat sees unexpected guests, Lu said, recalling saving a wedge-tailed shearwater here that was blown to Liudao when typhoon Haikui hit Southeast Asia and China in 2010.
“The bird was affected by the strong typhoon — its wing was injured and the bird looked very unique, different from an egret or a crane. It was definitely a sea bird and after researching and consulting with experts, we agreed that it was a wedge-tailed shearwater, the first one ever recorded in Shanghai,” Lu remembered.
The Liudao Habitat also rescues animals — mostly injured birds — but in cages next to the office building, they are also nursing a monkey, several golden pheasants and two peacocks.
Villagers used to break into the area to herd sheep or chop firewood, so the habitat is now completely fenced and not open to individual tourists. Schools and organizations, however, have the option of arranging scientific activities inside the reserve.
“This habitat was set up not only to protect the wildlife, but also as a platform for educating the public,” Lu explained.
“Every district should have a place like this, but it cannot accommodate too many people and visitors need to be organized in groups.”
BIRDS in Liudao
YELLOW-BILLED grosbeak 黑尾蜡嘴雀
Scientific name: Eophona migratoria
Also known as Chinese grosbeak, this species is native to the temperate forests in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The finch species is quite large in size with a length of 17 centimeters, has big yellow beak with a black tip end, grey plumage on the chest and black feathers on the wings.
The species is migratory and breeds in the forests in northeast China before spending the winter in southern China including Shanghai.
Spotted dove 珠颈斑鸠
Scientific name: Streptopelia chinensis
The rosy brown and grey spotted dove is a long-tailed pigeon widely found in Asia, often in the woods. Its beak is black and its feet are red.
The spotted dove can live with humans, residing around villages and farmlands. The juveniles have less colorful plumage than the adults.
Long-tailed shrike 棕背伯劳
Scientific name: Lanius schach
This is a relatively large shrike with long, narrow tails and plumage in brown, black and white. The bird’s head, feet, beak and tail are black.
The long-tailed shrike is distributed across Asia, it’s a common resident bird that can live in areas with an altitude of up to 1,600 meters, and they mostly take animal preys like insects.
Common moorhen 黑水鸡
Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus
The common moorhen is a mid-sized bird with black and white plumage, a red frontal shield and a short bill. It is found across the world and resides in wetlands and marsh environments, so when walking along the small creek inside Liudao Habitat, it’s easy to spot a common moorhen on the water.
The species starts breeding in late spring and in winter the birds from northern regions migrate south.
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