"China's Hometown of White Cranes" monitored 5,100 white cranes in a single day, setting a record high

China News Service, Baicheng, November 1 (Reporter Guo Jia) The reporter learned from the Baicheng Flying Guard Team of the China Wildlife Conservation Association on the 1st that during this autumn migratory bird migration season, the Laimomoge Wetland in Jilin Town has monitored more than 350,000 migratory birds. Among them, the number of white cranes monitored in a single day reached 5,100, a record high.

The white crane is a nationally protected wild animal in China and is listed as a critically endangered species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Momoge Wetland is one of the most important migration stopovers for white cranes in the world, and Zhenlai enjoys the reputation of "the hometown of white cranes in China".

Momoge Wetland is located in the western part of the Songnen Plain, where many rivers meet. The area is densely covered with lakes and luxuriant vegetation such as reeds, sedges, suaeda, and cattails, providing sufficient food sources and excellent habitats for more than 200 species of birds such as white cranes.

In mid-October this year, the China National Bird Banding Center organized a simultaneous survey in Northeast China and eastern Inner Mongolia (the resting place of the Songnen Plain). Data show that the total number of Siberian Cranes in the area reaches 7,700, of which the highest number of Siberian Cranes monitored in a single day in the Zhenlai Momoge Wetland is 5,100, showing the importance of this wetland in the global Siberian Crane Migration Channel.

Siberian cranes migrate across China, Mongolia, Russia and other countries, and population protection requires coordinated linkage between breeding areas, stopover areas, and wintering areas. Recently, Russia's Lena River Columnar Rock Natural Park, the International Crane Foundation, China's National Bird Banding Center, the China Wildlife Conservation Association's Scientific Investigation Committee and other institutions conducted a joint inspection in Jilin's Momoge National Nature Reserve, and conducted in-depth exchanges on issues such as the management and protection of Siberian Crane habitats, monitoring of migration dynamics, and the construction of a transnational collaborative protection mechanism.

Pan Shengyu, captain of the Baicheng Flying Guard Team of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, said that the white crane has a long migration cycle and covers a vast area. It is difficult for a single area protection to cover its entire life cycle survival needs. Countries need to deepen scientific research collaboration, share monitoring data, and connect conservation measures. At present, all parties plan to promote the inclusion of Momoge Wetland into the Sino-Russian Siberian Crane International Protection Network, and strive to formally sign a cooperation agreement in 2027.