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A dalmatian pelican is found in the mud flat of Nanbei Lake in Haiyan county, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: zhongguohaiyan]

Birdwatchers recently spotted a dalmatian pelican in the mud flat of Nanbei Lake in Haiyan county, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. This is the third winter that this national first-class protected wildlife has visited Haiyan.

The dalmatian pelican is a large white waterbird with a curled crest and either an orange or a yellow throat pouch. It inhabits regions spanning southeastern Europe, northern Africa, and eastern Asia. Certain populations of the bird call northern China home, migrating south in winter, with a few individuals regularly overwintering in Hong Kong. It is a winter visitor in Zhejiang.

The coastal wetlands of Nanbei Lake are rich in natural resources and serve as an excellent food for the dalmatian pelican and other waterbirds.

Nanbei Lake is an important node of many avian global migration routes, and hosts more than 120 species of birds every year, including more than 20 included on the national protection list.

Another national first-class protected bird, the oriental white stork, also appeared in the mud flat of Nanbei Lake recently. It is a rare migrant and globally endangered, listed as a key protected wildlife by China in 1989.

In 2023, Haiyan monitored 102 species of birds, including 19 listed as national second-class protected wildlife. Compared with 2022, 22 new species of birds were recorded. So far, the county has recorded a total of 173 species of birds.