As birding becomes more popular in China, birding festivals are springing up all over this vast country. There are now annual festivals in Dalian (Liaoning), Beidagang (Hebei), Beihai (Guangxi) and Shangri-La (Yunnan) to name just a few… and they are providing a focus for both experienced and young birders to celebrate their hobby, learn from like-minded people, recruit new members and engage the public. It’s always a privilege to be able to participate in these celebrations and I was delighted to accept an invitation to speak at the 6th birding festival of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Gardens (XTBG), nestled in a wonderful part of southwest Yunnan Province, close to the borders with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
Founded in 1959 and covering an area of 1125 hectares, the Botanical Gardens employ more than 300 staff. Wang Ximin leads an enthusiastic team responsible for engaging schools and the local community about wildlife and habitats. His work is particularly important given the significant problem with illegal hunting that still blights the area (during the festival, several of the participants heard gunshots in the forest close to the gardens). Influencing the local communities is not easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but working with children must surely be the most effective way to tackle the issue over the medium- to long-term.
One of the species Wang Ximin and his colleagues focus on is the Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus), now classified as “Endangered” given the spectacular decline in the population over the last two decades. Closely related to the more familiar Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Green Peafowl is a stunningly beautiful bird, once ranging from SW China and Myanmar through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, to as far south as Java, but which has suffered from hunting pressure and habitat loss meaning that it’s range now consists of ever-shrinking isolated pockets of suitable habitat. Thankfully, according to the locals, it doesn’t taste good.. so at least it’s not popular to eat!
We were treated to an informative talk about the Green Peafowl by Gu Bojian, attended by students, teachers and parents from local schools.
As well as lectures and a bird race involving teams from all over China, from Beijing to Shanghai to Guangzhou to Yunnan, there were stalls operated by birding organisations, optics companies and nature-related publications such as China Bird Watch.
Maybe it’s because I am getting older but I am always struck by just how many young people participate in these events.. It’s heartening to see the youth of China enjoying and celebrating wild birds and their habitats. And this energy is being channelled into developing resources that help to engage the wider community. During my brief visit, Wang Ximin and his colleagues launched a new book about the birds of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Gardens and handed out leaflets about the butterflies, insects and plants that can be found there. All of this is wonderful to see.
More than 100 species of bird were recorded during the festival with highlights being Asian Openbill, Brown-throated Sunbird, Orange-breasted Trogon, Limestone Babbler and Pied Falconet. And there were some sightings of some other cool wildlife including this Tokay Gecko, scientific name “Gekko gecko”.
With a good quality hotel (Royal Waterlily) in the gardens and beautiful surroundings, XTBG is a wonderful place to spend a few days to escape the cold northern winter and by buying the new book or hiring a local guide you’ll be supporting the brilliant conservation work ongoing in this beautiful part of the world. Go now!
Title image: birders distracted by an overflying raptor during the festival. Photo by Zhu Lei.
Terry – great as always to read your blog. It would be wonderful to know in advance the dates of some of these festivals. Might you provide? Thanks.
Hi Edna. It’s a good suggestion.. I’ll see what I can do about finding out dates well in advance.. maybe I can create a page for 2018 that includes all major festivals that I am aware of.. I’ll see what I can do. Thanks, Terry
I’d also love to hear about these things in advance!
Thank you, Tessa. I’ll do my best to put together a list for 2018. Watch this space. Terry
Love the creative Green Peafowl made from leaves and the nice visuals on the poster – great to see some nice art to attract people new to birding. I will echo how useful it would be to have a clearing house for info on these festivals.
Thank you Gretchen. I’ll do my best to put something together.. it’s not always easy to find out about these events a long way in advance as often they receive approval only a few weeks before the event itself.. but I’ll do my best!
I love reading your blog. I am so happy to hear that the Chinese people are becoming inspired to enjoy and protect their natural wealth, especially birds! I definitely want to go birding in China at some point. Great that you are there and bringing the awareness of birds and ecology. I think you are right – it’s all about inspiring children!
Thank you Jannaca! There’s a lot to be optimistic about in China.. young people are increasingly taking an interest in their biodiversity. I am sure you’ll have a great time when you visit! Terry
Hi Terry, its great to hear that the youngsters are so enthusiastic about their local wild life, I also hear that David Attenbroughs ‘Blue Planet II’ is a big hit in China with 80,000,000 viewers, it augurs well for us all !
Hi Malcolm. Yes, Blue Planet II apparently “slowed down the internet” in China due to its popularity… As you say, that’s a positive sign. Terry