Tag: BBC

Beijing Swifts – the full sequence

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Beijing Swifts being filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit for a new series about urban wildlife.  “Cities: Nature’s New Wild”, a three-part series, was shown on BBC2 in late December and early January.  Unfortunately, at the last minute, the UK version was stripped of the Beijing Swift clip, which was replaced with a piece on Indonesian Swiftlets.  The Beijing Swifts will be part of the international version of the series that will be shown overseas.

I am pleased to say the full three-minute clip, including subtitles in Mandarin, can be seen here:

 

It’s great to see so many familiar local faces, many of whom were involved in the Beijing Swift Project to track these iconic birds from the Summer Palace to their wintering grounds in southern Africa and back, an astonishing 26,000km round-trip!

Beijing Swifts on BBC2

About a year ago, the BBC Natural History Unit was in contact about the feasibility of filming the Beijing Swift for a forthcoming series on urban wildlife.  After introducing them to local experts, including Professors Gao and Zhao, the China Birdwatching Society and the Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, the BBC applied for permission to visit and film the Swifts in the Chinese capital.  One of the locations was the Summer Palace, where the China Birdwatching Society has been studying the colony of 200+ birds for more than 10 years.  It was here that, in 2014, the Society collaborated with experts from Europe on the Beijing Swift Project, tracking the migration of these avian wonders and discovering for the first time their migration route and wintering grounds in southern Africa.

The new series – “Cities: Nature’s New Wild” – is being shown on BBC2 and the Beijing Swifts are due to appear in episode three on Sunday 13 January (2000-2100).  For those who can’t wait that long, a trailer about the Beijing Swift is available on the BBC website.

It’s fantastic exposure for Beijing’s Swifts and the people working to support them.

If you’re in the UK on the evening of Sunday 13th January, put the kettle on, settle into your favourite armchair and enjoy….

 

UPDATE 9 January: The BBC Natural History Unit has informed me that the Beijing Swifts will now NOT be shown in episode 3 of “Cities: Nature’s New Wild” on BBC2 on 13 January.  Instead, episode 3 of the UK version of the series will include a segment on Indonesian Swiftlets.  The Beijing Swifts will feature in the international version of the series.  I’m awaiting broadcast details.  Updates will appear here as more information is available.