从濒临灭绝到“重生”，中国朱鹮保护创造奇迹。
从孤羽7只到千鸟竞翔，中国朱鹮保护已经走过40年历程。
Crested ibises are one of the oldest bird species on Earth. It is believed that they have been around for 60 million years. They were once common in Asia. But in the 1960s, they began to disappear because of pollution and other human activities.
In 1981, Chinese scientists found seven of them in the wild in Yangxian county in Hanzhong, Shaanxi province. They were believed to be the last ones in the world.
But now, they have been saved from extinction (灭绝). May 23 marked (标志着) the 40th anniversary of the rediscovery (重新发现) of the crested ibis. Researchers said its population has risen to more than 5,000 worldwide. There are 3,000 crested ibises in Yangxian alone.
The bird’s survival (幸存) owes to (归功于) China’s early protection efforts, according to Zhang Yueming, an expert who helps protect the birds in Yangxian.
On the fourth day after finding the ibises, the local government put out a series of notices to protect the birds. For example, it banned (禁止) people from hunting, cutting down trees, setting off explosives (爆炸物) in the mountains, or using fertilizers (化肥) in the birds’ natural habitat (栖息地).
Later, it set up the Qinling No 1 protection station and sent four people to look after the birds day and night. During the daytime, they watched and recorded the birds’ habits and conditions. At night, their job was to keep them safe.
To help the ibises have more babies, a rescue and breeding center (救助和繁殖中心) was set up in 1990. At the center, crested ibises are artificially (人工地) bred and can receive timely help when they are sick or hurt.
“China’s protection of crested ibises is a paragon (典范) in the world’s history of protecting endangered wildlife,” Zhang told China Daily.
Learn about crested ibises
Appearance
Their face is featherless (没有羽毛的) and red. The eyes have yellow rings and red irises (虹膜).
Their bill (鸟嘴) is long and curved (弯曲的). It’s black with a red tip (尖端).
Lifespan
The crested ibis can breed until it is about 16 years old.
The longest-living crested ibis lived to be 36 years old. That’s longer than the average age of most bird species.
Feeding
The crested ibis likes to eat:
Small fish, loach, eel, shrimp, crab, frog
Habitat
Crested ibis eggs are laid in areas about 1,000 meters above sea level.
Living habits
Crested ibises love to take baths.
Crested ibises give tree branches (枝条) to their partners to show their love, just like when we give flowers to our loved ones.
During breeding season, the feathers on its head, neck and back turn gray.
In order to stay clean, crested ibises will help each other clean their feathers.
“Birds of love”
Crested ibis have stable (稳定的) partners in both artificial breeding and wild environments. They build a nest, lay eggs and hatch (孵化) together.