Wild red-crowned cranes, a species under national first-class protection in China, have recently been spotted for the first time at the renovated Jianchuan site in Dafeng District of Yancheng City.

This site, formerly a fish farm, has been transformed into a buffer zone of the bird habitats along the coast. Bird-watching enthusiasts have captured photographs the species in Jianchuan. These birds are particular about their habitats, typically foraging and breeding in waters 20-40 centimeters deep.

The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) in Yancheng was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a natural site by the UNESCO in 2019. This includes two zones, YS-1 in the south and YS-2 in the north, separated by approximately 30 kilometers with Dafeng Port in between. Traditionally, red-crowned cranes were primarily found in YS-2, with only occasional sightings in the southern zone. Jianchuan, located in the buffer area of the southern zone, has now set a record with these recent sightings.

Yancheng has intensified its wetland protection efforts. The transformation of Jianchuan, which included the ecological restoration over a total area of about 1,620 mu (108 hectares), was made also in response to suggestions by experts from the University of Cambridge and Kyungpook National University in a meeting in 2019.

With rich ecological resources and favorable climate, Yancheng is recognized as the world’s largest wintering destination for migratory populations of the wild red-crowned cranes. Historically, over 1,000 of these birds have been observed wintering in Yancheng, and they typically arrive at the end of October and stay until March of the following year.