Every spring and autumn during the migratory season, a spectacular phenomenal wave of birds appear on the mud flats at the mouth of the Yalu River in Dandong, Liaoning province. [Photo by Shao Yeping/For chinadaily.com.cn]Each year during the spring and autumn migratory seasons, a phenomenal wave of birds appears on the mudflats at the mouth of the Yalu River in Dandong, Liaoning province.
This area is a vital site along the East Asia-Australasia flyway of migratory birds. In July, as part of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II), the Yalu River estuary was designated a World Heritage Site.
Flocks of migratory birds in flight at the Yalu River estuary bird habitat located in Donggang, Dandong. [Photo by Zhou Guiping/For chinadaily.com.cn]The Yalu River estuary bird habitat is located within the Yalu River Estuary Wetland National Nature Reserve, characterized by both continental and marine climate features. It nurtures a complex ecosystem of inland wetlands, coastal wetlands and marine ecology, supporting 324 species of birds, according to Lei Guangchun, a professor from Beijing Forestry University.
The Yalu River estuary bird habitat provides a critical source of food for 200,000 to 400,000 migratory birds each year, serving as an important resting and refueling station for migratory birds.