During the current spring migration season, a red-crowned crane was spotted in Xiaocao Village, Miyun District. This is the first time in a decade that red-crowned cranes, which are under national first-class protection, have been observed in the district. The Project to Optimize Bird Habitat in Miyun Reservoir Basin is one of the initiatives launched under the framework of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation signed by the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau and The Nature Conservancy, with the aim of facilitating the restoration and conservation of bird species diversity in Beijing.

Since the start of the project, the habitat has undergone significant improvements in its environment and has experienced a notable increase in biodiversity. In 2023 and 2024, a total of 88 bird species were spotted in the Xiaocao Village Demonstration Zone and its surrounding areas, representing an increase of nearly 50 species compared to the total number recorded during the same periods from 2020 to 2022. Among these species are six national first-class protected birds, including the red-crowned crane and the great bustard, as well as 19 national second-class protected birds.

(Photo by Lian Shijie)

The Nature Conservancy, based in Arlington, Virginia, USA, is a non-governmental organization established in 1951 dedicated to environmental protection and human well-being enhancement. The organization has invested about four million yuan in the first phase of cooperation and plans to invest another 20 million yuan over the next five years to support Beijing’s ecological conservation efforts.