The 2016 Tianjin Binhai Bird Watching Festival opened on Nov 19. More than a hundred ornithologists, bird protection volunteers and photographers visited the Beidagang Natural Reserve to enjoy the beautiful scenery and spectacular birds.

Hundreds of ornithologists, volunteers and photographers visit the Beidagang Natural Reserve in Tianjin, promoting bird protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

To help visitors learn more about birds, professor Mo Xunqiang of Tianjin Normal University and post doctor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resource Research Jia Yifei introduced the history of the Beidagang Natural Reserve and gave basic information about birds.

Prof. Mo said the Beidagang wetland is an important resting area for birds migrating between East Asia and Australia every spring and autumn. Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds including swans, oriental white storks and little egrets inhabit the wetland every year. In recent years, red-crowned cranes and flamingos have also been seen.

More and more birds inhabit in the Beidagang Natural Reserve year by year. [Photo/Xinhua]

Jia Yifei told visitors that to date, there are more than 60 kinds of migratory birds in the area and the total bird number is over 60,000.

About 1,200 oriental white storks are resting in Beidagang. Other areas of Tianjin have a further 400, which means 60 percent of oriental white storks in the world are residents of Tianjin.

To date, there are more than 60 kinds of migratory birds in the wetland and the total bird number is over 60,000. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wang Jianmin, director of the Larus Relictus Protected Area of China (Tianjin) -- an institute focusing on the protection of birds -- said the Beidagang Natural Reserve is both a natural and artificial wetland. It is located on the west coast of Bohai Bay, which is an attractive place for birds to migrate from East Asia to Australia.

The rivers and lakes in the Beidagang Natural Reserve have different depths, which allows various birds to inhabit the area. [Photo/Xinhua]

"Hundreds of volunteers patrol the area, finding bird nests and cleaning rubbish to protect birds," he added.

It is recorded that there are more than 400 kinds of birds inhabiting Tianjin, 12 among them being first class national protected birds while 58 are nationally protected at the second class level.

The Beidagang wetland is located on the west coast of Bohai Bay, and draws birds migrating from East Asia to Australia. [Photo/Xinhua]