The Second International Birdwatching Season at the Yellow River Estuary opened in Dongying of East China's Shandong province on Nov 12 and will run through January 2025.

The opening ceremony of the Second International Birdwatching Season is held in Dongying on Nov 12. [Photo provided for chinadaily.com.cn]

Statistics show that the number of bird species in the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve has grown from 187 in 1992 to 374 today. Dongying has become the world's largest breeding ground for oriental storks, the second-largest for saunders's gulls, the second-largest wintering site for Siberian cranes, and the southernmost breeding area in China for wild red-crowned cranes.

During the opening ceremony, Solene Le Doze, technical advisor at the UNDP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said that UNDP has been working to support China's conservation efforts for decades, including through the Flyway Project supported by the Global Environment Facility, which aims at securing the conservation of globally threatened migratory waterbirds through the establishment of a robust, resilient and well-managed network of protected wetlands across the East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF) in China.

Solene Le Donze makes a speech at the opening ceremony of the Second International Birdwatching Season. [Photo provided for chinadaily.com.cn]

Jennifer George, chief executive of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), offered her congratulations on Dongying's nomination for the World Heritage List of Migratory Bird sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China.

She also pointed out that this network, of which the Yellow River Delta is a key part, has opened a new chapter for the conservation and development for the Yellow River Delta and its EAAFP Flyway Network Site, achieving greater harmony between people and nature and building an ecological civilization for future generations.

At the opening ceremony, The Most Beautiful Fate, the theme song of Yellow River Estuary National Park, was officially released. Additionally, a photography competition related to the birdwatching event was launched, and Dongying presented its tourism offerings, bird-themed cultural products, and four designated birdwatching routes.

Dongying is a uniquely-charming city at the mouth of the Yellow River, known for its distinctive ecological character and wide open areas. The city will continue to embrace its natural heritage while fostering sustainable development, making it a key destination for both ecological conservation and tourism.