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as the sun dances on the sparkling waters of the Wenyu River， a gentle trickling lulls a patient photographer into a sense of deep relaxation. High above the paddy fields that frame the banks of the shore， a lone eastern buzzard gracefully soars through the air as a black-eared kite glides on a thermal breeze in the expanse of sky. A shy long-eared owl rests on the ledge of a branch nearby， inspiring the photographer to capture its beauty before it flutters away. Refocusing the lens from the sky to the land however reveals an incongruous backdrop； electricity pylons litter the landscape as concrete pillars supporting colossal highways intercept the peaceful pastures around the river. This is Beijing in 2013， the megalopolis is growing， steam-rolling on and enveloping all that borders it. Yet， despite the dystopian picture propagated by many， along with the seemingly birdless skies within Beijing’s 3rd Ring， China’s capital is fairing surprisingly well for birds of prey.
Among the manicured lawns and neat rows of cypress tress at Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven Park （天坛公园 Ti`nt1n G4ngyu1n）， birders lurk， eagerly searching for the elusive long-eared owl which makes the park its winter home. A lack of tagging makes auditing the number of birds difficult， but most agree that the numbers seen here are dwindling. Despite historical attempts to control avian populations in Beijing （some will remember the late 1950s drive to bang pots and pans for three days non-stop to spook every sparrow in sight） the latest count is an impressive 430 species resident or migrating through the city and its environs， a number which has risen over the past decade.
British birder Terry Townshend is optimistic about the plight of birds in China， as documented in his exhaustive blog， birdingbeijing.com， detailing all things ornithological in Beijing. In an interview， he shared his experiences as a prolific birder in a city many believe to be bereft of any “nature” at all. “For a capital city，”he says “（Beijing） has a surprising amount of raptors.”The city’s optimal geographic positioning， surrounded by mountains to the north and west along with a large expanse of sparsely-populated land further north， indulge the birders of Beijing in this migration pit stop. For many species， Beijing offers the ultimate idyllic oasis， perfect for that long-awaited break， respite from the arduous migration routes traversing the country from south to north.
For many others， Beijing acts as their final destination.“Greater spotted eagles， oriental honey buzzards， lesser kestrels， northern goshawks and grey-faced buzzards will all make an appearance in spring as they head to the warming northern reaches of China and beyond，”says Townshend. But sadly， not all will survive the long journey north. The slowly rising city forms an ever-growing barrier for these birds to hurdle， and this is by no means the only problem they face. The detritus spewed out by a city of Beijing’s size and population is complicated to control. From the razing to the ground of trees and forests many of these birds call home to ingesting poisoned bait they call food， the plight and future of the raptor is concerning.“Destruction of these creatures’ habitats is by far the biggest concern for the avian population，” Townshend says. Mudflat land reclamation along much of China’s coastline spells disaster for a multitude of species using this area as a breeding ground， not to mention the rapidly expanding cities and towering factories churning out pollutants and poisoning water supplies. Yet， more sinister activities also exist which threaten these worryingly dwindling species. Trapping wild birds is illegal in China. Despite this， chancers frequently string up mist nets during migration seasons to catch birds either for food or to sell as pets. The nets usually catch smaller song birds， still seen， particularly among older generations， in the markets of Beijing. While this may not be a gargantuan problem， the practice is symptomatic of a wider issue affecting attitudes to bird conservation which are blighting China. As retailers struggle to quench the thirst of buyers searching for the next luxury， high-end product， the consumer looks for new ways to spend the money burning a hole in their pockets. In a situation reminiscent of the Victorian fascination with the exoticism of the Orient， unusual birds of prey are hot property among China’s elite， particularly in the south of the country. However， this time the birds are headed for the table， as opposed to the taxidermist. Illegal poachers have subsequently emerged， with， naturally， disastrous effects for the birds themselves.
The IFAW Beijing Raptor Rescue Center （BRRC） was co-founded by the International Fund for Animal Welfare （IFAW）， Beijing Normal University and the Wildlife Protection Station of the Beijing Forestry Bureau. Since 2001， the center has rescued a whopping 3，577 raptors， consisting of 33 species， from buzzards to vultures， falcons to golden eagles. An average of 55 percent of the rescued raptors are rehabilitated and returned to the wild， often within the municipality of Beijing. As well as being a center for rehabilitation， the IFAW BRRC is committed to educating people about the issues facing these creatures and the dangers inherent in illegally handling them.
Horror stories of the illegal trading， mistreatment and poaching of raptors abound， and the IFAW BRRC are keen to share such stories to highlight the issue and encourage conservation. The IFAW BRRC regularly receive birds showing evidence of having been shackled， implying that attempts at training them have been made. Recently-implemented laws have tightened the restrictions on keeping raptors in captivity. Raptors in cages for sale in markets， however， are still—despite the practice being outlawed—seen in China. Handlers attempting to dodge the law often hide the animals in poor conditions. Cases of misguided handlers sewing up raptors’ eyes in order to prevent them from struggling during transportation or muffling the animals tightly under quilts are all too common for the rescuers， and many birds die in the process. The IFAW BRRC also receives birds that have suffered from malnutrition and dehydration， poorly cared for in captivity.
This situation confirms Townshend’s view that times are changing and Shang agrees with him； attitudes are shifting for the better. “There are changing attitudes here in China. Weibo is being utilized to raise awareness about protection and conservationism.”
In November 2012 at least 20 Oriental Stork， internationally recognized as endangered with possibly fewer than 3，000 individuals remaining in the world， were found dead in a lake in Tianjin. The birds had fallen the victim to poachers who had poisoned the lake with carbofuran， a pesticide banned in many countries but still widely used in China. The poachers were fueling the lucrative demand for new and unusual exotic meat， the the ramifications of which ripple throughout the country. The actions of some local enthusiasts and volunteers prevented the situation from getting worse， catching the birds and even working with local authorities in attempting to catch the poachers. So despite the gloom， the signs indicate that there are shifting patterns in Chinese attitudes to conservation and the importance of protecting these birds. “I am optimistic，” Townshend says. “When such events happen， there is very clear outcry.”
With a multitude of environmental difficulties facing China today， many view the situation negatively. But with a menagerie of raptors showcasing themselves around Beijing， nature lovers can be hopeful that， with heightened awareness and compassion from members of the public， these species will not face the same fate that many of their mammal and reptilian counterparts in China have.
Among the manicured lawns and neat rows of cypress tress at Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven Park （天坛公园 Ti`nt1n G4ngyu1n）， birders lurk， eagerly searching for the elusive long-eared owl which makes the park its winter home. A lack of tagging makes auditing the number of birds difficult， but most agree that the numbers seen here are dwindling. Despite historical attempts to control avian populations in Beijing （some will remember the late 1950s drive to bang pots and pans for three days non-stop to spook every sparrow in sight） the latest count is an impressive 430 species resident or migrating through the city and its environs， a number which has risen over the past decade.
British birder Terry Townshend is optimistic about the plight of birds in China， as documented in his exhaustive blog， birdingbeijing.com， detailing all things ornithological in Beijing. In an interview， he shared his experiences as a prolific birder in a city many believe to be bereft of any “nature” at all. “For a capital city，”he says “（Beijing） has a surprising amount of raptors.”The city’s optimal geographic positioning， surrounded by mountains to the north and west along with a large expanse of sparsely-populated land further north， indulge the birders of Beijing in this migration pit stop. For many species， Beijing offers the ultimate idyllic oasis， perfect for that long-awaited break， respite from the arduous migration routes traversing the country from south to north.
For many others， Beijing acts as their final destination.“Greater spotted eagles， oriental honey buzzards， lesser kestrels， northern goshawks and grey-faced buzzards will all make an appearance in spring as they head to the warming northern reaches of China and beyond，”says Townshend. But sadly， not all will survive the long journey north. The slowly rising city forms an ever-growing barrier for these birds to hurdle， and this is by no means the only problem they face. The detritus spewed out by a city of Beijing’s size and population is complicated to control. From the razing to the ground of trees and forests many of these birds call home to ingesting poisoned bait they call food， the plight and future of the raptor is concerning.“Destruction of these creatures’ habitats is by far the biggest concern for the avian population，” Townshend says. Mudflat land reclamation along much of China’s coastline spells disaster for a multitude of species using this area as a breeding ground， not to mention the rapidly expanding cities and towering factories churning out pollutants and poisoning water supplies. Yet， more sinister activities also exist which threaten these worryingly dwindling species. Trapping wild birds is illegal in China. Despite this， chancers frequently string up mist nets during migration seasons to catch birds either for food or to sell as pets. The nets usually catch smaller song birds， still seen， particularly among older generations， in the markets of Beijing. While this may not be a gargantuan problem， the practice is symptomatic of a wider issue affecting attitudes to bird conservation which are blighting China. As retailers struggle to quench the thirst of buyers searching for the next luxury， high-end product， the consumer looks for new ways to spend the money burning a hole in their pockets. In a situation reminiscent of the Victorian fascination with the exoticism of the Orient， unusual birds of prey are hot property among China’s elite， particularly in the south of the country. However， this time the birds are headed for the table， as opposed to the taxidermist. Illegal poachers have subsequently emerged， with， naturally， disastrous effects for the birds themselves.
The IFAW Beijing Raptor Rescue Center （BRRC） was co-founded by the International Fund for Animal Welfare （IFAW）， Beijing Normal University and the Wildlife Protection Station of the Beijing Forestry Bureau. Since 2001， the center has rescued a whopping 3，577 raptors， consisting of 33 species， from buzzards to vultures， falcons to golden eagles. An average of 55 percent of the rescued raptors are rehabilitated and returned to the wild， often within the municipality of Beijing. As well as being a center for rehabilitation， the IFAW BRRC is committed to educating people about the issues facing these creatures and the dangers inherent in illegally handling them.
Horror stories of the illegal trading， mistreatment and poaching of raptors abound， and the IFAW BRRC are keen to share such stories to highlight the issue and encourage conservation. The IFAW BRRC regularly receive birds showing evidence of having been shackled， implying that attempts at training them have been made. Recently-implemented laws have tightened the restrictions on keeping raptors in captivity. Raptors in cages for sale in markets， however， are still—despite the practice being outlawed—seen in China. Handlers attempting to dodge the law often hide the animals in poor conditions. Cases of misguided handlers sewing up raptors’ eyes in order to prevent them from struggling during transportation or muffling the animals tightly under quilts are all too common for the rescuers， and many birds die in the process. The IFAW BRRC also receives birds that have suffered from malnutrition and dehydration， poorly cared for in captivity.
This situation confirms Townshend’s view that times are changing and Shang agrees with him； attitudes are shifting for the better. “There are changing attitudes here in China. Weibo is being utilized to raise awareness about protection and conservationism.”
In November 2012 at least 20 Oriental Stork， internationally recognized as endangered with possibly fewer than 3，000 individuals remaining in the world， were found dead in a lake in Tianjin. The birds had fallen the victim to poachers who had poisoned the lake with carbofuran， a pesticide banned in many countries but still widely used in China. The poachers were fueling the lucrative demand for new and unusual exotic meat， the the ramifications of which ripple throughout the country. The actions of some local enthusiasts and volunteers prevented the situation from getting worse， catching the birds and even working with local authorities in attempting to catch the poachers. So despite the gloom， the signs indicate that there are shifting patterns in Chinese attitudes to conservation and the importance of protecting these birds. “I am optimistic，” Townshend says. “When such events happen， there is very clear outcry.”
With a multitude of environmental difficulties facing China today， many view the situation negatively. But with a menagerie of raptors showcasing themselves around Beijing， nature lovers can be hopeful that， with heightened awareness and compassion from members of the public， these species will not face the same fate that many of their mammal and reptilian counterparts in China have.